food intolerance

1. FOOD INTOLERANCE
Some people reactbadlyif theyeatcertainfoods.There are differenttypesof food
intolerance.
ENZYME DEFICIENCY:whenthe bodyismissingone ormore of the enzymesneededtodigest
and use nutrientsinfood.
 Lactose intolerance:enzyme lactase inthe small intestine ismissingproducing
nausea,swollenabdomenwithpainand/or diarrhea.Followalactose free orreduced
diet(avoidmilkandmilkproducts) explainedbyadietitianreadinglabels.
 Phenylketonuria(PKU):lackof enzyme phenylalaninehydroxylase inthe liver,
producingdamage inthe brain.Heel-prick orGuthrie bloodtestpositive.Follow alow-
phenylalaninedietexplainedbyadietitianreadinglabels.
MALABSORPTION: whennutrientsare notabsorbedafterdigestion andpassthroughthe
body.Causescan be defectsinthe intestine,drugs,conditionssuchasdiabetes,surgery,
infections, andenzyme deficiencies.
Coeliacdisease iscausedby sensitivitytothe proteingluten,foundinwheat,oat,barleyand
rye;thisdamagesthe liningof the intestine (themucosa) preventingnutrientsfrombeing
absorbed. Symptomscanbe lethargic,anorexia,pale andbulkyfaeces,abdomenswells,thin
body, failure togrow,anaemia, anddiarrhea.Follow aglutenfree dietbyadietitianreading
labels.
FOOD ALLERGIES: The immune systemprotects the bodyfromharmful thingssuchasviruses.
Sometimesitwillreactstronglytoa particularsubstance called allergen.Infooditisoftena
proteinpresentincow`smilk,eggs,soya,peanut andmonosodiumglutamate(aflavour
enhancer).The symptomscanbe eczema,asthma,skinirritation,headaches,sickness,
hyperactivity(somepreservativesinyoungchildren).Some cancause ananaphylacticreaction
(a tinyquantityof the allergencausesthe wholebodytoreactimmediatelyandseverely,
patientmaycollapse anddie unlesstreatedimmediatelywithaninjectionof adrenalin).
DIABETES MELLITUS: the hormone insulinisproducedbythe pancreasactingas a chemical key
to enterglucose tothe cells.If itis notenough,the glucose will stayinthe bloodstreamand
will eventuallyspill overintothe urine.The lackof glucose inthe cellsmeanstheywill have to
obtainenergyfromthe fatstores,whichwill resultinalossof weightandgeneral weakness.
There are twotypesof DiabetesMellitus:Insulindependentdiabeticsortype I andthe Non-
insulin-dependentdiabeticsortype II.
The British Diabetic Association advice to:
1. Regular,healthy mealsincluding a variety of differentfoods.
2. Morehigh fiberdiet.
3. Less sugarand sweetfood,choosereduced-sugarorartificially sweetened alternatives.
4. Less high-fatand fried foods.
5. Less salt,to help reduce therisk of high blood pressure.
6. A maximumof 3 unitsof alcoholper day for men and 2 units forwoman.

2. Attendregularclinicstocheckthe bloodsugar level andgeneral health.