Diagnosing Food Intolerance

We have all heard about the severity of food allergies; that those afflicted can suffer shock or even death after ingesting the smallest amount of the food type they are allergic to. Tree nuts, shellfish, gluten, dairy, and other meats and fishes may be the culprit causing the allergy. Most of the time, these people do not realize they have the allergy until ingesting it for the first time, and suffering an attack and an emergency room visit. After this, the individual is well aware of their newly found allergy and is given strict instructions to stay away from the allergy-causing food altogether.

But there is a less severe form of this "allergy" to foods called food intolerance that makes eating uncomfortable or painful. Like a food allergy, most suffering from this intolerance don't even realize they have it. Because the symptoms are so much less severe, the person with the intolerance often don't make the connection between the symptoms and the food ingested. Some common symptoms include:

• Minor abdominal cramps, spasms
• Headache
• Occasional fatigue
• Skin rash, eczema
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Digestive system problems
• Running nose/ watering eyes
• Flatulence
• Diarrhea
• Exhaustion
• Chills
• Occasional constipation

Unlike a food allergy, the symptoms of a food intolerance can be controlled and treated, and the person afflicted can still eat the foods that they love, as long as some precautions are being taken. Diamine Oxidase is a chemical enzyme created in the human body that battles the effects of food intolerance. Using a Diamine Oxidase supplement decreases histamine levels, lowering the adverse effects caused by food intolerance.