WHAT IS FOOD INTOLERANCE?
- Food intolerance can be caused by enzyme deficiency, food poisoning or bioactive metabolites in the body
Food Intolerance is referred to as a non-allergic food hypersensitivity and is a reproducible adverse reaction to food. It should not be confused with a true food allergy, because it is not caused by an immune reaction but by a range of other factors, such as an enzyme deficiency.
Intolerances may also result from food poisoning with pathogenic bacteria or can be due to bioactive metabolites formed in the body that induce an intolerance reaction such as Chinese Restaurant syndrome. (Symptoms are usually more gastrointestinal, for example, with lactose intolerance.)
Lactose Intolerance is the inability to digest significant amounts of lactose, the major sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance is caused by a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is produced by cells that line the small intestine. People who do not have enough lactase to digest the amount of lactose they consume may experience symptoms such as nausea, bloating, gas and diarrhoea.
