7 SIGNS YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A FOOD ALLERGY

7 SIGNS YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A FOOD ALLERGY

By prevention.com - Sarah Klein

Remember the birthday dinner scene in Mrs. Doubtfire, when Pierce Brosnan's character Stu tastes the cayenne-laden jambalaya? Okay, didn't think so, but here's the point: He's immediately coughing, wheezing, and then choking—all classic signs of a severe, whole-body allergic reaction.

This is not what happens when someone on a trendy fad diet eats gluten, is it? That's because there's a big difference between a food allergy, a food intolerance, and what we've now come to call a food sensitivity. Here's when it's typically not an allergic reaction:

Your symptoms are all in your stomach…

An allergic reaction is governed by the immune system, so it looks pretty similar no matter what you're allergic to. The immune system controls a variety of blood proteins called antibodies, which seek out invaders such as bacteria and viruses. "When a person has a food allergy, her body mistakenly identifies a food protein as being dangerous," says Bruce Lanser, MD, a faculty food allergist at National Jewish Health in Denver. The antibody immunoglobin E (IgE) essentially attacks that protein, he says, with an onslaught of chemicals that lead to the symptoms Stu so adeptly displayed. (Solve the hidden cause of many chronic health issues and lose weight with The Good Gut Diet.)

Because of this standard immune system reaction, a legit food allergy will result in things such as hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, wheezing, sneezing, and trouble swallowing, says Amy Shah, MD, an asthma, allergy, and immunology specialist at Valley E.N.T. in Glendale, AZ.

Sensitivities and intolerances don't have the same type of immune system response and instead result mostly in GI complaints, she says, such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, or bloating. An intolerance means a person lacks an enzyme required to break down a part of the food; people with lactose intolerance are short on the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the sugar lactose in milk, for example. A food sensitivity is less well defined, Lanser says, but typically involves mild abdominal pain and an upset stomach after eating certain foods. It doesn't seem to be determined by the immune system or any specific deficiency.

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