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Article: Food allergy or food intolerance?
- Article from:
- Medical Update
- Article date:
- December 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Although many persons regularly experience untoward symptoms after eating certain foods, the underlying cause of their distress is more likely to be food intolerance than food allergy. Distinguishing between the two is important, not only because treatment of the problem is very different, but also because of the possible consequences of repeated exposure to the offending food.
Lactase deficiency is an example of food intolerance. Persons who produce too little of this enzyme have difficulty in digesting the milk sugar, lactose, with such resultant gastrointestinal disturbances as bloating, gas, abdominal cramps, or diarrhea after eating dairy products. ...