The BBC's Karen Bowerman
"Food intolerance now affects one in three people in the UK"
 real 28k


  Monday, 15 May, 2000, 09:23 GMT 10:23 UK
Huge increase in food related illness



Dairy products can cause food intolerance

By the BBC's consumer affairs correspondent, Karen Bowerman
Around 70% of people who suffer from food related illnesses would feel better
if they simply eliminated certain foods from their diet, according to
nutritional scientists.

There has been a huge increase in people suffering from food related
illnesses in recent years.

Medical experts believe some foods are linked to, or at least exacerbate,
problems such as stomach pains, migraines, eczema, or breathing problems like
asthma.

The York Nutritional Laboratory study concentrates on a type of food allergy
commonly known as food intolerance.

It differs from what some experts call "classical allergies" because the body
doesn't react immediately.

That makes food intolerance particularly difficult to detect - yet one in
three adults in the UK suffer from it.

Researchers at the laboratory are developing new tests which will make
diagnosing the condition far easier.

The traditional method involves pricking the skin with small samples of food
substances, and looking for a reaction.

The new tests involve simple blood tests instead.

Food changes helped

The scientists found that of those who significantly altered their eating
habits, 76% said they felt better in less than 60 days, while 60% of those
who made moderate changes to what they ate reported a "useful improvement" to
their well-being.

Even people who had suffered chronic illnesses for up to 20 years reported
improvements within months.

Seven out of 10 patients reported a distinct relief from their symptoms -
many of which had troubled them for at least 12 years.




Diet might trigger asthma

Some doctors are demanding more money should be spent on tests to try to
detect food intolerance rather than allowing GPs to treat the symptoms with
antibiotics, painkillers and anti-inflammatory ointments.

They claim that drugs cost money, are largely short-term solutions and may
even damage people's health in the long-term.

But they warn that for people to benefit from a change in diet, they must
only alter their eating habits under strict medical supervision.

Discovering what foods people are intolerant to often takes time.

It usually has to be done by a process of elimination, with certain foods
being reintroduced to the diet over a period of months when no adverse
reaction occurs.




Wheat: potential problem for allergy sufferers

The most problematic food for people with an intolerance is cow's milk and
dairy products. This affects 55% of people who are sensitive to what they
eat.

Other problem foods include wheat, yeast, and eggs and soya.

Some claim children are being brought up in environments which are so
hygienic that they are not being exposed to as many infections.

This has increased their tendency to be allergic to apparently innocuous
substances such as pollen, peanuts and pets.

One in 200 children now suffer from a peanut allergy - reactions to these can
range from mild allergic symptoms to anaphylactic shock, which can kill.