What are the differences between food allergies and intolerances?
How can similar reactions to food products be told apart?
10%
One in ten people are allergic to at least one food product.
20%
At least twice as many people have a food intolerance.
FOOD ALLERGIES CAN OCCUR WITHIN SECONDS, SHOWING SIGNS WITHIN TWO HOURS
IT CAN TAKE UP TO TWO DAYS FOR AN INTOLERANCE TO DISPLAY SYMPTOMS
IMMUNE SYSTEM INVOLVED
Allergies occur when the immune system wrongly mistakes a type of food for a threat and tries to fight against it.
IMMUNE SYSTEM NOT INVOLVED
When the immune system is not alerted, the areas affected are more limited. Gluten intolerance is the only exception.
DEADLY TRACE
Any amount of a food allergen can cause severe reactions – sometimes even being near the food.
VOLUME FLEXIBILITY
Different people are able to consume different amounts before they show symptoms of intolerance.
HIGH RISK
Severe allergies can lead to unconsciousness and become a risk to life.
LOW RISK
Affected areas are limited to the digestive tract.
OVERACTIVE
The body undertakes extra and unnecessary work trying to fight off the allergen that it wrongly perceives as a threat.
UNDERACTIVE
Intolerances are often a result of a lack of enzymes to break food down. Without these the body is less active than it needs to be.
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