Food Allergy vs. Food Intolerance
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A common type of allergic reaction is a food allergy. The most common foods that elicit allergic reactions are peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts, pecans and almonds), shellfish, dairy and wheat, but allergic reactions can be caused by any food.
Author: Leigha Winters, college student writer
A food allergy is actually an immune-system response. When someone eats certain foods (such as those listed above), the body mistakenly treats an ingredient in the food (usually a protein) as if it were a harmful pathogen. The body responds by creating a defense system (antibodies) to fight it. The allergic symptoms occur as a byproduct of the action of the antibodies that battle the invading food.
Food intolerance is a broad term that describes any adverse reaction to food. While only a small percentage of all food intolerance can be proven to be a food allergy, a food-allergic reaction can be dangerous, even fatal (please see below).
