Food allergies and intolerances are often misunderstood. Although many people have adverse reactions to certain foods, true food allergy—a reaction triggered by the immune system—is uncommon.
What is a food allergy?
Food allergies occur when the immune system has an abnormal response to an otherwise harmless food. Once the immune system mistakenly decides that a particular food is harmful, it creates specific antibodies to it. The next time you eat that food, the immune system releases neutralizing chemicals, including histamine, to protect the body. These chemicals trigger a cascade of allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin and/or the cardiovascular system.
What is food intolerance?
A food intolerance is a digestive system response—not an immune system response. It occurs when something in a food irritates a person’s digestive system or when a person is unable to properly digest or break down the food—often due to a lack of a specific enzyme.
If you have a food allergy, eating even the smallest amount of the food may trigger a serious allergic reaction. But if you have a food intolerance, you can often eat small amounts of the food without a problem.
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