What is food intolerance vs. a food allergy?
Often times it is very difficult to distinguish between food allergy and food intolerance. A food intolerance is when your body has a response to a food which is not caused by an immune reaction.(examples may include lactose intolerance; migraine headaches, food poisoning), but might lack a particular chemical or enzyme that is necessary to digest a certain food. A food allergy is caused by your immune system reacting to substances in foods. The body will make antibodies (IgE) to attack these substances with the result of a simple rash or as significant as a life threatening reaction. This is the reason it is critical to be evaluated by an Allergist to determine why you or your child is responding to food in such a confusing manner.
