Metabolic Food Reaction

The metabolic food reaction result from an effect in the metabolism of the recipient, for example a primary gastrointestinal disease. Metabolic food disorders are inborn defects in food metabolism.

An example would be lactose intolerance, which is due to a deficiency of the intestinal enzymes that is essential for metabolism of the lactose in milk. Milk and dairy products contain lactose, a milk sugar.

Many people lack the intestinal enzyme, β -galactosidase (also called lactase), which breaks down the lactose molecule. When this enzyme is missing, lactose remains intact as it travels through the intestine.

Another example of most common metabolic food disorders is favism. Favism is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme glucose-6-phoisphate dehydrogenase in erythrocytes, which results in hemolytic anemia upon ingestion of fava beans, which contain several otherwise innocuous hemolytic agents.
Metabolic Food Reaction

Wheat intolerance

Sufferers from wheat intolerance are sensitive to the whole grain of wheat, whereas people with celiac disease are sensitive to the wheat protein, gluten.

It is a condition in which the body does not adequately digest wheat, although the reaction remains a metabolic disordered and does not involve the immune system.

Wheat intolerance is much more common than wheat allergies and those who have it usually have a delayed onset of symptoms as long as two to three days later.

These people suffer with various degrees of symptoms, ranging from stomach discomfort to chronic headaches and diarrhea. Wheat intolerance also gives symptoms of asthma, eczema, general aches and pains, mood swing and itchy skin.

Some individuals with wheat intolerance may still be able to eat wheat occasionally or in small servings.
Wheat intolerance

Symptoms of food allergy

Allergies have become an epidemic of the 21st century. Substances that cause allergy reactions are called allergens. 

A symptomatic allergy will exhibit different symptoms depending on the location of the reaction.

Food sensitivity can affect virtually any organ system in the body. In digestive tract, the allergy may cause nausea or vomiting; in the skin, it may cause rashes and in the nasal passages and lungs, it may cause inflammation or asthma.

Because food is ingested into the gastrointestinal tract, GI symptoms should be the first consideration in deciding whether food allergy could be a significant problem.

Gastrointestinal symptoms in food allergy are often chronic or acute vomiting, diarrhea and colic. Colic appears to be a common symptom, but nearly always in combination with other symptoms.

People who have life-threatening reactions usually have asthma and frequently have a history of atopy, including atopic dermatitis and food allergy as young children.

Symptoms may develop within minutes to a few hours after ingestion of the food, and in life-threatening cases, symptoms include sever bronchospasm.

In adults, food allergy triggers most often the oral allergy syndrome, which occurs almost exclusively and an immediate, IgE-mediated reaction.

 The short time interval between allergen exposure and onset of symptoms such as itching of the buccal mucosa, and the classical set of food like apples and other pome fruits that triggers the oral allergy syndrome make diagnosis usually easy.
Symptoms of food allergy

What is gluten intolerance?

Gluten is a protein found in many cereal grains and is the main protein in wheat. Gluten is also a type of prolamin, a protein fraction found in a variety of grains.

It is an adverse food-induced with a known external trigger factor. Gluten intolerance is often used as a broad term that includes celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Technically, though, gluten intolerance is simply a non-autoimmune and non-allergenic condition that creates uncomfortable symptoms within the persons consumes gluten.

Gluten intolerance can cause a surprisingly wide variety of symptoms and health problems. While most people associate gluten intolerance with digestive problems, it can also cause or it’s associated with complications far beyond the digestive tract.

The irritation causes abdominal pain, produces inflammation, destroys the small intestine’s lining and reduces absorption of important nutrients.

With the advance of biochemical markers for gluten intolerance, several studies have proven the present of a specific antibody-verified, gluten free diet validated, gluten intolerance in a large sector of society (12-18%).
What is gluten intolerance?

The reaction of food intolerance

Food intolerance is more common than food allergy. The medical definition of food intolerance is wrapped around lactose and gluten. Lactose intolerance and gluten intolerance are usually inherited but can be acquired and they involve a deficiency in the enzymes needed to breakdown these foods.

Food intolerance reactions is an adverse food-induced reaction that does not involve the immune system which, depending on their causality, are divided into the following types of intolerances:
*Enzymatic
*Pharmacological, i.e. reactions caused by either naturally derived or added chemicals that reduce a pharmacological effect in the individual
*Idiosyncratic reactions with undefined food tolerance

Though symptoms of food allergy or intolerance may be very similar, the latter do not involve the immune system and are typically triggered by molecules that are considerably smaller than proteins. The triggers are substances that are naturally present in foods, arose for processing methods, or are added during processing.

Food intolerances probably make up the majority of adverse reactions.  Examples of food intolerances include:
*Reactions from toxic contaminants – histamine in scombroid fish poisoning, toxins secreted by Salmonella or Shigella
*Pharmacologic reactions e.g. to caffeine in coffee, tyramine in aged cheeses
*Idiosyncratic and psychological reactions – e.g. sulfite induced asthma

The best example of food intolerances are lactose intolerance and sulfite induced asthma. It is a disorder in which a deficiency of B-galactosidase in the small intestine results in reduced ability to digest and absorb lactose.

These illnesses are of lesser importance than allergy because of finite tolerance levels for the offending foods among affected individuals.

Although symptoms can be severe and very distressing, they are not potentially fatal.
The reaction of food intolerance