Food intolerance can be a nightmare for your body. When you suffer from this condition, you face difficulties in digesting food. You may experience symptoms like abdominal pain, gas, and diarrhea. Foods that are most associated with food intolerance are gluten and dairy products that can cause discomfort or gas in the intestine. Symptoms of food intolerance don’t appear as quickly as food allergies. It usually take longer for you to start noticing them.

Though subtle, the initial symptoms can cause a lot of discomfort in eating or drinking certain foods. They include stomach ache, migraine, and nausea. It can sometimes be a challenge to determine whether someone has a food allergy or food intolerance since the signs can overlap. When you are allergic to something, it triggers an immune response and, in some cases, can even be life-threatening. A food intolerance only affects your digestive system.

Here are a few common signs of food intolerance :

1. Always Rushing To The Bathroom

If you are always rushing to the toilet then you probably have a food intolerance. Experiencing diarrhea gas, or any other digestive comfort on a regular basis is a major symptom of this condition. Therefore, when you start prioritizing the accessibility and quality of the washroom at any place when making plans, it’s probably not just a hygiene concern. It could be more than that.

2. Severe Stomach Ache

Your body communicates digestive discomfort to you through stomach cramps. If you regularly feel a ball of pain in your gut a few hours after eating, it could be due to food intolerance. Your stomach could start to hurt and get bloated. This is a common symptom that most people with food intolerance deal with. You may also experience stomach cramping when you overeat or drink too much at once, or consume food that does not suit you.

3. Lactose Intolerance

If you are food intolerant, then chances are that you are intolerant to lactose too. If you notice your stomach acts up every time you consume dairy then you probably have lactose intolerance. If just the thought of dairy products makes your stomach feel queasy then it is a huge sign asking you to stop! It starts with gas and indigestion can worsen if you continue to consume dairy products.

4. Muscle And Joint Pain

Some foods can negatively affect your everyday routine. If you are experiencing joint pain or muscle ache after eating certain foods then you are probably intolerant to them. Your body acts up by causing cramps in muscles and joints, not just you stomach. Stomach cramps can tell you  it is the food that you ate that is causing the problem. But, in some cases, this intolerance can even trigger a severe joint or muscle pain.

Why Does It Happen?

There are a couple of factors that can trigger food intolerance. It could either be due to the food you consume or your body’s inability to digest the food properly.

• Food poisoning: When the food you consume does not suit you, it can cause intolerance. It could be because it contains chemicals that create a toxic effect when you eat them. This could lead to nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Many foods contain the chemical salicylate that is usually used on plants to fight bacteria, fungi, and insects. These are mostly plant-sourced foods. When people who are salicylate intolerant eat these foods, it could cause discomfort. Under cooked foods and foods that have not been stored carefully can also lead to intolerance.
• Lack of enzymes: When your body lacks specific digestive enzymes, improper digestion takes place. Enzymes are essential when it comes to digesting food thoroughly. The absence of an enzyme can leave certain foods undigested. This can lead to spasms, stomach ache, bloating and gas. Almost every food you consume needs enzymes to break it down. Enzyme deficiency is one of the most common causes of food intolerance.

Food intolerance can not only be annoying but also quite painful. Just as with any other health condition, you need to consult a medical professional to address this problem. They can help you determine which foods are triggering an intolerance in your body. The most common foods that can cause a flare-up are sugars caffeine, dairy, and gluten. However, it differs for every individual. Now that you know what is causing your food intolerance, plan ahead before you consume something and be sure that your body can digest it.

Nisha is passionate about writing and loves to share her thoughts with the world. She has written many articles on yoga, fitness, wellness, remedies, and beauty. She keeps herself updated by going through interesting blogs every day. This fuels her passion and motivates her to write appealing and engaging articles. She is a regular contributor to StyleCraze.com and a few other websites.