An Introduction to Food Allergies, Food Sensitivities, and Food Intolerances
An Introduction to Food Allergies, Food Sensitivities, and Food Intolerances-CFSB Wellness Wednesday
In this video we give you an introduction to Food Allergies, Food Sensitivities, and Food Intolerances.
The first and most important thing to recognize is that even though these three sound like the same thing, they are importantly different from one another.
Food Allergies:
-Are immune-mediated IgE reactions that affect 1-2% of the population
-Their effects are usually fairly immediate and severe.
-They usually affect the airways, the skin, and the gastrointestinal tract
Food Sensitivities:
-Are immune-mediated IgG and IgM reactions (there are also other types of food sensitivity reactions) that affect 20-30% of the population, a way higher percentage of the population than food allergies
-In contrast to a food allergy, food sensitivity reactions can occur anywhere from 45 minutes to up to 3 days after ingesting a food.
-In contrast to a food allergy, food sensitivities can affect almost any organ in the body including the brain, the adrenal glands, the thyroid, etc.
-Celiac disease, for example, is not a wheat allergy! It is an extreme form of a food sensitivity that comes in the form of an autoimmune attack on the small intestine as a result of eating wheat.
Food Intolerances:
-Are not immune mediated reactions, but rather they are typically reactions that occur as the result of a digestive inability to break down a particular type of food molecule, typically carbohydrates. Lactose intolerance is the most famous type of food intolerance.
Running short on time? Check out the 90-second preview here:
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