Food Intolerance - A Myth?

[joggerjayne]

About 1 in 5 people think they have a food intolerance.

Research has suggested that, even of the people who think they do, only about 1 in 20 actually do.

This would mean that only about 0.4% of people do actually have a real intolerance.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthadvice/maxpemberton/7168007/Food-intolerance-the-new-epidemic.html

So when everyone says (as they will do) ... aah, but I really do have a food intolerance ... are they proving the Telegraph right? or proving the Telegraph wrong?

[pdq1]

Food intolerance is quite high. In fact those suffering from Coeliac disease and IBS (iritable bowel syndrome) is on the increase. This is due to the greater injection of cereal products such as oats,etc. You may know when this happens to you as your toilet can vary in consistency from hard stools to running faecal matter. Coupled with this your stomach distends and you may have pains in the stomach area. So yes this is a type of intolerance and easy dealt with.

[joggerjayne]

Oh, I can do them now, Jen.

In The Lanes, there's a seafood bar which opens out on to the pathway. You just sit at the counter, on one of the stools on the footpath, and order oysters and bubbles. At a certain time of day, if you're with a friend, it's very hard to walk past without stopping for a quick pit stop.

[Eve]

Ooooh no, was put right off them!

I've had issues with dairy in the past, going for a test at the hospital in a few weeks for lactose intolerance as my consultant things something like that might be causing additional problems to a malabsorption condition I have. Will be interesting to see what it says.

[pdq1]

Jenna you are probably aware you can buy lactose free milk from supermarkets at reasonable cost. If you think this is the problem lay off ordianry milk and try the lactose free stuff for a while.

[joggerjayne]

I was quite put off them for a while, because of the amount of time I spent honking down the loo.

But I kept trying the odd one ... and getting the squits ... until, suddenly ... I was okay with them. Now, I love them. There's also that rather jolly fizz and seafood bar in Selfridge's, which is a bit like a magnet when you've been trawling round the shops.

[JonnyBoy12]

I have a food intolerance. I can not eat all the time without feeling full; others I know do not suffer from this.

[Prudie]

On a flight a couple of years ago an announcement was given that they would not be issuing their usual free bags of nuts as someone on he flight had an allergy. Pandering at it's worst.

[Brinjal]

my husband and 3( now adult) kids are lactose in tolerant.

[woofgang]

I don't think that food intolerance is a myth and its not the same as an allergy. Allergies trigger a histamine reaction, rashes, swelling, redness. intolerances or sensitivities give dietary symptoms....before it was called intolerance, people used to say "I can't digest"

[daisya]

There's a difference between allergy and intolerance, the allergy involves the immune system doing it's worst as far as I know even when the tiniest piece of the offending food is taken. In the article they are mixing the two which IMO is wrong. Seems DT with reaction to bananas has an allergy rather than an intolerance.

[gness]

Oh Prudie...if you'd ever had a reaction to peanuts you wouldn't call it pandering. I react if a bag is opened near me and just that has been known to cause a death. To be accidentally ( I hope it was an accident ) given something with peanuts in is frightening. The Epipen...the trip to hospital. Your throat closing and not being able to get air into your lungs....scary.

[pdq1]

Yes eating peanuts can be life threatening for some. The problem is its not always possible to avoid them as they crop up in all sorts of food. A relative of mine has to carry around medicines to counteract the effect of peanuts and prevent him going into analyptic shock.

[joko]

pandering prudie?

hardly ...

it can be deadly for some. its not just because someone might feel a bit 'off' ...
they could no control what happens to those nuts in a confined space - not to mention the circulated air ... some could get on a door handle, on seats, or even kids throwing them round ... but they dont even need to touch it to have a reaction

i'll bet others on the flight thought the same as you and sat there tutting and rollng their eyes at the 'drama queen'...unbelievable ignorance.

i heard a story of a lad whose girfriend died because he had eaten peanut butter 8 hours before kissing her ...