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The majority of people suffering from food intolerances don’t even know it! Let’s take a closer look at what food intolerances are, including their symptoms and how they should be addressed.

In recent years, we’ve regularly heard of tests centered on food or food group intolerances without actually knowing whether they are reliable and if they have any scientific background. On the other hand, the market is constantly presenting new foods without lactose, gluten, wheat or other nutrients – unknown to most - hence the question whether all this fuss just gives rise to more nutritional myths or whether it has any justification.

Symptoms

One of the most studied symptoms associated with the body's response to certain foods and ingredients are bloating, retention and discomfort of the irritable bowel syndrome. They may not endanger a person's life, but they can affect it on a daily basis as well as the quality of life that they lead. That is why you should not defy them and take them for granted - especially when you can make small changes in your diet to help the symptoms subside. By keeping a food diary that will include food combinations and the recording of symptoms, it will help you detect the foods that may cause discomfort.

The intolerance test

Moreover, one can detect the antibodies made by the body against some foods via blood tests as well as other specialized tests so as to exclude certain foods from their diet for a period of time. Ideally this should be conducted under the guidance of a qualified dietitian in order to balance the intake of nutrients through the consumption of other foods. Of course, it is important that during this period you exclude all sources of that specific food. For example, hypersensitivity to eggs does not imply that their exclusion solely will allow the symptoms to subside completely. Instead, it is important to exclude pastries that may contain eggs, such as croissants, cakes, pies, cookies, etc. Let us not forget that several food additives also derive from eggs and that is an additional reason why it is important to read the ingredients carefully and consult a dietician or doctor. In general, components such as albumin, egg protein or egg powder need to be removed from one's diet if they are experiencing symptoms of food intolerances. In any case, both the tests and any other form of nutritional intervention should be initiated in collaboration with specialist doctors and nutritionists.