Monday, March 3, 2014

No ifs, ands, or NUTS!

Food Allergy vs. Food Intolerance…is there a difference?

YES!!  One involves the body’s immune system and the other doesn’t.  Can you guess which is which?

Food allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly identifies a food protein as a harmful substance.  When the allergen (depending on the allergy, this could be peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, tree nuts, or even a bee sting) is detected in the body, the immune system releases histamines to attack the harmful substance.  This release of histamines results in symptoms such as hives, itching, swelling, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, and possible death.

Food intolerance does not involve the immune system.  Food intolerance is the body’s inability to digest certain foods.  This is an inconvenience to the person, but food intolerance is not life-threatening.

Keep out of the nut house!

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