Allergies vs Intolerances

During an appointment, one of the first questions asked in the clinical evaluation survey is whether the client has food allergies or intolerances. And in this very topic, there are answers in which the client confuses allergies with intolerances and many times these are not diagnosed clinically. It is important to understand the concepts.

Food Allergy

An adverse reaction which occurs when the immune system wrongly recognises food as something aggressive to the organism. Allergens are responsible for this reaction, and it is more common in children than in adults.

Reactions can range from moderate to severe, and in some cases can be fatal, with the symptoms appearing between a few moments to two hours after eating. The symptoms may be mucocutaneous (such as skin rashes, eczema, hives, tingling sensation in the mouth), gastrointestinal (vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea), respiratory (wheezing, trouble breathing), cardiovascular (drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness).

Food intolerance

An adverse reaction after exposure to food, without the symptoms including the immune system. The symptoms presented are milder than those found in food allergy and each intolerance has its individual characteristics, both in mechanism of action and in the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

In this topic, we find lactose and gluten intolerances, and even though the symptoms differ, they mostly include changes in the gastrointestinal tract (such as cramps, bloating, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, among others).

In both situations, one of the best treatment aids is food avoidance, i.e., removing the food/food derivative from the person’s eating habits. However, the removal of a food or food group implies adjusting the diet to ensure that other foods that promote nutritional quality and provide the body with essential vitamins and minerals are included.

When an athlete with specific nutritional needs is diagnosed with a food allergy/intolerance, they need to ensure that they meet the appropriate values for their needs. In this situation, when they have tournaments or some kind of events, it is not always possible to guarantee the specificity and particularity of the food offered. Cross contamination may also occur.

The latter is when a food that is considered safe can trigger a reaction, just by coming into contact with another food containing an allergen. This is a more frequent and serious occurrence when the athlete has food allergies. Therefore, it is crucial to read the labels of all the food presented and, for safety reasons, bring your lunch box with all the appropriate food for the time before, during and/or after the tournament.

With this care, we guarantee food safety and comfort, in the case of athletes who have food allergies/intolerances, without losing the nutritional richness of their diet.

Nutritionist, Jacinta Mendes
3341N