Food intolerance occurs when the body cannot digest a substance present in food, leading to symptoms such as cramps, diarrhea, gas, vomiting and headache.
The term food hypersensitivity defines any type of excessive reaction of the organism in relation to a certain food, whether allergies or so-called intolerances.
At the CNN Vital Signs this week, experts explain the differences between allergy, intolerance and celiac disease. The program, presented by cardiologist Roberto Kalil, will air this Sunday (3), at 7:30 pm, reinforcing the diversified content with the brand CNN Soft .
“Between the [sintomas] The most common are: lactose intolerance, glutenfructose, sucrose, corn and yeast”, says Ricardo Barbuti, assistant physician at the Department of Gastroenterology at Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo (see interview in the video above ).
According to experts, milk is one of the main targets of food intolerance. About 70% of people are unable to digest lactose. Of these, one third has intolerance.
“We have the option to use dairy products with less lactose and the opportunity to use lactase, which is the enzyme that breaks down lactose. When we ingest something that supposedly contains lactose, we take the enzyme together and that makes the symptoms improve or not appear”, says Barbuti.
At the other end are food allergies, which occur when the immune system responds to what has been consumed. In recent years, there has been an 18% growth in the number of people with the problem in the world. The most common allergies are to milk protein, peanuts, seafood and sulfite (preservative present in items such as wine and dried fruit, for example).
At the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), the team at CNN follows the routine of immunologist Ariane Yang, coordinator of the food allergy clinic. The specialist shows which are the most suitable tests to diagnose the main allergies and intolerances, such as the breath test that measures the amount of gas exhaled when lactose is consumed.
Impacts for children
Breast milk does not cause intolerance or allergy to the baby, but the cow’s milk protein consumed by the mother can be passed to the baby through breastfeeding. The nutritionist Patrícia Speridião is the coordinator of the nutrition course at the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp).
The episode shows the family of little Gabriel, only 5 years old, who lives in Santo André, in ABC Paulista. The boy was born with a milk protein allergy and, today, follows a restrictive diet.
According to the expert, to avoid crises, especially in children, parents should keep an eye on product labels. “The phrase ‘ should be capitalized and bold.allergic to milk, may contain milk ‘. But the main guideline is that children consume food made at home and not processed”.
Specialists say that both intolerance and allergy conditions require treatment based on multidisciplinary approaches, involving professionals such as gastroenterologists, immunologists and nutritionists.
Source: CNN Brasil
