What is the Difference Between Food Allergy and Food Intolerance?

The main difference between food allergy and food intolerance lies in the involvement of the immune system. Food allergies involve an immune response, while food intolerance is a chemical reaction.

Food Allergy:

Affects the immune system, even small amounts of the offending food can trigger a range of symptoms, which can be severe or life-threatening.
Body's immune system sees the food as an invader, leading to an allergic reaction with symptoms like hives, vomiting, belly pain, throat tightness, hoarseness, coughing, breathing problems, or a drop in blood pressure.
Symptoms usually develop very soon after consuming the food.

Food Intolerance:

Affects the digestive system and causes less serious symptoms.
Occurs when the body has a chemical reaction to eating a particular food or drink.
Symptoms can include nausea, gas, cramps, belly pain, diarrhea, irritability, or headaches.
Reactions are usually related to the amount of the food consumed and may not occur until a certain amount (threshold level) of the food is eaten, but this amount varies for each person.

It is essential to identify the difference between food allergy and food intolerance, as food allergies can cause life-threatening reactions, while food intolerances generally cause less severe symptoms. An allergy or gastroenterology specialist can help you distinguish between the two.

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What is the Difference Between Food Allergy and Food Intolerance?

Comparative Table: Food Allergy vs Food Intolerance

Here is a table comparing the differences between food allergies and food intolerances:

Food Allergy	Food Intolerance
Involves the immune system; the body sees the food as an invader	Involves the digestive system; the body cannot properly digest the food
Can cause immediate reactions, which may be life-threatening	Reactions often take longer to manifest than allergic reactions and are not life-threatening
Symptoms may include tingling in the mouth, vomiting, dizziness, sneezing, itchy skin, and swelling	Symptoms may include irritable bowel syndrome, digestive problems, migraines, nausea, gas, cramps, belly pain, diarrhea, irritability, or headaches
Typically requires medical intervention	Often managed through dietary changes or avoiding specific food triggers
Reactions can be triggered by even microscopic amounts of the problem food	Reactions may be triggered by a specific amount of the problem food, and small amounts might not cause a reaction

In summary, food allergies involve an immune response and can cause immediate, life-threatening reactions, while food intolerances involve the digestive system and typically manifest as non-life-threatening symptoms over a longer period.

Guilherme Mazui

Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.