Allergies and intolerances
Difference between food allergies and intolerances?
We can talk regarding food allergy when the body reacts abnormally to a food. Food allergy is an immunologically desease and symptoms are provoked by even small amounts of food. The allergy symptoms trigger within a few minutes after a particular food (for 2-3 minutes at 30-120 minutes), which activates the immune system through the formation of specific antibodies (called IgE ), releasing histamine, which is the main cause of the symptoms characteristic of all allergic reactions. Food intolerance is a reaction of the body but that does not imply any involvement of the immune system, but shall act in relation to the amount of food is not tolerated and ingested with a phenomenon of accumulation of so-called "toxins" in the body, due to poor education and food habit.
How is it done?
Food allergies can occur immediately after ingestion of the offending, sometimes violently. The symptoms of food intolerance but may appear even after several hours, in rare cases even after a few days, making it more difficult to recognize and to relate it with food. Symptoms vary depending on the quality and quantity of food eaten. The first symptoms are itching and swelling of the lips, palate and throat and once in the stomach and intestines, may cause nausea, vomiting, cramps, abdominal bloating, flatulence, diarrhea. More reactions to the skin are urticaria and angioedema (swelling of a very pronounced and located mainly around the eyes and lips). In children, more often have respiratory symptoms (asthma and rhinitis) and eczema may worsen. In severe cases, fortunately rare, can have trouble breathing, sudden drops in blood pressure, unconsciousness and even death in case of anaphylactic shock.
What are the causes of allergy and intolerance?
In the case of allergies, the cause is primarily a biological individual must be sought in an abnormal reaction of the immune system. The causes of food intolerances could be several:
• intake of foods that induce release of histamine in the body and can cause hives: among them especially chocolate, strawberry, pineapple, tropical fruits, seafood, egg white, fermented cheese, cabbage, tomatoes, spinach, spices;
• ingestion of food containing, by their nature, large amounts of histamine as sardines, tuna, herring, mackerel, salmon, shellfish, certain cheeses (Gorgonzola, Emmental, Camembert), sausages, salami, coppa, tomatoes, peppers, bananas, spinach Some wines (both red and white), beer etc.. Although these foods can result in hives;
• deficiency of enzymes that the body needs to digest food. Some people are deprived from birth of some of these enzymes and therefore are unable to assimilate and / or metabolize certain foods or substances. Examples are the alactasia, favism and phenylketonuria.
Finally, are frequently implicated in allergic reactions or intolerance also particular substances or additives in foods, such as preservatives, colorants, antioxidants, emulsifiers and sapidificanti, which serve to improve the taste, appearance and Conservation foods, they are addizzionati with particular substances. An example of these substances are:
• salicylates occur naturally in some foods (nuts, berries, oranges, apricots, grapes, olives, herbs, wine, liquor).
• the yellow tartrazine (E102), colorant, which gives the food a nice lemon yellow color, present in various beverages, pickles, sauces, packaged, mayonnaise, canned soups, puddings.
• Sulphur dioxide (E220) which can be found in jams, juices, wines and fruit salads and salads in restaurants treated with spray to maintain a fresh appearance.
• sulphite, metabisulphite, bisulphite (E221, E222, E223, E224, E225, E226, E227) products in order to pre-preservative and antioxidant, particularly dangerous for people with asthma.
• glutamates (E620, E621, E622, E623) that are found mainly in biscuits with cheese, fries, ketchup, sauces, rice and dried pasta, dried mushrooms, meats, nuts for cooking. They are often added to foods to enhance the flavor but can also be found naturally in some foods. The Chinese, for example, uses large amounts of glutamate and the reaction that may follow the ingestion of food containing glutamate (malaise, headache, flushing of the face) is called a "Chinese restaurant syndrome."
• the nitrates added to cured meats and canned meat and tyramine natural component of certain foods such as cheese, chocolate, bananas, can cause headaches even after hours.
Among the various food allergies can not fail to mention that milk protein. The allergen in question is the protein fraction of milk, in particular, lactoglobulin. May appear during the first 3 months of age or more late between 6 and 18 months. In the latter case it is mainly a defective response of the gastrointestinal mucosa (enteropathy) to milk proteins, in which antibodies are not involved. There are cases of intolerance to cow's milk is that the infant formula. The clinical manifestations are varied: the most frequent atopic dermatitis, respiratory symptoms, persistent vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal colic. The solution in these cases can often be found through the commercial availability of many infant formula''special''such as hypoallergenic (generally identified by the initials HA where HA stands for hypoallergenic), prepared with proteins already fragmented and therefore much more digestible tolerable, or those based on soy protein. In some children, however, these alternatives may in turn be poorly tolerated. A separate chapter is devoted to celiac disease or celiac disease, is difficult to classify among the common allergies or intolerances as strongly involves the immune system, but without calling into question the IgE. In practice this is a permanent intolerance to gluten, a protein found in cereals such as wheat, rye, oats, barley, farro. The gluten content in rice, maize, the potato starch or tapioca is not dangerous and so these foods can also be taken by patients with celiac disease. The gluten in the gut due to a true toxic reaction leading to a profound alteration of the intestinal walls and thus impaired the absorption of food and nutritional status of the patient. In these cases you need to use gluten-free foods, the market covered by the following symbol:
What are the helpful suggestions?
To avoid the occurrence of any allergies or food intolerances should be careful of labels with the most cases, information on possible allergens. We must avoid eating foods with long shelf life or subjected to treatments of long-term storage. In a new dietary supplement must be an element at a time and re-educate the bowel and the whole body an accomplice in the presence of food intolerance.
In the case of allergies or food intolerances should always consult an eye care professional who will provide detailed information and personalized.