Differentiating Food Allergy from Food Intolerance

Filed in archive Allergy Basics , Food Allergies on October 4, 2007

Pretty basic question but something that always comes up: What's the difference between food allergy and food intolerance? Eating Well gets Dr. Scott Sicherer, associate professor of pediatrics at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai in New York and author of Understanding and Managing Your Child's Food Allergies, to answer:

Many people mistake localized discomfort, say a rumbling tummy after eating certain foods, as a food allergy, but it's generally not. In fact, according to Dr. Sicherer, "Roughly 20 percent of people think they have food allergies, but the majority of them don't." They may, for example, have suffered a single bout of food poisoning or have trouble digesting certain sugars, but these don't fall under the food-allergy umbrella. Knowing the difference is often tricky, which is why consulting a doctor is so important.

For instance, milk is one food to which people can either be allergic or intolerant (or both), so it's useful for highlighting the difference between the two terms. When the milk's protein triggers an immune reaction like hives or breathing problems, this is usually a milk allergy. But when a person can't digest the milk's sugars (often causing loose stools), this is usually lactose intolerance.

Some preparations of certain food items which may trigger allergy symptoms in people with food allergies may be fine for people with intolerances. Having real food allergies can restrict your diet quite a lot. Before you go through the ordeal, have yourself tested and confirm whether what you suffer from is really an allergy or (just) an intolerance.