Differences between allergy and food intolerance

It is increasingly common to hear terms such as allergy or food intolerance. And though it may seem the same, are two different terms. It is true that both are classified as food hypersensitivity, but they have the same symptoms.

Let's start by explaining what is a food allergy associated with. This happens when a substance is detected as harmful by our own body when in fact it is not. This disorder causes an extreme response of our body that can appear in various organs. Usually the problem after detecting the organism pound some chemicals (such as histamine), which can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, stomach pain, swelling, vomiting and cough among others. And all allergies are at high risk.

Meanwhile a food intolerance works differently and although it can cause discomfort, your risk is much lower. Intolerance is caused by poor digestion of a food that irritates the digestive system. The most common symptoms of this disorder are diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps and flatulence.

Thus, it is noteworthy that both people can suffer problems from eating a food to which you are allergic or intolerant. However, traces or small amounts of food can be eaten without problems intolerant, while allergy can cause fatal problems.