02.Is it an allergy?
Intolerance or allergy?
It is the number of people with a food allergy, not intolerance, that is on the increase, according to experts. The difference between the two is often confused; many people think they are allergic when they are really intolerant to particular food chemicals. The table below explains the difference and how to work out which you might have
According to Dr Anne Swain, Chief Allergy Dietitian at RPAH, many people have an intolerance, but haven’t identified it as such; they just know they associate their migraines with chocolate, or feel awful after eating particular foods. It’s not easy to measure how widespread this is, but as a rough estimate 10% to 15% of people may have some form of intolerance, with only a few experiencing serious problems.