Do you ever experience bloating, headaches, or digestive issues and wonder if you’re perhaps sensitive to something you’re eating?

Many clients come to me with symptoms of food allergies or sensitivities. They may already know that they react to certain foods, and sometimes we figure it out together.

One of the first things that it’s important to know is: is it an allergy or a sensitivity?

Understanding the distinction between food allergies and food sensitivities is crucial for managing your diet and overall health. While both conditions can cause discomfort and require dietary adjustments, they differ significantly in their mechanisms, symptoms, and severity.

Food Allergy:

A food allergy involves an immune system response to a specific food protein that the body mistakenly identifies as harmful. When an allergic person consumes the offending food, their immune system produces Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. This immune reaction can trigger a range of symptoms, from mild to life-threatening.

Common symptoms of food allergies include:

• Hives or skin rash
• Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, or throat
• Difficulty breathing or wheezing
• Abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Anaphylaxis (a severe, life-threatening reaction that requires immediate medical attention)

Common food allergens include peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, wheat, and soy. Food allergies often develop in childhood but can occur at any age and tend to be lifelong.

If you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms during or after consuming a food product, it’s important that you consult a medical doctor for allergy testing. It’s also possible that your medical practitioner may need to prescribe something to have on hand in the event that you accidentally ingest something you weren’t mean to.

Food Sensitivity:

Food sensitivity, also known as food intolerance, involves the digestive system rather than the immune system.

Sensitivities occur when the body has difficulty digesting a particular food, leading to uncomfortable symptoms, but not an immune response.

Symptoms of food sensitivities can include:

• Bloating and gas
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Headaches or migraines
• Fatigue
• Irritability

Unlike food allergies, sensitivities are not life-threatening and do not involve IgE antibodies. Instead, they often result from enzyme deficiencies, such as lactose intolerance (lack of lactase enzyme) or reactions to food additives like sulfites or MSG. Symptoms of food sensitivities can vary greatly and may not appear immediately after eating the offending food, making them harder to identify. For example, one person may be completely fine consuming apples or eggs and for another, it might cause them digestive discomfort or a migraine.

If you think you might have a food sensitivity and would like to get tested, go here for more information on food sensitivity testing.

KEY DIFFERENCES:

1. Immune System Involvement:
* Food Allergy: Involves the immune system and the production of IgE antibodies.
* Food Sensitivity: Involves the digestive system and does not trigger an immune response.

2. Severity of Symptoms:
* Food Allergy: Can cause severe and potentially life-threatening symptoms, including anaphylaxis.
* Food Sensitivity: Causes uncomfortable but non-life-threatening symptoms primarily related to digestion.

3. Onset of Symptoms:
* Food Allergy: Symptoms usually appear within minutes to a few hours after consuming the allergen.
* Food Sensitivity: Symptoms can appear several hours or even days after consuming the offending food.

4. Diagnosis:
* Food Allergy: Diagnosed through skin prick tests, blood tests for IgE antibodies, and supervised oral food challenges, generally under the direction of a medical doctor.
* Food Sensitivity: Diagnosed through elimination diets, food diaries, and specific tests for intolerances like lactose or gluten. More information about this here.

Our environment and our food system is so far away from what it should be, so food sensitivities are increasingly common. There are also a lot of myths out there about what does and does not contribute to food sensitivities.

If you’re interested in getting a food sensitivity test, you can find out more information here.

As always, please don’t hesitate to ask me if you have questions!