Food Intolerance

a food intolerance is a non-immune mediated reaction, or in other words, does not involve our immune system. It's main target is the digestive tract.

The easiest example for this is a lactose intolerance. After consumption of a dairy product, the sugar, lactose (a disaccharide) is digested and broken down into two smaller sugars --> glucose and galactose (monosaccharides). The enzyme that splits these components is called lactase. Without this enzyme, or with too little of this enzyme, lactose can not be properly absorbed in the small intestine.

Without this digestion, instead, the lactose reaches our large intestine. Our large intestine is filled with bacteria that feed off of sugars. This process is called fermentation. The process of fermentation produces gas, causing this symptom. Additionally, when undigested lactose reaches the colon, excess water follows, due to osmosis. This results in the cramping, pain, and diarrhea that may come along with a food intolerance.

Example: Lactose Intolerance

There are different ways our body can react to dairy. You can have a reaction to the proteins. The two main proteins in dairy are whey and casein. This can cause an immunological reaction to one of these proteins or both. When we respond to lactose, we are responding to the milk sugar. This is not an immune reaction, this is a gut reaction. That is why those symptoms are immediate. That is why we want to know if someone is reactive to the milk protein or the milk sugar, or both.