Food Intolerances: Tips for Dealing with These Issues in Daily Life

24

Talking about a meal that makes your mouth water is no sacrifice for anyone, given the amount of exotic, diverse, and unforgettable delicacies present in all states of our country.

With so many unique and incredible things, taking care of what we eat is difficult, but essential to not lose track with the amount of goodies at our disposal, especially with certain types of food that can cause food intolerances in some people.

And for those who suffer from this condition, the question arises: How to deal with these problems in our daily lives?

To answer this question, we have prepared this super guide with lots of information and tips that are more than valuable and also updated to help you overcome this difficulty and live peacefully.

And the best part, without preventing you from enjoying many other delights that life has provided us.

Shall we go together?

What are food intolerances and their causes?

Food intolerances are simply an immediate response of the body to the ingestion of certain types of food, which are not properly digested in the natural digestive process of our body.

In short, it is when foods are not completely processed by the intestine.

Most of the time, this is characterized as an adverse reaction or a disorder in the ingestion of certain foods, and this may be associated with poor metabolism of some compounds present in these foods.

The most common causes of these reactions are:

• Gluten-containing foods;
• Alcoholic beverages;
• Processed meats;
• Preservatives;
• Processed meats;
• Milk and derivatives.

All this causes those dreaded symptoms or reactions, mainly of a physical nature, that some may feel as a result of the basic reactions of intolerances, such as some that we will highlight now.

• Heartburn;
• Diarrhea;
• Abdominal distension;
• Abdominal pain;
• Headache or migraine (sometimes);
• Stomach pain;
• Swelling;
• Irritability;
• Gas;
• Nausea;
• Gastroesophageal reflux;
• Vomiting.

In some cases, the reaction of intolerance may affect directly or indirectly other organs not associated with the digestive system, however, this usually occurs rarely.

An important point to be highlighted is that food intolerances are not the same as food allergies. Unlike intolerance, a food allergy is defined as a reaction of the immune system to allergens, substances that cause hypersensitivity in some organisms.

Usually, allergies occur abnormally and immediately after consuming the food, more or less within the first 30 minutes, so it is always interesting to pay attention to the reactions of our body.

How to detect food intolerances?

The findings of certain types of diseases are made by observing the patient’s behavior, most of the time quite peculiar, followed by some reactions that may occur.

In this sense, to detect food intolerances, some typical and specific symptoms can be noticed over time, such as those highlighted below:

• Heartburn: caused by the return of gastric juice to the esophagus, the known gastroesophageal reflux.
• Tiredness: caused by the excess sugar that overloads the body, consequently causing inflammation. This triggers an almost constant feeling of tiredness, even having a normal daily rest period.
• Itching: quite common in cases of intolerance, since the health of the skin is directly linked to the well-being of the intestine.
• Joint pain: in some cases, joint and even muscle pains can be a sign of food intolerance.
• Nausea: a very common symptom when it comes to intolerance, nausea can occur, especially after meals. However, they can also arise at random times of the day.
• Abdominal pains: considering one of the most characteristic symptoms, abdominal pains are common due to poor digestion of food and these pains are almost always originated after meals.
• Swelling: caused directly by incomplete metabolization in the digestion process, swelling can be continuous depending on the degree of intolerance.
• Skin spots: as in the case of itching, skin spots are another very peculiar symptom and can manifest with small bumps and red spots.

What are the most common food intolerances?

Just like in any other pathology, there can be the most varied types of food intolerance, however, we list the most common considering the most recurrent diagnoses.

• Intolerance to animal origin foods;
• Gluten intolerance;
• Lactose intolerance;
• Sucrose intolerance.

Let’s learn a little more about each of them.

Intolerance to animal origin foods

This type of intolerance corresponds to people who suffer some type of discomfort in the ingestion of foods such as red meats, chicken, eggs, and shellfish.

Gluten intolerance

This is the intolerance to the protein that is a bit similar to celiac disease, which is a reaction to the consumption of gluten.

Its diagnosis is not so simple to be ascertained, as it cannot be easily proven through laboratory tests like other types of intolerance. Most of the time, its diagnosis is validated after several exams.

Lactose intolerance

We probably have come to the most common intolerance among the others, and it is due to the partial or even total lack of the enzyme lactase, responsible for carrying out the process of digesting lactose in the body.

Its diagnosis can be confirmed in various ways, however, the most common and indicated is the clinical analysis, where the doctor prescribes a diet with the exclusion of foods that contain lactose.

In this type of test, the symptoms disappear after a few days or weeks of compliance with the diet.

Sucrose intolerance

This form of intolerance is caused by the body’s difficulty in carrying out the process of digesting sugar.

The method of controlling this type is to reduce as much as possible the intake of foods rich in sugars.

3 tips to reduce the impacts on your daily life and improve quality of life

We have separated 3 very valid tips to reduce the impacts of the action of food intolerances in daily life and, consequently, achieve quality of life.

Read the food label

It is essential to delve into the nutritional information of the foods you consume, because in case of confirmation of some type of intolerance, this tip contributes effectively to a more precise control of the symptoms.

Use substitutes

Opting for alternative products has become easier with the advancement of technology, so do not miss the opportunity to choose foods that can replace the conventional ones. This will contribute a lot to your treatment.

Seek specialist advice

The last and perhaps most important tip is to seek medical advice at the slightest sign of alteration in your body. In addition to eliminating your doubts, the professional’s follow-up will contribute to a precise and quick diagnosis.

And we have an extra tip, look…

Indeed, we need to pay attention to our body and the signs it gives us, especially if the goal is to confirm the existence or not of food intolerances.

And having reliable information and guidance is an urgency in times with the spread of so much information. In this aspect, Gastroblog has what you are looking for.

Gastroblog is a website specialized in the production and dissemination of uncomplicated, easy, and totally focused content on the health of the digestive system in general.

There you will find current information and completely based on what is most modern in the scientific community.

Do not stay curious and access it now.

We wait for you.

See you soon.