Ever wondered what the difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity is? Neha Shah, MPH, RD, CNSC, a registered dietician at the Stanford Digestive Health Center, sheds some light in a new video.
In people with food allergies, she explains, the immune system responds to the presence of the food, which isn’t the case for food sensitivities. People with food allergies have to avoid the culprit foods entirely, whereas people with food sensitivities can sometimes have small amounts of the food - though they must figure out what their threshold is. (Too much and the offending food might set off other symptoms like gas, bloating or diarrhea.) Shah uses lactose intolerance as an example of a very common food sensitivity and describes how people can understand their threshold.
Previously: Peanut products and babies: Now okay?, Stanford dietitian explains how – not just what – you eat matters, Taking a bite out of food allergies: Stanford doctors exploring new way to help sufferers, Eating nuts during pregnancy may protect baby from nut allergies and Ask Stanford Med: Pediatric immunologist answers your questions about food allergy research
