Food intolerance
Overview
A food intolerance is when you have difficulty digesting certain foods or ingredients in food. It's not usually serious,but eating the food you're intolerant to can make you feel unwell.
Symptoms
If you have a food intolerance, you usually get symptoms a few hours after eating the food or ingredient you're intolerant to. Common symptoms include: diarrhoeabloatingfartingtummy pain But there are lots of other possible symptoms, including headache, feeling tired or exhausted, feeling sick, constipation, joint pain or rashes. Symptoms can last for a few hours or days.
Causes
A food intolerance is caused by your body not being able to digest a certain food or an ingredient in food. The most common food intolerance islactose intolerance. This is when your body is not able to digest lactose, a type of sugar mainly found in milk and dairy products such as cheese and yoghurts. But you can be intolerant to any type of food or ingredient in food, such as: gluten (wheat, rye and barley) – found in foods like bread and pastahistamine – found in foods and drinks like wine and cheesecaffeine – found in coffee, tea and some fizzy drinksalcoholsulphites – found in cider, beer and winesalicylates – found in some fruits, vegetables, herbs and spicesmonosodium glutamate (MSG) – found in ripened fruits, cured meats and savoury foods Unlike a food allergy, a food intolerance is not caused by your immune system overreacting to certain types of food, which means you cannot have a serious allergic reaction.
Treatment
If you have a food intolerance, try to avoid or reduce eating the food you're intolerant to, including foods where you're intolerant to any of the ingredients. But it's important to not cut foods out of your or your child's diet without the advice of a GP or food and nutrition specialist (dietitian). This is because you or your child could miss out on certain vitamins and minerals, which are especially important for a child's growth and development.