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We often suffer from chronic health problems without knowing the reason. Sometimes the symptoms are hard to explain and seem unconnected to a cause. Melanie Thompson, a resident of Dubai for the last 15 years was suffering from unknown sickness, including feeling unnecessarily tired and overweight. After years of poor health, she discovered that she is intolerant to wheat. Now that she knows, makes all the difference. It is easier for her to avoid problem foods. She is slim, healthy and full of energy- persistent health problems have disappeared. She never thought a simple diet change could make her life so much better.

Like Melanie, many of us may bear Intolerance to certain foods which were never been identified.

Food Intolerance

Non-allergic food hypersensitivity is the medical name for food intolerance, loosely referred to as food hypersensitivity. It is a delayed, negative reaction to a food, beverage, food additive, or compound found in foods, which can involve symptoms in one or more body organs and systems, but is not a true allergy.

Food Intolerance vs Food Allergy

The precise distinction between food intolerance and a food allergy is often missed. A true food allergy requires the presence of IgE antibodies against the food. Food intolerances can involve the immune system, usually mediated by IgG antibodies.

Non-IgE-mediated food hypersensitivity (food intolerance) is more chronic, less acute, less obvious in its presentation, and often more difficult to diagnose than a food allergy. Symptoms of food intolerance vary greatly, and can be mistaken for the symptoms of a food allergy.

While true allergies are associated with fast-acting immunoglobulin IgE responses, it can be difficult to determine the offending food causing a food intolerance because the response generally takes place over a prolonged period of time. Thus the causative agent and the response are separated in time, and may not be obviously related.

Food intolerance symptoms usually begin about half an hour after eating or drinking the food in question, but sometimes symptoms may delayed up to 48 h.

Common Food Intolerances

• Lactose Intolerance: Although the body's ability to produce lactase cannot be changed, the symptoms of lactose intolerance can be managed with dietary changes. Most people with lactose intolerance can tolerate some amount of lactose in their diet. Gradually introducing small amounts of milk or milk products may help some people adapt to them with fewer symptoms. Often, people can better tolerate milk or milk products by taking them with meals.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommend that people with lactose intolerance choose milk products with lower levels of lactose than regular milk, such as yogurt and hard cheese.

Lactose-free and lactose-reduced milk and milk products, available at most supermarkets, are identical to regular milk except that the lactase enzyme has been added. Lactose-free milk remains fresh for about the same length of time or longer than regular milk if it is ultra-pasteurized. Lactose-free milk may have a slightly sweeter taste than regular milk. Soy milk and other products may be recommended by a health professional.

• Egg Intolerance: This type of reaction occurs within minutes of eating an egg. Symptoms include, rashes and swelling on the face and around the mouth. People with an egg intolerance need to avoid all foods containing egg white or egg yolk, from all sources, including chicken, goose and duck. Many food products, like cakes, bread, mayonnaise and custard, contain egg or egg proteins, so be vigilant about checking ingredients labels before you buy.

• Wheat Intolerance: The bowel affliction coeliac disease is the main form of wheat intolerance. It affects who are susceptible to gluten, a protein present in wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats. Gluten can damage the lining of the gut, which leads to a reduced capacity to absorb nutrients from foods and results in diarrhoea and malnutrition. It is also believed that coeliac disease may be caused by introducing foods containing gluten to children, who are weaning. Generally, young babies' digestive systems are not mature enough to process large proteins. These are, therefore, treated as foreign particles and removed from the body. People with coeliac disease need to follow a strict, lifelong, gluten-free diet. Gluten free foods are recommended for these people as most major supermarkets possess.

Diagnosis of Food Intolerance

There are several tests which are available to identify Food Intolerance. The food ELISA test measures antibodies to foods. These antibodies are also known as food immunoglobulins or food IgGs.

In UAE, Eastern Biotech & Life Sciences offers Food Intolerance test which utilizes innovative, state- of the-art Genarrayt® Microarray* technology to detect food specific IgG antibodies. The test is a rapid colorimetric microarray-based ELISA for the measurement of IgG antibodies for up to 221 foods in whole blood, human serum or plasma.

Principle of Food Intolerance Test

Over 200+ food extracts are 'printed' onto nitrocellulose 'pads' on a glass microscope slide, together with calibration standards and controls. A blood sample provided by the patient is diluted and dispensed onto each printed microarray. Food IgG antibodies if present bind to the food extracts. The bound food IgG antibodies are subsequently detected through the use of other immunoassay reagents which generate a blue colour in the presence of the food IgG antibodies. The density of this blue colour is measured using a high resolution scanner. The results generated by the scanner are then calibrated against the standards using the specialized reporting software to give quantitative results. This software then produces a tailor-made printout of the final food IgG antibody result for each food on the requested food panel.

Benefit of Food IntoleranceTest

The test is carried out on a blood sample collected in heparinised blood collection tube. This is centrifuged and a precisely measured volume of sample is used in the test to provide for greater reliability and reproducibility of results. The results are given in U/ml. The antibody reactivity associated with each food can be compared to allow the practitioner to devise an optimal dietary regime based on food antibody level.

Test Report

The report is available within 3-4 days time. It is comprehensive information on the 221 foods that are being tested against one's blood sample. The report divides the list of foods into 3 segments, like- Elevated, Borderline and No reaction. The list of foods includes vegetarian, non-vegetarian, herbs & spices etc.

Treatment of Food Intolerance

Individuals can try minor changes of diet to exclude foods causing obvious reactions, and for many this may be adequate without the need for professional assistance. For reasons mentioned above foods causing problems may not be so obvious since food sensitivities may not be noticed for hours or even days after one has digested food. Persons unable to isolate foods and those more sensitive or with disabling symptoms should seek expert medical and dietitian help.

Guidance can also be given to your general practitioner to assist in diagnosis and management. Food elimination tests can be carried on the patients to identify the problem food and chemicals.

Once all food chemical sensitivities are identified a dietitian can prescribe an appropriate diet for the individual to avoid foods with those chemicals. A dietitian will ensure adequate nutrition is achieved with safe foods and supplements if need be.