What is the difference between food allergy and food intolerance?

What is the difference between food allergy and food intolerance?

• Answer:

  FOOD ALLERGY: A disorder of the immune system. This involves your body being hypersensitive to a particular substance/chemical found in particular foods. When a person consumes a substance they are allergic to, the body’s immune system overreacts believing the substance/chemical is a foreign invader. As a result a certain type of white blood cell becomes activated and releases antibodies which cause inflammatory responses similar to when you are ill. FOOD INTOLERANCE: The name given to a very broad range of different disorders (which are not allergies). However in most cases it refers to a disorder of the digestive tract. This type of intolerance is where your body has trouble absorbing or processing certain chemicals/substances in particular foods. For example gluten intolerance involves the intestines have trouble breaking down gluten. As a result the gluten builds up on the intestine walls preventing the intestines absorbing other essential nutrients. Hope this clears it up!