Food intolerance is a common digestive problem that affects a large number of people all around the world.

As we age, our body produces fewer enzymes required to break down the food which provides the bacteria additional time to ferment food in the GI tract. Further, the digestion process of the body naturally becomes slower with age causing digestive distress. In such a scenario, it is often seen that people suffer from severe and frequent stomach problems which is the root cause of a bigger digestion problem known as food intolerance. 

Sensitivity to certain foods, chemicals, or additives is a common side-effect of age. Gluten and lactose have been found to be two of the most common food sensitivities people suffer from. The lower levels of intestinal enzyme lactase in case of lactose intolerance makes the body incapable of breaking down the sugar lactose in dairy products. On the other hand, people who suffer from gluten sensitivity have difficulty in digesting gluten – a protein found in rye, barley and wheat.

Stomach pain, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, along with headache, vomiting, and nervousness are some of the common symptoms of food intolerance. Frequently eating or eating large portions of a food you’re intolerant to can result in adverse reactions when compared to eating the same food in small proportions. This is why maintaining a food dairy is highly recommended in order to determine the exact reaction of a particular food based on its quantity and frequency.

The most important point to remember in case of food intolerance is to identify the foods which can potentially cause problems. Eliminating the problem-causing foods from your diet is one way of easing discomfort due to food intolerance. While this serves as the easiest method, you can also look for alternative strategies such as reducing the quantity of food and making slight adjustments in the way you consume such foods.

We often find that people are intolerant to the foods they love the most. To counter this, consuming small amounts of your favorite food can be a good solution which may not cause any problems. There is also a high chance that you might be intolerant to a particular ingredient or mixture of ingredients in the food and not the food itself. For instance, you might love a cheese sandwich and can easily tolerate the cheese and tomatoes present in it separately, but the combination of these two ingredients might be problematic.

According to experts, the best way to deal with this situation is to begin with eliminating particular food ingredients at first. If you experience any food intolerance symptoms after consuming a particular food, it is important to visit a doctor and get a food allergy test done at the earliest.

All you need to do is to check the food allergy test cost at a pathology lab near you and book an appointment. The results of this test will help the doctor to accurately evaluate the foods you’re intolerant to, and suggest alternative foods that can provide you with optimum nutrition.