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Home test your way to better health
First things first – an intolerance to a food group is different to a food allergy. A food intolerance will cause an adverse reaction, but will not trigger the immune system into action – it usually occurs in people who lack an enzyme necessary for the digestion of food. Some statistics reckon as many as 75% of the population are intolerant to something or other, so there’s a fair chance you might be affected. If you are – you’ll generally be left feeling bloated, sick, and may experience an attack of the runs. Not to mention the abdominal pain. Lovely.
Food intolerance is fast becoming one of the most likely reasons for ill health today. Three out of four people suffer from a dairy intolerance, one in three from yeast sensitivity, one in seven from gluten sensitivity, one in three from fructose or sugar, and a further one in one hundred suffer from some sort of food allergy.*
Those pesky genes we’re all born with can be responsible for food intolerances. For example, according to one website:** “Lactose intolerance is less common among northern and western Europeans (10 to 15 per cent are affected) than in Asian, African, native American and Mediterranean populations (70 to 90 per cent are affected).”
For some, the news is worse – some poor souls suffer from alcohol intolerance. Drinking even small amounts of alcohol can make them feel unwell. Drinking large amounts can also make you feel unwell , and cause major bouts of gorging in greasy food he next day. That’s more likely to be due to an inability to stop pouring the shots down your neck at the bar rather then your genetic make-up though.
It is notoriously tricky to know whether you are intolerant or not. If you believe you might be intolerant to a food group, you should investigate NOW! Symptoms are similar to irritable bowel syndrome, and can take days to appear. Also, the amount a person can tolerate varies greatly between individuals. The good news is (and yes, there is some good news) it is easily fixed. After the offending food group is identified, a new diet can promote better health and prevent anything more serious occurring later in life.