Food Intolerance (Food Sensitivity)

The Definition of Food Sensitivity (Food Intolerance)

A useful definition of food intolerance (or food sensitivity) is:

"The inability to fully digest modern foods"

When the body cannot completely process a food - the result is partially digested material. Protein breakdown fragments in particular cause trouble because the body does not recognise them as 'friendly'. This can set up inflammation and disrupt bodily functions. . . causing dozens of symptoms. If left unattended these symptoms can develop into disease.
Deborah Manners B.Sc.(Hons) Dip.Ed. SME - Food Intolerance

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Sensitivity to certain foods or food intolerance is often known as the Great Imitator because its symptoms are like other diseases. Food intolerance or food sensitivity is therefore easy to misread or misdiagnose.

Food sensitivity (or food intolerance) is also responsible for unnecessary suffering in millions of people. Previously food intolerance was thought to be quite rare. But the medical evidence points to the opposite - it's rather common*. People who are unaware of their food intolerances - are at increased risk of serious diseases like diabetes, obesity, bowel cancer and arthritis - so it is important to investigate any chronic symptoms (the ones that never seem to go away).

Start by looking in the Symptoms Matrix

How Common is Food Intolerance?

The main types of food sensitivity are:

Definition of Food Sensitivity - Food Intolerance

Sensitivity to certain foods or food intolerance is the inability to properly digest or fully process certain foods, which leads to chronic symptoms and illness. But getting yourself onto the right diet allows it all to heal.

There are dozens of symptoms of food intolerance (see Symptoms Matrix - you must register first). They fall into these groups:

• Gastro-intestinal (stomach and digestive tract - irritable bowel, colitis etc.)
• Respiratory (lungs and breathing - chronic cough, asthma, bronchitis etc.)
• Dermatological (skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis etc.)
• Neurological (nervous system - chronic headache, pain, memory and mood)
• Musculo-skeletal (muscle and bone disorders - arthritis, osteoporosis)
• Reproductive (genital and fertility issues - inability to conceive)
• Immune system (allergies and the ability to fight infections)

Main Points about Food Sensitivity (Food Intolerance)

Here is a summary of food intolerance:

1. Food intolerance is common: Medical evidence shows food intolerance or food sensitivity is much more prevalent than the small minorities usually quoted. (eg. Gluten sensitivity is now thought to be ~15% of Americans, rather than ½%. And Lactose intolerance is now known to be so prevalent (~75% are affected to some extent) that those who are not lactose intolerant (the minority) have been described using a new term: lactase persistent. This is to emphasise that they still produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Most humans stop producing lactase at weaning, or around two years of age. Therefore most adults are lactose intolerant - even if they do not yet have obvious symptoms.



2. Food intolerance is genetic: Food sensitivity is genetic, therefore it 'runs in the family'. Celiac Disease (or Gluten sensitivity) for instance occurs in 10% of all first degree relatives of Celiacs - sisters, brothers, parents and children. Food sensitivities can appear as allergies or intolerances within the same family.



3. Food intolerance is poorly diagnosed: Even the medical profession concedes that all four types of food sensitivity: Gluten sensitivity, Dairy intolerance, Yeast sensitivity and Fructose Malabsorption are poorly diagnosed. See references below*. Clinical testing (blood test, biopsy, breath test etc.) is never as accurate as using the journal method (elimination Diet method).



4. Symptoms of food intolerance can take days to appear: Bad reactions to foods can take up to 48 hours to appear after eating. So it is difficult to make a connection. Most people keep buying symptom relief (over-the-counter medications) for years without ever suspecting food intolerance.



5. Low awareness of food intolerance: Few people understand the effects of food sensitivity and food intolerance. It is often confused with food allergy. And because many symptoms are chronic (never seem to go away) they are often attributed to something else. Low awareness contributes to poor diagnosis and even a tendency to tag symptoms as 'incurable'. Don't let this happen to you! Investigate whether your symptoms could be food intolerance - using the Detection Diet.



6. Food intolerance gets worse with age: As with everything else - food sensitivities and all the symptoms of food intolerance get worse as we get older. As children we were healthy enough to 'tolerate' wrong foods - and had no symptoms. With age our bodies become much less tolerant - and symptoms appear that we have never had before. The secret is to get your diet right by first identifying your food intolerance.



7. Food intolerance makes you sick: Symptoms of food sensitivity tend to be those we 'put up with' on a daily basis: itching skin, mild diarrhea, coughing, tiredness, mouth ulcers, stomach bloating, headache. By the time food sensitivity is properly diagnosed - the health can be compromised, with a much greater risk of serious disease. But with corrected diet symptoms evaporate and pre-disease conditions can heal.



8. Food intolerance can be triggered: Food intolerance suddenly appear later in life. People are frequently surprised to discover they are Dairy intolerant or sensitive to Fructose or Gluten - when they reach ages of 20, 30, 40 or older. The things that trigger intolerance are the 'life events' like birth of a child, death of a family member, divorce, sickness, finding a new job etc. Until that point - the body had been compensating. But after serious stress, the symptoms begin to appear.



9. Food intolerance is easily fixed: Despite the risk of serious disease if left untreated, Food intolerance is easy to fix with a changed diet. First, the offending food must be positively identified using an Elimination Diet. Then the new diet is very successful in bringing back good health, better resistance to disease and fresh personal motivation.

As you can see from the table above Food intolerance is common. Lots of people have it but don't realise. ANY symptoms are signals from your body! Don't ignore the signals!

TO GET STARTED look at the Symptoms Matrix (must register first).

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More information

References - Some of the references on food intolerance:

• Beri D, Malaviya AN, Shandilya R, Singh RR: Effect of dietary restrictions on disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 1988;47:69-77.
• Cabral Rodriguez R, Arrieta Blanco F, Vicente Sanchez F, Cordobes Martin F, Moreno Caballero B.: Adult oligosymptomatic coeliac disease. An Med Interna. 2004 Dec;21(12):599-601.
• Collin P, Maki M. Associated disorders in coeliac disease: clinical aspects. Scand J Gastroenterol 1994; 29:769-775
• Collin P, T Reunala, E Pukkala, P Laippala, O Keyriläinen, and A Pasternack. Coeliac disease - associated disorders and survival. Gut 1994 September; 35(9): 1215–1218.
• Corvaglia L, Catamo R, Pepe G, Lazzari R, Corvaglia E.: Depression in adult untreated celiac subjects: diagnosis by the pediatrician. Am J Gastroenterol. 1999 Mar;94(3):839-43.
• Cottliar A, Palumbo M, La Motta G, de Barrio S, Crivelli A, Viola M, Gomez JC, Slavutsky I.: Telomere length study in celiac disease. Am J Gastroenterol. 2003 Dec;98(12):2727-31.
• Duggan, JM: Coeliac Disease: the great imitator MJA 2004;180(10): 524-526
• Eaton SB, Konner M, Shostak M.: Stone agers in the fast lane: chronic degenerative diseases in evolutionary perspective. Am J Med. 1988 Apr;84(4):739-49.
• Fei Zhong1, Candace C. McCombs1, Jane M. Olson2, Robert C. Elston2, Fiona M. Stevens3, Ciaran F. McCarthy3 & Joseph P. Michalski1, An autosomal screen for genes that predispose to celiac disease in the western counties of Ireland. Nature Genetics 14, 329 - 333 (1996) doi:10.1038/ng1196-329
• Gale L, Wimalaratna H, Brotodiharjo A, Duggan JM. Down syndrome is strongly associated with coeliac disease. Gut 1997;40:492-496
• Hoggan R.: Considering wheat, rye, and barley proteins as aids to carcinogens. Med Hypotheses. 1997 Sep;49(3):285-8.
• Holmes GK, P Prior, MR Lane, D Pope and RN Allan. Gastroenterology Unit, General Hospital, Birmingham. Malignancy in coeliac disease--effect of a gluten free diet. Gut. 1989 March; 30(3): 333–338.
• Holmes GK, PL Stokes, TM Sorahan, P Prior, JA Waterhouse and WT Cooke,C oeliac Disease, gluten-free diet and malignancy. Gut, Vol 17, 612-619
• Holmes GK.: Coeliac disease and malignancy. Dig Liver Dis. 2002 Mar;34(3):229-37.
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• Ledochowski M, Widner B, Bair H, Probst T, Fuchs D.: Fructose- and sorbitol-reduced diet improves mood and gastrointestinal disturbances in fructose malabsorbers. Scand J Gastroenterol 2000; 35:1048-1052.
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• Macdiarmid JI, Hetherington MM.: Mood modulation by food: an explanation of affect and cravings in 'chocolate addicts'. Br J Clin Psychol 1995;34:129-38.
• Nelsen DA, JR., M.D., M.S., University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Gluten-Sensitive Enteropathy (Celiac Disease): More Common Than You Think.
• O'Connor TM, Cronin CC, Loane JF, O'Meara NM, Firth RG, Shanahan F, O'Halloran DJ. Type 1 diabetes mellitus, coeliac disease, and lymphoma: a report of four cases. Diabet Med. 1999 Jul;16(7):614-7.
• Ojetti V, Sanchez JA, Guerriero C, et al. High prevalence of coeliac disease in psoriasis. Gastroenterology 2003; Suppl. 1: A656
• Potocki P, Hozyasz K.: Psychiatric symptoms and coeliac disease. Psychiatr Pol. 2002 Jul-Aug;36(4):567-78.
• R Goldstein, D Braverman, H Stankiewicz.: Carbohydrate malabsorption and the effect of dietary restriction on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and functional bowel complaints. Israel Medical Association Journal, 2000, Vol 2, Iss 8, pp 583-587
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• Schweizer, Joachim J. *; Oren, Anath *; Mearin, M. Luisa *; The Working Group for Celiac Disease Malignancy of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology Nutrition . Cancer in Children With Celiac Disease: A Survey of the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Cancer in Children With Celiac Disease: A Survey of the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Gastroenterology, Volume 128, Issue 4, pps S79-S86
• Shatin R: Preliminary report of the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with high protein gluten-free diet and supplements. Med J Aust 1964;2:169-72.
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• Tolan D: Boston University: Hereditary Fructose Intolerance website: http://www.bu.edu/aldolase/HFI/
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• Wurtman RJ.: Nutrients that modify brain function. Sci Am 1982;246:50-9.

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