What is the difference between food allergy and food intolerance?

Answer 1

Many people think the terms food allergy and food intolerance mean the same thing; however, they do not. A "food intolerance" is an adverse food-induced reaction that does not involve the immune system. Lactose intolerance is one example of a food intolerance. A person with lactose intolerance lacks an enzyme that is needed to digest milk sugar. When the person eats milk products, symptoms such as gas, bloating, and abdominal pain may occur.
A "food allergy" occurs when the immune system reacts to a certain food. The most common form of an immune system reaction occurs when the body creates immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to the food. When these IgE antibodies react with the food, histamine and other chemicals (called "mediators") cause hives, asthma, or other symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Answer 2

An allergy has the potential to affect the whole body. When you're sick with an infection your body will make stuff to fight it off, just like when you have an allergy your body sees it as an invasion and tries to "fight it off". An intolerance generally involves just the digestive tract and is caused mainly by a lack of a specific enzyme that breaks down a specific food. The symptoms are also generally different, Allergy: hives, itchy, swelling, difficulty breathing... Intolerance (GI manifestations): diarrhea or constipation, nausea, vomiting... Allergies are life threatening whereas an intolerance is generally not. I hope that helps

Answer 3

Food intolerance or food sensitivity is a negative reaction to a food that is not related to the immune system or to food poisoning. It is caused by the absence of specific chemicals or enzymes needed to digest a food substance.

A food allergy is an immune system response to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. Once the immune system decides that a particular food is harmful, it creates specific antibodies to it. The next time the individual eats that food, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, in order to protect the body. These chemicals trigger a cascade of allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or cardiovascular system. Scientists estimate that approximately 12 million Americans suffer from true food allergies

Answer 4

Well as far as i know, if someone has an allergy, their reaction is caused by histamines produced as a result of coming in contact with whatever theyre allergic to, which can cause various allergic reactions, hives, puffiness, swelling or wateryness of the eyes, rashes... But the intolerance of a food usually means that the persons body rejects the food altogether, before it even has the opportunity to cause histamines to get out of control.

Answer 5

A food allergy is when your immune system sees the food as a foreign material and build up its defenses in preparation in fighting it and a food intolerance is when your body can't digest the food and you don't get the nutrition you need

Answer 6

Food allergy means that you have a reaction similar to anything else such as swelling, hives, sore throat. Intolerance means that you get a stomach ache or diarrhea.

Answer 7

I think an intolerance would give your body a shock reaction which is serious. Some people have this with nuts and shell fish. An allergy would give you a symptom such as a rash, sneezes etc.

Answer 8

An intolerance probably causes you intestinal distress---just makes you sick to your stomach, or gives you cramps or diarrhea. Or it may give you a headache.
An allergy causes a classic allergic reaction, which is quite different, and involves your whole body, rather than just one system. You may develop hives, or a rash with an allergic reaction, or have difficulty breathing, have heart palpitations, your tongue or face may swell, your throat may constrict...these reactions can be so severe that they are life-threatening.

Answer 9

Alergy can increase histamine and create severe reaction that can cause death, intolerance acts at gut (intestine)level and people who have intolerance generally can eat small quantity of food causing intolerance, alergy persons have to erase from their life food that cause alergy.

Answer 10

Allergy is when you come out in a rash or swell up.
Intolerance is when you become physically ill (up chuck).
Basically the difference is in the ways your body gets rid of it.