ABU DHABI // The number of people in the UAE developing intolerance to food products, especially milk, wheat and gluten, has risen, according to nutrition experts.
Stephanie Karl, a clinical nutritionist at J T S Medical Centre Dubai, said while some people are born with an intolerance, others are dealing with the consequences of a poor diet.
She said that over the last 50 years many new food products have been introduced that were not well recognised by the digestive function. Over time, this had caused damage that ultimately could not be tolerated in the body.
“Processed foods are very foreign to our digestion. The lack of fibre in refined grains does not help, and increased white flour and sugar feeds unsuitable bacterias and yeast,” she said.
“Poor immunity, caused by picky eating and genetically modified foods, may be the biggest drivers for the exponential increase in food intolerance.”
Ms Karl said food intolerance was related to the “health of your digestive tract, pancreas and digestive lining”.
Intolerance means that the body does not accept certain kinds of food and forms excessive antibodies in response, leading to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, obesity and hyperactivity.
Food allergies and food intolerance also should not be confused.
“Food allergies usually, but not always, result in an immediate and often very severe reaction and are mediated by a different set of antibodies,” Ms Karl said.
Symptoms can include anaphylaxis, skin reactions, vomiting, sneezing and swelling.
Dr Marlon Pereira, a specialist clinical pathologist at J T S Medical Centre, said that unlike a true allergy, food intolerance could occur in periods that varied from three weeks to even years after the continuous consumption of the wrong food. “One should always consult a nutritionist and seek advice on how to balance a diet without using intolerant food.”
He advised that children from the age of five and upwards should take a food intolerance test if they faced a health problem when no answer was found.
Sarah Khan discovered her 14-year-old son Ali suffered from food intolerances about 18 months ago.
“He went through the test, which was a blood test, and he was considered severely intolerant to chicken and yeast, moderately intolerant to other poultry, some types of cheese and millet, and mildly intolerant to several foods including lamb, mushrooms and certain fish,” the Pakistani said.
Ali had not been doing well at school and had had a history of eczema.
His physician suggested exploring his tolerance to food. Ali’s health has markedly improved since the foods he was intolerant of were cut out.
A food intolerance test costs between Dh1,500 to Dh2,000. Most insurance packages do not cover it.
akhaishgi@thenational.ae
