Food Intolerance?

Food Intolerance?

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FOOD ALLERGIES AND FOOD INTOLERANCE

An allergy causes a very specific immunological reaction in the body that can be observed and can be diagnosed by various tests. Food intolerance does not cause this type of reaction and cannot be tested for in the same way. This lack of a specific immune reaction and inability to test "scientifically" has led some doctors to deny the existence of food intolerance.

Food and you - the key facts

You are unique
There has arisen an assumption that because we are all human beings our nutrition needs must also be the same. Although we all need the essential nutrients to survive, the amounts we need and the way we use them differs considerably. This is called biochemical individuality.

As your biochemistry is different from mine and mine is different from yours we will each be able to tolerate different foods. Whereas you may need lots of B vitamins, I may need very few, you may be able to tolerate milk and I could be intolerant and so on.

We have forgotten that we all have different needs - if we can reclaim this understanding then perhaps we can start to not view food intolerance as a problem but simply a fact of life - we are different.

Food is a complex substance
In the same way that you are unique, so is food. Each item of food that you eat is incredibly complex - fresh fruit and vegetables contain over 500,000 different natural compounds that produce flavour, texture, appearance and nutrient content. The combination of naturally occurring chemicals are what enables you to distinguish a tomato from a potato, rice from wheat, an apple from a grape.

Over the years we have identified which foods are "safe" to eat - i.e. those that will not lead to poisoning but what we have forgotten is that although we may not die from eating a food we can have a sensitivity to one, or more, of the chemicals present. If we don't identify this sensitivity then we will not know that our ill health is being caused by our "healthy" diet.

There is no single "healthy" diet that will work for everyone.
We live in times when information is continually being put forward as to what constitutes a healthy diet. The reality is that no single diet can work for everyone. Some people will need a lot of protein, others carbohydrate, some will need more fat than others.

No single food is any more healthier than another - some may have more nutritional value than others but if you have a problem with them then they become a poison to you and can no longer be seen as "healthy" regardless of how many vitamins and minerals they may contain.

If you choose the wrong diet for yourself then you will have weight and health problems.

Food can make you ill
If you find you are food intolerant, don't be upset with yourself or believe that there is something intrinsically "wrong" with you rather revel in your uniqueness and congratulate yourself on having started on the journey to providing your body with what it truly needs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF THIS ARTICLE:

Sara Race has wonderful website that contains a library of free articles about food intolerance. There are also testimonies, research information, books, and a notice board.

Click here to visit her informative site.