Ursula Wastl
Marie just wanted to cook a simple dinner for her new work colleagues. After questioning everyone about likes and dislikes, she first had to go online. Martin does not tolerate gluten, Sabina does not tolerate lactose and Peter gets cramps and / or headaches from histamine and fructose. Only after days of precise planning and intensive research Marie succeeds in putting together a menu that is "safe" for all her colleagues. What sounds like the attempted plot of a TV series has become a daily reality in many households.
"Incompatibility and allergies increase," Dr. Alexander Haslberger, Nutritionist at the University of Vienna (www.healthbiocare.com). "There are mutliple reasons for this. For example, much better diagnostic options, the preparation of food has changed and people are under greater stress. As strange as it may sound, the improved hygiene conditions in western industrialized countries have something to do with it. "According to the results of recent studies, an excess of hygiene in childhood is questionable. The immune system can only develop normally if it is exposed to a certain amount of stress.
Allergy or intolerance (intolerance)?
A food intolerance or intolerance differs from an allergy especially in the symptoms. In the case of allergy, the body reacts allergic to a certain substance in the food, ie the immune system is overreacted to substances that are harmless to the healthy person.
The consequences can be life-threatening. There are violent reactions on the skin, the mucous membranes and the airways as well as gastrointestinal complaints. The triggering food must be completely removed from the nutrition plan. The intolerance is often triggered by a congenital or acquired enzyme defect and, in contrast to allergies, mainly takes place in the intestine. Normally, a reaction does not occur for up to two hours after contact.
Example milk: The milk allergy is mediated by immunology and mainly refers to proteins (eg casein) that are present in the milk. The milk intolerance (lactose intolerance) refers to the sugar lactose, which can not be split due to a missing enzyme (lactase).
Incompatibility: the most common types
An average of ten to 30 percent of the European population suffer from lactose intolerance (milk sugar), five to seven percent from fructose malabsorption (fructose), one to three percent from histamine intolerance (such as in wine and cheese) and one percent from celiac disease (gluten intolerance) , The number of unreported physicians rates doctors much higher.
"Many people who take an incompatibility test are desperate afterward. You should suddenly stop using 30 food or more. For that very reason, one has to say clearly: These tests are only guides, really clarity only provides an exclusion diet. "
Dr. Claudia Nichterl
Intolerance tests
Expert dr. Alexander Haslberger: "There are relatively reliable tests that detect food allergies, and lactose intolerance can also be detected well. But even the analysis of histamine intolerance is often critical of science, which is very critical of fructose intolerance. The safe testing of intolerances to other food components is extremely unclear. Unfortunately, there are a lot of tests that are not based on scientific principles at all. "
For simple intolerances, the so-called H2 breath test is performed. The IgG4 test seems to be the most scientifically useful test for complex intolerances. Increased IgG4 antibodies to a food component indicate increased confrontation of immune cells with the food anti-gene. This is probably due to a pathologically enlarged intestinal barrier and altered gut microbiota. However, elevated levels of IgG4 antibodies do not mean that you have complaints about this immune response, just that they are more likely to appear.
Keep yourself informed about the most common intolerancesas against fructose, Histamine, lactose and gluten.
Incompatibility - what to do? - Interview with nutritionist Dr. Ing. Claudia Nichterl
How to find out if you are suffering from food intolerance?
Dr. Claudia Nichterl: There are plenty of often expensive tests, but they can only be considered as orientation aids. These tests only confirm an immune reaction of the body, but it responds to every food. This is called the "IG4 reaction". This actually only says that the body is busy with a substance. To really find out if you have an intolerance, you can only by an exclusion diet. That is, omit the suspect food and then eat again after four to six weeks. This should be done, however, with care by a nutritionist or under medical supervision.
Especially the gluten intolerance seems to be booming. How do you explain that?
Nichterl: First, not every suspected gluten intolerance is really one. Similar symptoms can be caused by a disturbed intestinal flora (leaky gut *) or even stress. In addition, as food continues to expand, more and more additives enter the meal and thus our bodies. Especially with gluten is probably also an essential factor that the new wheat varieties are bred to a maximum of gluten, because the grain can be processed so better. The practice shows that many problems disappear as soon as it is cooked again - with fresh food. Our bodies are simply overwhelmed with seven times a meal a week. Variety is important. Buckwheat, millet, rice etc.
Can you prevent an intolerance?
Nichterl: Yes, use fresh food, cook for yourself and bring variety to the diet. Often 80 percent of the complaints have already disappeared.
* Leaky Gut describes the increased permeability between the cells (enterocytes) along the intestinal wall. These tiny gaps allow, for example, undigested food, bacteria and metabolites to enter the bloodstream - hence the term leaky gut syndrome.
Photo / Video: NOW.
