A food intolerance is often confused with a food allergy. However, in a food intolerance, the body’s immune system does not play a role.
A food intolerance is caused by:
- A deficiency of a particular enzyme in the body such as in lactose intolerance.
- A deficiency of a transport protein in the intestines such as in fructose intolerance.
- Due to substances naturally present in food such as histamine.
- Due to additives added to foods such as dyes.
Unlike an allergic reaction, an intolerance requires you to ingest a certain amount to trigger a reaction (this is called limit or tolerance limit). This limit is different for everyone. As a result, the symptoms that occur usually come gradually. They are of the same nature as the symptoms of a food allergy. In general, they are less severe. The symptoms are person-specific and range from very mild to very severe. They are limited to one symptom or a collection of symptoms.
Gluten
Gluten is a generic term. This means that there are different types of gluten. The degree to which an individual can or cannot tolerate different types of gluten is different. Therefore, if there is hypersensitivity or allergy, it is advisable to coordinate the use of gluten with the mesologist.
Wheat gluten
Wheat is a common product in the food industry. Gluten is so important to the food industry that these wheat varieties that contain the most gluten have been cross-pollinated and today’s wheat has less nutritional value than in the past. Wheat gluten is the least well tolerated by many people. Other wheat varieties such as spelt and kamut, have greater nutritional value than common wheat and contain gluten that is often better tolerated than wheat gluten. Some people with pronounced intolerance to wheat gluten can tolerate other gluten. The gluten from spelt and kamut should not be eaten by people with celiac disease (gluten allergy)
Gluten-free diet
In a gluten-free diet, the following foods are not allowed:
(S.Lord, Gluten- and casein-free cooking for children, pp. 27-28)
- barley
- barley oats
- oats (only in the case of celiac disease
- rye
- wheat
- durum
- durum wheat
- spelt
- kamut
- wheat semolina
- flower
- caramel dye
- malt
- soy-based vegetarian meat
- malt vinegar
- modified starch
- mono- and diglycerides
- soy sauce
- soy sauce
- flavorings in meat products
Gluten-free diet
In a gluten-free diet, the following foods are are allowed:
- potato
- agar-agar
- amaranth
- arrowroot
- buckwheat
- gelatin
- millet
- guar gum
- locust bean gum
- chickpea flour
- corn
- nut flour
- quinoa
- rice
- soy
Lactose
Lactose is a sugar found in milk and milk products, which is why it is also called milk sugar. To digest lactose, the enzyme lactase is required. Lactase is produced in the small intestine wall. This enzyme is normally present in babies and toddlers until about five years of age. After that, it disappears/reduces in most of the world’s population. If not enough lactase is present, lactose cannot be digested properly and an acidity change occurs in the intestines.Lactose intolerance can be accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, bloating, skin complaints and fatigue.
Lactose-free diet
With lactose intolerance, it is wise to avoid the following foods avoid:
- milk
- yogurt
- evaporated milk
- custard
- chocolate
- fristi
- optimel
- vifit
- cheese spread, cream cheese, brie, young cheese
- whipped cream
- creme fraîche
- buttercream
- and derived products such as cake, cookies, ice cream, croissants, egg cakes and chocolate
- products containing milk powder, milk solids, lactose and whey powder as ingredients
Cow's milk allergy/intolerance
Both cow milk intolerance and cow milk allergy require a cow milk-free diet. With a cow milk allergy there is also a high chance (92%) of a sensitivity to goat milk. Complaints that may occur are: eczema, rash, bronchitis, ear infections, chronic colds, diarrhea and constipation.
Nickel
Nickel is a metal found in many utensils made of stainless steel, as well as in zippers, buckles, coins, and so on. Some people have a contact allergy to nickel in which eczema develops after skin contact with a nickel-containing object or material. Some people react hypersensitively to nickel naturally occurring in foods. Only these people can benefit from a nickel-restricted diet.
Low nickel diet
Food naturally contains small amounts of nickel. Some foods contain relatively high amounts of nickel as shown here:
- canned foods.
- cocoa
- nuts
- legumes
- drop
- oats
- soy products
- whole grain products
Nickel can accumulate in crops, so the concentration of nickel in vegetables can be up to five times the concentration in soil.
Nickel also enters food when cooking in aluminum pans and using other aluminum utensils. Therefore, when on a nickel-restricted diet, people are often advised not to use aluminum pans
Nickel can also enter food or drink through objects containing nickel, such as a coffee machine or metal water pipes.(nutritioncenter.co.uk)
Histamine
Histamine is a tissue hormone that the body can produce itself, but many foods also contain histamine. Histamine that we ingest with food is basically largely broken down by an enzyme in the intestinal wall. Histamine produced by the body itself is stored in an inactive form and is released when there is injury or infection, for example. It then plays an important role in the immune system’s response. When dysfunction occurs, the body may become overactive and exhibit allergic reactions. Complaints involved may include:
- itching, burning and/or watering eyes
- nasal tickling, sneezing and increased mucus production
- Itchy, red skin possibly with a rash
- blocked frontal sinuses, possibly with headaches
- airway constrictions
- abdominal cramps and/or diarrhea
When your body does not respond well to the histamine that comes in with the diet, the enzyme for breaking down histamine in the small intestine may not function properly. This is known as histamine intolerance. Complaints that may occur in this case are:
- headache/migraine
- palpitations
- gastrointestinal complaints, possibly with diarrhea
- low blood pressure
- retain moisture
- sleep problems and fatigue
- joint pains
- red skin, hot flashes
- swollen eyelids and/or runny nose
Histamine-free diet
With a histamine-free diet, it is advisable to minimize the following foods depending on your sensitivity to histamine.
- mackerel, tuna, cod, herring, sardines, shrimp, seafood (fresh fish contains less histamine than canned fish)
- smoked products: smoked meat, smoked fish, smoked cheese and smoked nuts
- certain spices: cinnamon, anise, cloves, mustard seed, cumin, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla
- dairy products: (French) mold cheeses, aged cheese, Parmesan, yogurt, cottage cheese, buttermilk
- meat: pork, lamb and aged meat (including game)
- vegetarian products: tempeh, tofu, tofu, chicken protein
- vegetables: spinach, sauerkraut, beets and mushrooms
- fruits: avocado, tomatoes, kiwi, strawberries, melon, pineapple, grapefruit, raspberries, banana, mango, papaya, grapes
- beverages: alcohol (especially beer, wine, cider), cola and other soft drinks, herbal tea
- preservatives, acidity regulators, dyes, fragrances, emulsifiers, gelling agents, thickeners and artificial sweeteners can directly release histamine from certain body cells
Nightshade
Nightshade is a very extensive plant family, there are as many as 1,500 to 1,700 species. Among them are very familiar and edible species for us, such as the potato, tomato, bell bell pepper, red peppers and eggplant. But also goji berries and even tobacco belong to the nightshade family. The name nightshade probably comes from the fact that some flowers in this family start to smell at night and the “damage” refers to the toxic properties of some plants in this family. Most of these plants are not native. Only bittersweet (a plant with beautiful yellow-purple flowers but poisonous berries) and black nightshade are native to our country. Plants such as tomato and potato were brought to our country relatively recently.
Natural toxins
Potatoes contain solanine. This is a natural toxin, which is created under the influence of light in the skin and shoots of potatoes. You can recognize it by the green spots on potatoes. A related substance can occur in tomatoes. It occurs only in unripe (green) tomatoes.
Both substances are toxic in large quantities. They act particularly on the nervous system and digestion. For example, you can get abdominal pain, diarrhea, drowsiness and lethargy from them. They are also said to affect the joints. The toxins are hardly broken down by heating. Nowadays, potatoes are grown with lower levels of solanine.
Nightshade-free diet
People who are hypersensitive to plants in the nightshade family should avoid or use the following foods in moderation:
- goji berries
- especially sprouted potatoes and the green spots on potatoes contain many alkaloids, cooked nightshade often gives fewer symptoms than raw
- tomato
- paprika (paprika)
- potato
- eggplant
- chilli
- cayenne pepper
- spanish pepper (allspice)
Fructose
Fructose or fruit sugar is a sugar found naturally mainly in fruits and honey, to a lesser extent in vegetables. It is also a building block of ordinary table sugar (sucrose = fructose + glucose).
Fructose malabsorption means that fructose is not absorbed by the small intestine or is not absorbed adequately. Normally, this occurs in the intestinal wall cells via a special transport protein. In fructose malabsorption, the unabsorbed fructose enters the large intestine, where it is fermented by intestinal bacteria. This produces acids and gases that cause discomfort.
If fructose is present simultaneously with glucose in the small intestine, as in the case of table sugar, the fructose does get absorbed better. Sugar and sweetened products therefore cause fewer symptoms than foods containing pure fructose or foods where the fructose content is much higher than the glucose content. Still, it is best to be careful with large amounts of sugar. Too much is too much and eventually gives complaints.
An intolerance or rather malabsorption to fructose is often accompanied by a variety of unexplained symptoms, often resembling the symptoms of a spastic colon. But also gout, depression, insomnia, etc. can have its origin in excess fructose or fructose malabsorption.