Food intolerances
Food is supposed to bring joy, but sometimes a food product (or maybe more than one) can cause stress and discomfort.
Doctor`s consultation in Academic clinic IAPM will help you to discover your food intolerances. It also can bring you back to your favorite foods and help you find new ones. Doctors from the Academic clinic can give you detailed explanations about the most common food intolerances and how dietary supplements with digestive enzymes can help you, as well as give tips for cooking and eating in cafes or restaurants.
A food intolerance is a gastrointestinal reaction to food, while an allergy is an immune response. Intolerance can be caused by food components, lack of enzymes, problems with the gastrointestinal tract or disorders of the physical side of digestion.
Common food intolerances include complex carbohydrates, milk sugar (lactose), milk protein (casein), gluten, phenols, as well as FODMAPS — fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols (fermentable oligo-, di-, mono- saccharides, and polyols). The degree of food intolerance ranges from problems in everyday life to refusing to eat certain foods too often.
Food intolerances affect our body's ability to digest or break down certain foods or nutrients. Symptoms may appear after several hours and may include:
- Periodic gas formation
- Abdominal bloating
- Spasms
- Periodic heartburn
- Diarrhea
- Stomach disorder
- Other digestive problems
6 MOST COMMON FOOD INTOLERANCES
The lists of the most common food allergens and intolerances overlap somewhat, but not completely. Food intolerances include:
FODMAPS : When these undigested carbohydrates reach the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract, they draw water there, which can cause discomfort. Foods high in FODMAPS include onions and garlic, wheat, rye, legumes, artichokes, dairy products, fruit, honey, agave, mushrooms, and green peas.
Milk sugar and milk protein : In addition to lactose (milk sugar) intolerance, some people may also have problems breaking down casein (a protein found in dairy products). A dietary supplement with digestive enzymes, in particular lactase , can help break down lactose (milk sugar), casein (milk protein) and milk fats for complete digestion of food.
Wheat : Gluten is the main protein in wheat, rye and barley. Wheat sensitivity can be limited to gluten, or it can also include other proteins - gliadin and glutenin. Some people suffer from intolerance to some components of wheat itself, others - only to gluten. (Gluten or wheat intolerance is not the same as celiac disease.)
Phenols : These antioxidant nutrients found in some plants are important for health, but some people are sensitive to them.
Fructose : This is a simple sugar found in fruits, some vegetables, honey, agave, and other sweeteners that some people are sensitive to.
Dietary fiber found in raw vegetables, as well as other complex carbohydrates in foods such as beans, can cause indigestion. Fats or proteins that a person consumes can also cause digestive problems.
How to avoid problem foods
Here are six ways you can avoid foods with problematic ingredients and learn to find foods that treat you as well as you treat them.
- Read labels. The most common allergens are usually highlighted in bold, so if you suffer from an intolerance to one of them, it will be easier to spot. Read the entire list of ingredients carefully. Some ingredients may have more than one name.
- Choose products labeled "gluten-free," "dairy-free," "soy-free," "corn-free," "egg-free," and "peanut-free." These products are often manufactured in facilities that avoid cross-contamination, which can lower your risk. And any potential contaminants are noted on the labels to help you make an informed choice.
- Cook at home more often. Some seemingly safe "secret ingredient" or spice mix can cause a food intolerance attack when you dine at a cafe or restaurant. Cooking your own food ensures that you avoid this.
- Learn about the available menu and cooking methods. Call ahead, view the menu online. Maybe bring a list of foods that are harmful to you. More and more restaurants are now able to cater to people with a variety of dietary requirements, so search the Internet for such establishments near you.
- Don't be alone. Having people "on the topic" around can help a lot. Search for groups related to your food intolerance on Facebook; search for relevant hashtags on Instagram; follow people on TikTok with whom you are, so to speak, in the same boat.
- Browse the internet. From cauliflower flour and grain-free tortilla chips to cashew queso and lupine yogurt, any food intolerance you have can be substituted.
- Be prepared. Take a snack with you if you suddenly get hungry - and have your usual enzymes on hand. They can come in handy both at home and on the go.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A FOOD INTOLERANCE
- Track your symptoms to make a connection between what you eat and how you feel afterwards. Your doctor may also find this helpful.
- Complete an elimination diet program. During this program, food products that are most likely to cause intolerance are removed for a while. They are then gently turned to monitor any possible reaction.
- See your health care provider for testing that can determine if an ingredient or food is causing your symptoms.
- Be patient and don't overexert yourself. It may take some time to figure out what's going on and which products are giving you occasional trouble.
Start by talking to a nutritionist in the Academic clinic IAPM. In just a few simple steps, you can start identifying which products are causing your problems and learn how to deal with them!