Five Common Symptoms of Food Intolerances

Food Intolerances are so prevalent today, with an estimate that 20% of the world’s population may suffer from them. While the symptoms can be many and varied, there are several standouts that point towards food intolerances being the issue. Among these, digestive symptoms are a standout, and we will take a closer look at these and some other more obvious symptoms today.

Food intolerance introduction

Dietary Intolerances

As we’ve discussed in many of our previous articles, food intolerances are a non-life threatening reaction to proteins or other components of various foods. They are usually a reaction that occurs in the digestive system or another bodily organ. This is different from food allergies, which are an immune reaction and can culminate in life-threatening anaphylaxis. The symptoms of food intolerances can take up to 72 hours to appear, although between 2 to 24 hours is more common. This makes them difficult to pinpoint.

Our bio-resonance hair intolerance testing does the hard work for you here, giving you a list of foods you’re intolerant to.
Take a look at the following most common food intolerance symptoms, and if you suspect you’re having intolerance issues, book your test HERE today.

Constipation or diarrhoea

This is a classic food intolerance symptom, with the primary reason being that food intolerances can commonly occur due to a dysfunction in the digestive system. This could be a lack of enzymes, reduced stomach acidity, leaky gut, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or another digestive issue. When intolerance foods are then introduced into an under-functioning digestive system, this increases the amount of inflammation present. This, in turn, can affect transit time, causing either stool retention or excessive fluid and fast motility, which results in diarrhoea.

Foods that are known to induce constipation include processed foods, refined carbohydrate foods such as white breads and pastas, foods that contain gluten and those foods that are high in refined sugars.

Foods that are known to cause diarrhoea include dairy foods, high fructose foods such as garlic, onions and pears, coffee, some spices and overly spicy foods and excessive consumption of foods that are high in refined sugars and artificial sweeteners.

Bloating, wind and abdominal pain

Bloating is caused by excessive gas being produced in the intestinal tract. This causes your abdomen to distend physically and usually comes along with uncomfortable gas or belching and sometimes abdominal pains.

This can occur when components of the food you eat can’t be broken down in the stomach or small intestine. When they reach the large intestine, the bacteria ferment them, causing the bloating and gas. This is very common in lactose intolerance, which occurs when there is a deficiency of the enzyme lactase. You can read more about this in our Lactose FAQ.

Allergy Rate in Food

Skin rashes such as eczema

Interestingly, skin health is directly linked to digestive health. For example, the presentation of eczema on the skin has been directly linked to the balance of bacteria in the gut. When the right probiotic strains are reintroduced into the digestive system, the eczema can be relieved.

Inside our digestive tract we have the gastrointestinal microbiome. When we consume foods that we are intolerant to, the resulting inflammation can disrupt and damage this bacterial colony. If this is left untreated and continues to become worse, we can then cause damage to the gut lining and have issues such as leaky gut and food intolerances develop. This can then manifest on the skin as eczema, rosacea and other red, inflamed skin conditions.

Adult acne is also linked to food intolerances and an unhealthy digestive microbiome.

Seeking help from a Naturopath to heal your gut and re.populate you with the right probiotic strains will aid you in healing any food intolerances and resulting skin issues.

Reflux or heartburn

Someone suffering from reflux is a big candidate for food intolerances. A recent 2017 study showed that of all of the test subjects, 91% of them had up to 5 different food intolerances that were causative of their reflux or GORD/GERD symptoms, with milk being the highest intolerance present. When the food intolerances were removed, the reflux significantly reduced.

In studies unrelated to the above, milk has also been shown to be linked with reflux. It is certainly not the only food that causes intolerances and reflux though. If you have been experiencing persistent reflux with no relief, we highly recommend you take our bio-resonance hair intolerance test today.

Allergy Eat Evidence

Headaches/Migraines

These are insidious conditions, and it can be hard to pinpoint the exact causes of them. However, if you suffer persistent headaches or migraines, and really can’t link them to any one thing, taking a food intolerance test could give you the answers that you seek.

Once you know which foods are causing issues for you, removing them from your diet will also remove the inflammation that they create. This inflammation is primarily what triggers your migraine or headache.

Foods that are particularly high in amines are known to cause migraines, and these include chocolate, red wine, caffeine, some cheese and MSG. You can read more about migraines and food intolerances in our article titled ‘Are food intolerances causing your migraines?’.

In summary, the 5 most common symptoms of food intolerances are:

Diarrhoea or constipation
Bloating, wind and abdominal pain
Skin rashes/eczema
Reflux and heartburn
Headaches and migraines

Intolérance Pain

Food intolerance symptoms are primarily digestive in nature. However, they can affect varying body systems as the above list shows. If you experience any of the above symptoms and suspect food intolerances, we highly encourage you to take our bio-resonance hair intolerance test. With just a few strands of your hair, we can assess you for intolerances, and send you a list of results that could change your life. In many cases, we find that removing the items you are intolerant to also removes your symptoms. You can read more about our test and customer testimonials HERE.

The Top Five Symptoms of Food Intolerances