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In our previous article we talked about food intolerance,
its symptoms, causes, victims and types. We realised that food intolerance is a
very common happening but the most ignored one, which leads it to become food allergy.
It’s important to understand that food allergy can cause serious damage and may
prove fatal.

It is estimated that around 20% of world’s population is
food intolerant. Nearly everyone at some point in their life has had an
unpleasant reaction to something they ate. Some people have specific food
intolerances out of which Lactose intolerance is most common. Let’s dive deeper
into specific food intolerances and find a way to fight it back.

1.     
Lactose:

Have you ever wondered why some brands sell lactose free
milk? Why some kids vomit as soon as they drink milk or eat milk products?

It’s all because kids generally suffer from Lactose
Intolerance. Lactose is common sugar found in milk and dairy products. It
happens when small intestine doesn’t make enough of digestive, juice or enzyme
called Lactase which makes it difficult to digest Lactose.

Your child is at risk if he/she is a premature baby or you
have history of lactose intolerance.

Symptoms often
begin to appear in white children after age 5. They appear in African-American
children as young as 2 years old.

Symptoms begin
about 30 minutes to 2 hours after having foods or drinks containing lactose.
Each child's symptoms may vary. Symptoms may include:

a.     
Upset
stomach or nausea

b.     
Cramps

c.     
Bloating

d.     
Belly
(abdominal) pain

e.     
Gas

f.      
Loose
stool or diarrhea

g.     
Vomiting,
happens more often to teens

If you feel your
child has lactose intolerance then confirm it by lactose tolerance test,
hydrogen breath test, Biopsy / disaccharidase test. Treatment will depend on your child's symptoms, age, and general health.
It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

No treatment will
help your child's body make more lactase. But you can manage your child's
symptoms with a diet that limits lactose. Your child may not have to stop eating
all foods with lactose. Your child's healthcare provider may also suggest your
child take lactase enzymes. You can even look for lactose-free and
lactose-reduced milk and milk products. These can be found at many food stores.
They are the same as regular milk and milk products. But they have the lactase
enzyme added to them.

2.     
Gluten:

Gluten is the
general protein found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale. Gluten
intolerance is of three type - celiac, non-celiac intolerance and wheat
allergy. 

Celiac disease patients when exposed to gluten, their immune
system attacks small intestine and harms digestive system. Wheat allergy
patients have similar effect but wheat allergy happens due to generation of an
allergy-producing antibody to proteins in wheat.

Non celiac intolerance is a mild gluten sensitivity and is
caused in people without celiac or wheat allergy, but affects around 13% of the
population.

Symptoms:

a.     
Bloating

b.     
Abdominal
pain

c.     
Diarrhea
or constipation

d.     
Headaches

e.     
Fatigue

f.      
Joint
pain

g.     
Skin
rash

h.     
Depression
or anxiety

i.      
Anemia

The only cure is to
have gluten free diet by avoiding bread, pasta, cereals, beer, baked goods, crackers,
sauces, dressing and gravies, especially soy sauce.

3.     
Caffeine:

Caffeine is a
bitter chemical found in tea, coffee, soda beverages etc. Today there is no
escape from escape from caffeine because of its sleep and drowsiness reduction
tendencies. People easily consume upto four cups of coffee daily, however some
people show reaction even with small amounts.

People with a hypersensitivity to caffeine may experience
the following symptoms after consuming even a small amount of caffeine:

a.     
Rapid heartbeat

b.     
Anxiety

c.     
Jitters

d.     
Insomnia

e.     
Nervousness

f.      
Restlessness

They should eventually minimize their intake by
avoiding foods and beverages that contain caffeine, including coffee, soda,
energy drinks, tea and chocolate.

4.     
Salicylates:

Salicylates are naturally found in plants as
a defence against environmental stressors like insects and disease or as food
preservative or in medicines. They are found in wide range of foods, including
fruits, vegetables, teas, coffee, spices, nuts and honey.

Symptoms:

a.     
Stuffy
nose

b.     
Sinus
infections

c.     
Nasal
and sinus polyps

d.     
Asthma

e.     
Diarrhoea

f.      
Gut
inflammation (colitis)

g.     
Hives

Avoid foods high in salicylates like spices, coffee, raisins
and oranges, as well as cosmetics and medications that contain salicylate.

5.     
Amines:

Amines is produced
by bacteria during fermentation and storage of food items. It is of various
types out of which Histamine is the most common one in terms of food
intolerance.

Histamine
intolerance occurs due to impaired function of the enzymes responsible for
breaking down histamine — diamine oxidase and N-methyltransferase.

Symptoms of
histamine intolerance include:

a.     
Flushing
of the skin

b.     
Headaches

c.     
Hives

d.     
Itching

e.     
Anxiety

f.      
Stomach
cramps

g.     
Diarrhea

h.     
Low
blood pressure

People with an
intolerance to histamine should avoid foods high in this natural chemical,
including:

a.     
Fermented
foods

b.     
Cured
meats

c.     
Dried
fruits

d.     
Citrus
fruits

e.     
Avocados

f.      
Aged
cheeses

g.     
Smoked
fish

h.     
Vinegar

i.      
Soured
foods like buttermilk

j.      
Fermented
alcoholic beverages like beer and wine

6.     
FOODMAPS:

FOODMAPS stands for
fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols. They are a group
of short-chain carbohydrates found naturally in many foods that can cause digestive
distress.

They are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and travel
to the large intestine, where they are used as fuel for the gut bacteria there

Symptoms of a FODMAP intolerance include:

a.     
Bloating

b.     
Diarrhea

c.     
Gas

d.     
Abdominal pain

e.     
Constipation

This is common in
people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Nearly 86% of people with IBS are
likely to have this intolerance. Hence they should have low FOODMAP diet, which
excludes:

a.     
Apples

b.     
Soft
cheeses

c.     
Honey

d.     
Milk

e.     
Artichokes

f.      
Bread

g.     
Beans

h.     
Lentils

i.      
Beer

7.     
Sulfites:

Sulfites are
naturally found in grapes and aged cheeses but are mostly found as food
preservatives or in medicines.

Sulfite sensitivity
is most common in people with asthma, though people without asthma can be
intolerant to sulfites as well.

Common symptoms of
sulfite sensitivity include:

a.     
Hives

b.     
Swelling
of the skin

c.     
Stuffy
nose

d.     
Hypotension

e.     
Flushing

f.      
Diarrhea

g.     
Wheezing

h.     
Coughing

They can cause
airway constriction in asthmatic patients, and, in severe cases, it can lead to
life-threatening reactions. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates that
the use of sulfites must be declared on the label of any food that contains
sulfites or where sulfites were used during the processing of food.

One must avoid:

a.     
Dried fruit

b.     
Wine

c.     
Apple cider

d.     
Canned vegetables

e.     
Pickled foods

f.      
Condiments

g.     
Potato chips

h.     
Beer

i.      
Tea

j.      
Baked goods

These were some of the common food intolerances but there
are several more like Eggs, MSGs and Food Colourings etc. Food intolerant
people should consult doctors or dieticians and discuss their testing and
treatments because the pace with which it is growing, it is likely to surpass
the 20% percentage.

So stay alert and keep reading UNISED’s blogs because we care!

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