The Difference Between Food Allergies and Food Intolerances

What is a food intolerance?

A food intolerance is a gastrointestinal response to food(s), while an allergy is an immune response. (They are not the same!) The term “food sensitivity” is sometimes used in place of “food intolerance.” 

 A food intolerance can be caused by a number of issues, such as enzyme deficiencies or problems with GI transit (or issues with the physical side of digestion).

Common food intolerances include complex carbohydrates, milk sugar (lactose), milk protein (casein), gluten, phenols and FODMAPS (fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols).

Here’s a quick glossary to help you:

• Lactose: the sugar found in dairy
• Casein: the proteins found in dairy
• Gluten: a protein found in wheat and other grains like barley and rye.
• Phenols: a group of organic compounds found in plants

The severity of food intolerances ranges from disrupting everyday life to relegating foods to special occasions. It’s common for individuals to experience more than one intolerance.

Food intolerances impact your body’s ability to digest or break down certain foods or ingredients. Symptoms may happen hours after a food is eaten, which can at first make it hard to pinpoint the cause. While a food intolerance is not life-threatening like allergies are, they are nonetheless uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing.

We get it! It’s hard to have fun at the park with your kids when you’re worried about finding a bathroom after indulging in an ice cream cone. Snuggling up to your sweetheart after realizing your dinner had more garlic and onions than you can handle can sure ruin the mood and focusing on the big presentation isn’t easy after finding out that your gluten-free wrap was contaminated by some whole-wheat ones.

Symptoms of a food intolerance can include:  

• occasional gas
• bloating
• cramps
• occasional heartburn
• diarrhea
• indigestion
• other digestive issues

Everyone is unique, so your experience might be different.

Are food intolerances the same as food allergies?

Food allergies are an immune response that leads to a release of antibodies into the bloodstream. They affect up to 2% of the population (and 1 in 13 children). Allergies can range from mild to severe, and some can be life-threatening. Some people may also have sensitivities to these foods, but they aren’t the same reaction as an allergy.

Allergic symptoms can involve the digestive system but also happen in the cardiovascular system (including the respiratory tract) and the skin. They often appear quickly and require testing by a doctor as well as avoidance of the food(s).

Which foods are responsible for the most common food intolerances?

The list of the most common food allergens and food intolerances have some overlap, but there is a difference. The most common allergens¹ are eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy.  (In the US, the nine most common allergens will always be listed on food labels.)

Affecting up to 2 in 10 Americans², food intolerances include:

FODMAPS

Fermentable oligo- di- mono-saccharides and polyols are a type of carbohydrates that some people struggle to break down in the lower GI tract, which can lead to digestive upset on occasion. These carbs force water into the digestive tract, leading to the digestive symptoms.

High-FODMAP foods include: onions and garlic, wheat, rye, legumes, artichokes, dairy, fruits, honey, agave and other sweeteners (like mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol and isomalt), mushrooms and snow peas.

Dairy (lactose and/or casein)

Lactose intolerance is a common and well-known food intolerance, but it is not the only reason why some people have issues with dairy. Proper digestion of dairy includes breaking down both lactose (dairy sugar) and casein (proteins found in dairy).

Wheat (including gluten)

Gluten is the main protein in wheat, but it’s one of hundreds of types of proteins. A sensitivity to wheat could be restricted to gluten or include others, including gliadin and glutenin. In addition to wheat, gluten is found in rye and barley. Sometimes people are intolerant to aspects of wheat itself, while others are intolerance to gluten. (A gluten or wheat intolerance is not the same as celiac disease.)

Phenols

Foods that come from plants contain polyphenolic compounds. These phenols are antioxidant nutrients that are essential for health. However, sometimes an individual can be sensitive to these phenols, which leads to digestive discomfort and other symptoms of a food intolerance.

Fructose

Fructose is a simple sugar found in fruit, some vegetables, honey, agave and other sweeteners. It is possible to be sensitive to this monosaccharide.

Fiber

The fiber in raw vegetables as well as other complex carbohydrates in foods like beans can cause digestive discomforts. That’s because the human body doesn’t produce its own enzymes to break them down; instead, we rely on the good bacteria in our gut to provide those enzymes.

Fat and/or Protein

Dietary fat or proteins can also cause digestive woes, especially when someone eats more than they normal would in one meal or changes their diet (such as to high protein or low carb). These are shortages more than intolerances, but people commonly refer to them as such. No matter what your food sensitivity might be, you have options!