What do they have to do with allergies or food intolerance?
The word allergy is now familiar to everyone, there is no person who has not come across the term. But what exactly is allergy?
Why is it important to distinguish it from food intolerance?
Even the ancient Greeks recorded allergic reactions, but back then they were described as asthmatic, suffocating symptoms. Medical science has come a long way since then and we know that food allergies are as common as respiratory allergies.
This is when the presence of certain substances in the blood, special antibodies called immunoglobulin E, which trigger the allergy, are tested. These IgEs are produced when our body mistakenly perceives certain elements of the food we eat or the pollen we breathe etc. as foreign, harmful invaders. As a defense, it triggers a number of processes that can cause the most subtle symptoms and, in the case of an abnormal reaction, can even lead to a life-threatening condition.
There is no cure for allergies, the main treatment for food allergy is to avoid allergens, i.e. to exclude certain foods from the diet.
The specific IgE decreases and then disappears, so allergy is not always detectable by the test and it is recommended to stress the body for at least 2 weeks before testing.
Similar symptoms can also be caused by food intolerance, but in addition to typical digestive symptoms, they can also cause headaches, frequent flu-like illnesses or even arthritis. Because these symptoms often do not appear immediately after eating a particular food, it is more difficult to find out empirically what is causing the problem. However, it is important to know that even mild symptoms can put the body under constant stress, which can lead to further complications.
Some food intolerances develop because our bodies are unable to digest certain nutrients, such as lactose. So it ferments in the digestive tract, causing inflammation and unpleasant symptoms. The solution here is also an elimination diet, in this case avoiding lactose, or replacing the body’s missing digestive enzyme, lactase.
In addition, food intolerance due to other digestive diseases is becoming more common.
Some of the components of our food produce an immune response, which can lead to produce special IgG.
Fortunately, a blood-based intolerance test is now also available, based on a complex of IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3, so that the result shows the intolerant foods.
An elimination diet can be used effectively to treat symptoms and avoid further complications. Alternatively, by identifying, treating and curing the cause of the digestive tract dysfunction, the foods that previously caused the symptoms can be reversed over time.
