W12-L2: Food Intolerance

Question 1

What is Food Intolerance?

Answer 1

• Involve the digestive system
• Limited ability or inability to digest or absorb certain foods or their components.
• Symptoms appear within hours to days - nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, gas, and diarrhea
• Much harder to identify (except in the case of celiac disease & lactose intolerance)

Question 2

What are Food Tolerance Test Kits?

Answer 2

• Offer service: Naturopaths (86%), Acupuncturists (68%), homeopaths (60%), chiropractors (33%)
• Based on detection of IgG antibodies (immunoglobulin released by B Cells)
• IgG likely to be present as a natural response to eating that food
• Actually appears to be related to food tolerance NOT intolerance

Question 3

What are Concerns about increased popularity of at home tests?

Answer 3

1. Lack of scientific support *
2. Expensive: approx. $350 – 450 per test
3. Poor counseling can lead to food avoidance & fear about eating

• Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology & Allergy, and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• “these tests are not reliable and should not be recommended as a single diagnosis tool” Health Canada

Question 4

What are Food Intolerance Treatments?

4

Answer 4

1. History: eliminate true food allergy, referral to gastroenterologist
2. Eliminate common triggers – onion, garlic, coffee, excessive spice, chewing gum, carbonated drinks
3. Work on eating behaviors – pace, chewing, recognizing fullness, hydration, fibre
4. Low FODMAP diet

Question 5

What are FODMAPs?

Answer 5

collection of short-chain carbohydrates that aren’t absorbed properly in the gut, which can trigger symptoms in people with intolerance

Fermentable
Oligosaccharides
Disaccharides
Monosaccharides
Polyols

Question 6

What are Oligosaccharides?

Answer 6

Subgroup

• Fructans & Galactans

Found in:

• Wheat, rye, onions, garlic and legumes/pulses

Question 7

What are Disccharides?

Answer 7

Subgroup:

• Lactose

Found in:

• Dairy products like milk, soft cheeses and yogurts

Question 8

What are Monosaccharides?

Answer 8

Subgroup:

• Fructose

Found In:

• Honey, apples & high fructose corn syrups

Question 9

What are Polyols?

Answer 9

Subgroup:

• Sorbitol & Mannitol

Found In:

• Fruit and vegetables. Used as artificial sweeteners

Question 10

What Food are Suitable for a low-fodmap diet?

Answer 10

Question 11

Eliminate Foods containg foodmaps:

Answer 11

Question 12

What is a Low Fodmaps diet?

Answer 12

1. Remove high FODMAP foods from the diet for three to eight weeks to see if symptoms improve.
2. Add these same foods back into your diet one category at a time to see which foods are tolerated and which foods trigger symptoms.
3. Overall goal is to add as many foods as tolerated in amounts that will not trigger symptoms

Question 13

SUMMARY

Answer 13