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Dietitians of Canada www.dietitians.ca
Anaphylaxis Network of Canada www.anaphylaxis.org
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/allerg/allerge.shtml
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network www.foodallergy.org
helpful. The immune system, or disease-fighting
system, must decide
which compounds are harmful and
then try to protect the body against
them. Food allergies result when the
immune system decides that a protein
in a food is harmful, and begins an
attack when that food enters the
body. The most common food allergies
are peanuts, tree nuts (such as
almonds and walnuts), sesame seeds,
milk, eggs, seafood (fish, crustaceans
and shellfish), soy, wheat and sulphites
(a food additive).
Milk allergy and
lactose intolerance
Milk allergy and lactose intolerance
are examples of food allergy and
food intolerance to what seems to be
the same food; yet the two are very
different:
During an allergic reaction to
milk, the immune system reacts to the
proteins in milk by releasing allergy
chemicals. Even small amounts of
milk protein can trigger an allergic
reaction. The symptoms usually
appear very quickly and can affect the
skin, digestion and breathing. If you
are milk allergic, you must avoid all
milk and products containing milk
and must replace the valuable nutrients
in milk, such as calcium, from
other sources.
Lactose intolerance is caused by
the sugar in milk (lactose). Symptoms
occur in the digestive system only.
Stomach upset, and sometimes diarrhea,
start anywhere from 30 minutes
to several hours after a person eats or
drinks lactose. Everyone has different
amounts of the enzyme lactase, which
is needed to break down lactose. If
you eat more lactose than the amount
of lactase enzyme available, some of
the lactose will not be broken down.
The leftover lactose causes bloating,
gas and diarrhea.
Tips to help you manage
food allergies and
intolerances
Be sure. If you think you have a
bad reaction to a food, see a doctor.
If food allergy or intolerance is
suspected, it’s important that the
offending food is accurately identified
so you can avoid ONLY the food that
causes the symptom.
If you must remove a food from
your normal diet, explore other available
foods that have the same nutrients
as those you are avoiding. For example,
if you are allergic to milk, you must find
other ways to replace the nutrients in
milk such as calcium and vitamin D.
Get the facts from a trusted source.
A registered dietitian can help you
manage food allergy and food intolerance.
Visit www.dietitians.ca/find. Read
the ingredient list for items that are in
Due West Magazine • Page 51 • Fall 2008
the food. Learn the alternative names
for the food item you are trying to
avoid. For example, casein and whey are
names for milk proteins.
Home-prepared foods may be easier
than packaged foods because you
know and can control what goes into
the food.
Food allergies and intolerances
can change over the life cycle. Regular
physical check-ups are important to be
sure that you are eating all the food
you can and not eliminating any foods
unnecessarily.
Living with food allergy and food
intolerance can be challenging.
Knowledgeable health care professionals
and advocacy groups can provide
support and guidance. Changing the
food you eat may seem difficult at first,
but with patience, these changes will
become second nature.
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