An adverse reaction to some foods such as oranges, eggs, tomatoes and strawberries.
General term describing an abnormal physiological response to food or food additives that does not appear to be immunological in nature.
A general term for a regular adverse reaction to a food or food additive, not stemming from food poisoning or a psychological reaction. It can refer to a wide range of responses, from a mild upset stomach after eating fried foods to allergies involving possibly life-threatening anaphylactic shock, as to monosodium glutamate (MSG). Many forms of food intolerance are related to a biochemical deficiency, either inherited or environmentally triggered, that makes the body unable to digest certain foods; among these are lactose intolerance, celiac sprue (gluten intolerance), and even diabetes mellitus (a sort of glucose intolerance). In a wider sense, some kinds of metabolic disorders, involving the body’s inability to break down essential nutrients and use them for energy, might also be considered examples of food intolerance. When first starting a baby on solid foods, public health experts recommend that parents try one simple food at a time, and only for a few days each, to identify any adverse reactions to foods.
A response to food that may produce symptoms similar to those of a food allergy but does not involve the immune system or the production of antibodies in the body. Food intolerance is usually caused instead by a missing digestive enzyme, irritable bowel syndrome, emotional anxiety, or contamination of the food eaten. The symptoms generally experienced occur primarily in the gastrointestinal system and may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
This is divided into food aversion, where a person simply avoids a food they dislike; food intolerance, where taking the food causes symptoms; and food allergy, where the symptoms are due to an immunological reaction. Some cases of food intolerance are due to idiosyncrasy that is, a genetic defect in the patient, such as alactasia, where the intestine lacks the enzyme that digests milk sugar, with the result that individuals so affected develop diarrhoea when they drink milk. Intolerance to specific foods, as distinct from allergy, is probably quite common and may be an important factor in the aetiology of the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
An abnormal, nonimmunological response to ingested food. The basis for the intolerance may be pharmacological, enzymatic, metabolic, or toxic. Pharmacological intolerance is the body’s reaction to a component of the food that produces druglike effects; enzymatic intolerance results in an inability to digest a food because of an inadequate production or the absence of an enzyme necessary for its digestion; metabolic intolerance is due to the effect of the food on the person’s metabolism; and food toxicity is due to toxins in the food or released by microorganisms contaminating the food.
Food intolerance refers to a negative response triggered by a food or a component of food, recurring each time the person consumes the specific substance. It is important to note that food intolerance is not psychologically induced, it is not a consequence of food poisoning, and it doesn’t involve an immune system response.
Often, the cause of food intolerance remains uncertain. It can occur due to impaired digestion and absorption, which may be associated with conditions affecting the pancreas or the biliary system – both of which are responsible for producing digestive enzymes to breakdown food. Some individuals have a genetic deficit of a particular enzyme, such as lactase, necessary for digesting lactose, a sugar found in milk. When these individuals, who are lactose intolerant, consume milk, they may experience symptoms like abdominal cramping, excessive gas, and diarrhea.