Hidden food allergies, also known as food intolerance or non-allergic food hypersensitivity, can cause digestive system responses such as headaches, nausea, and stomach pain. These allergies are different from true food allergies as they do not create immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies against food. Diagnosing hidden food allergies requires keeping a food diary and eliminating suspect foods one at a time. Many health problems, including irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and eczema, can be caused by hidden food allergies.
Hidden food allergies are negative reactions to foods, drinks, food additives, or compounds found in food. However, these differ from true food allergies in that they do not create immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies against food. A hidden food allergy is also known as a food intolerance or non-allergic food hypersensitivity. Food intolerance is a digestive system response rather than an immune system response.
Symptoms of hidden food allergies include headaches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, heartburn, diarrhea, irritability, and nervousness. However, food intolerance may not always lead to symptoms if a person does not eat a large portion of the offending food or eats it frequently. Food allergies are not the same as food poisoning, which results from spoiled or contaminated food.
There are many health problems that arise from hidden food allergies. In the United States alone, more than 30 million people suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, which is believed to be caused by unknown allergens. More than 10 percent of Americans suffer from lactose intolerance. Ulcerative colitis, an ongoing disease of the colon, is also very common.
Crohn’s disease is often caused by hidden food allergies to wheat, corn, dairy, and eggs. Rheumatoid arthritis can be aggravated by allergies to many foods, including wheat, eggs, sugar, citrus fruits, salt, and caffeine. Eczema can be caused by eating wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts, and soy protein. A gluten intolerance is known as celiac disease.
Food intolerance occurs for a number of different reasons. Some foods create pharmacological effects, making the body believe that it has ingested a drug. Other foods may contain natural toxins that cause adverse effects in some people. Psychological reactions can also occur if a particular food triggers memories from an individual’s past.
The human body tends to crave those foods that cause an allergic reaction. This happens because histamines in the digestive tract are released to fight the allergen. Histamines provide a pleasant effect on the body, so a person will unconsciously begin to want any food that produces them.
Diagnosing hidden food allergies is usually not easy and requires a lot of trial and error. If a food intolerance is suspected, an individual should keep a food diary to record everything they eat and the specific times that adverse reactions occur. A pattern of physical symptoms should begin to be seen over time. If a person is concerned that certain foods may be bothering them, it is best to eliminate the food to see if the symptoms go away. These suspect foods can be reintroduced one at a time to see if the symptoms return, which would identify the cause of the symptoms.
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