Allergy, Sensitivity, or Intolerance?

Nutrition

Mar 6

Peanut allergy, gluten intolerance, dairy sensitivity. What the heck is the difference?!

These words get thrown around a lot. Until I learned about the science behind each of these conditions, I didn’t understand the difference between them all. And today, I’m going to break it down for you.

Allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities each lead to a different response within the body. Allergies cause what’s called an Ige immune response, sensitivities cause an IgA or an IgG immune response, and intolerances do not cause an immune response.

What is a Food Allergy?

The immune response causes severe symptoms immediately after a trigger food is consumed, meaning symptoms appear very quickly.
90% of food allergies come from dairy, wheat, peanuts, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish, and treenuts.
A very small quantity of the food can trigger the allergy.
Although symptoms are severe, they only last a short time
Most people are aware of an allergy due to the reaction (swollen lips, anaphylaxis, hives, etc)
The typically last a lifetime- a true allergy doesn’t just go away

What is Food Sensitivity?

Your digestive system is reacting to a food, but since this is an immune response it can affect any organ in the body
The reaction may be delayed by hours or even days - making them hard to identify
Symptoms may include a variety of reactions including cramping, gas, bloating, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, headaches or brain fog.
The reaction is dose dependent- for example, I might be able to eat a small bite of my husband’s pizza and not notice a reaction, but if I ate the whole slice I’d be in trouble
Just as the reaction can be delayed by up to 24-72, the symptoms can also last for days
People are typically unaware of their food sensitivities
Can be sensitive to any type of food (corn, soy, coffee, wheat, dairy, sugar, tomatoes.. anything)
The sensitivity can go away after a substantial period of elimination (months)
Caused by genetics, leaky gut, an imbalanced microbiome, or nutritional insufficiency

What is Food Intolerance?

A reaction to certain food chemicals (lactose, MSG, histamines, etc.) that occur when a person is lacking an enzyme or nutrient
Is the inability to digest certain foods
Is NOT an immune response
Symptoms look similar to the digestive symptoms a food sensitivity
The most common foods people are intolerant of are gluten and dairy.

So what can you do if you suspect an allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance?

Keep reading for my recommendations.

First, if you suspect an allergy, consult with your doctor immediately. Allergies are not something to mess around with. Your doctor can test and prescribe appropriate medication if necessary, like an epinephrine pen.

If you experience bloating, gas, cramping, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, headaches or brain fog on a regular basis:

1. Start with a food diary

For one week, write down everything you eat and drink. Additionally, log all of your symptoms. At the end of the week, be a detective. Look back at your log and try to identify patterns. Look at the food/drinks for the 3 days leading up to symptoms. Look at the quantity of food. Some people say “I can eat cheese sometimes no problem, other times I blow up like a balloon!” Likely they have a sensitivity, and a small amount of cheese is okay while a larger amount triggers the reaction.

2. Try an elimination diet for 3 weeks

After you have logged your food and symptoms for 1 week and identified patterns, be a scientist and develop a hypothesis. Based on your data, what foods do you most suspect are causing you trouble? Now remove them for 3 weeks and see how you feel.

3. Reintroduce foods

The most important part of the elimination process is the reintroduction phase. Only reintroduce one food at a time. Eat that food a few times a day for 3 days. Any reactions? If no, then that food is not likely causing problems. Have bloating or other digestive issues? Then you are likely sensitive to or intolerant of that food, and you may want to avoid it to avoid the symptoms.

On the 4th day, reintroduce another food and follow the same process for 3 days. Continue on until you have reintroduced all foods. After you have conducted your “research”, you should have a good idea of what foods have been causing your symptoms, and you can make informed decisions about whether or not to eat them.

I know for myself, gluten and dairy cause horrible cramps, gas, bloating and constipation, so I happily choose to avoid them at all costs. Sugar is tricky for me, because a little bit (a mini candy bar, one gluten free cookie) is okay, but I can never seem to stop at a little bit, and any more than that brings on the cramps/gas/bloating for days.

So there you have it! To recap:

An allergy is an immune response with severe symptoms like hives, swelling, or anaphylaxis appearing immediately after the trigger food is consumed.
A sensitivity is an immune response with less severe symptoms like bloating, gas, cramping, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, headaches or brain fog. These symptoms can take up to 3 days to appear, and can last several days as well. Whether or not a person has a reaction to a food they are sensitive to depends on the amount of food consumed.
An intolerance is not an immune response. It is the inability to digest certain foods caused by reaction to certain food chemicals (lactose, MSG, histamines, etc.) that occur when a person is lacking an enzyme or nutrient. Symptoms look similar to the digestive symptoms of a food sensitivity.
Common sensitivities include gluten and dairy.
A food diary is a good way to track reactions and an elimination diet is a good way to test your hypothesis about what foods are causing a reaction for you.

I know that tracking foods and completing an elimination diet with proper reintroduction can be tricky. This is where having the support and guidance of a trained professional can be extremely helpful. If you’d like to find out how I can help you, book a free consultation HERE.