Passage 8 Is It A Food Allergy or Food Intolerance? 070
食物过敏现象探究 《新闻周刊》2009-11-8

[00:01]A food allergy happens when the immune system mistakenly attacks the proteins in a food.
[00:11] When the body mistakes a food item, such as a peanut, as a foreign substance,
[00:18]it starts to produce antibodies to fight that substance.
[00:25]The next time the body encounters that food, the antibodies sense it
[00:33]and signal the immune system to react, causing hives, swollen tongues or lips,
[00:41]dizziness, fainting, and in severe cases, death.
[00:47]For children, the three most common food allergens are milk, peanuts, and eggs.
[00:57]According to the study results, many people incorrectly think that
[01:04]kids with milk allergies can drink low-fat milk.
[01:09]The most common allergen in adults is shellfish.
[01:15]Based on the study responses, about 40 percent of people think that
[01:22]allergies don't go away as kids get older.
[01:26]About 55 percent of people think there's a food allergy cure,
[01:33]and 30 percent believe there's a daily medication available for people with food allergies.
[01:42]All are incorrect: Allergies can disappear with age. In fact,
[01:49]milk allergies are the most common allergy that kids outgrow.
[01:55]However, the only way to effectively deal with allergies
[02:02]while you have one is to avoid the offending food.
[02:07]To see if a food allergy has gone away, check with an allergist for testing.
[02:16]Unlike food allergies, food intolerance has nothing to do with your immune system.
[02:24]People who can't tolerate foods lack some component in their digestive systems
[02:32]that's needed to digest the food; for instance, lactose intolerance occurs in people
[02:41]who lack the digestive enzyme lactate. Symptoms tend to be related to digestion,
[02:50]including cramping, diarrhea, gas, and bloating.
[02:56]But some food additives can cause rashes or asthma attacks,
[03:02]which can be confused with allergy symptoms.
[03:07]Some people can tolerate small amounts of a food they're intolerant to.
[03:13]Common food intolerances: Celiac disease,
[03:19]a condition in which people can't digest foods containing wheat gluten,
[03:26]is one of the more common forms of food intolerance, and food additives,
[03:32]such as dyes in food and sulfites in wine,
[03:37]often trigger an intolerance that's confused with an allergy.
[03:43]If you're not sure which food is triggering your digestive problems,
[03:50]eliminate all the suspects from your diet and add them back in gradually.
[03:58]Some food intolerances can be treated. The missing enzyme in milk intolerance,
[04:07]sold to prevent beans and vegetables from causing flatulence,
[04:12]provides a missing enzyme needed to digest those foods.