Since many symptoms of food intolerance overlap, it is advisable to consult a specialist and investigate the most common intolerances.
These are gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, fructose intolerance most commonly paired with sorbitol intolerance.
Then there is also ATI sensitivity to wheat, rye, barley, spelt, emmer, einkorn and khorasan wheat (ancient grains).
Wheat allergy - this causes respiratory and skin reactions with swelling, itching or scratching.
ATI sensitivity to wheat, rye, barley, spelt, emmer, einkorn and khorasan wheat (ancient grains). ATI causes inflammation in the gut and cannot be detected by tests. Avoiding these grains often brings improvement.
To determine gluten intolerance, a doctor will take blood and test it for antibodies. WARNING - you must NOT eat a gluten-free diet beforehand, otherwise the blood test will not work. This means that no intolerance will be found, even though you cannot tolerate it. (You should have been eating gluten for at least 1/2 year).
You can have lactose intolerance tested by a doctor or in a specialist clinic with an H2 breath test. You must not eat anything before the test. On the day of the test, you drink a solution containing lactose and then have to blow into a tube at intervals, where the ppm level in the breath is measured. If you get a test result above 20 ppm, you are lactose intolerant. ATTENTION - it is best to take a companion with you, because you may not feel so well afterwards. On the same day or even the next morning, you may experience diarrhoea and vomiting, as your body "fights back" against the lactose. This doesn't have to happen, but it did in our case.
The symptoms manifest themselves very quickly up to a day later after eating dairy products. These are usually diarrhoea, flatulence and a bloated belly.
Avoiding dairy products or taking lactase tablets is highly recommended. The number of lactase tablets must be tested by each person. For some people, only a very high dose of up to 6 tablets before a meal helps.
Also called leaky gut. The intestinal mucosa is weakened and as a result the nutrients are not processed as they should be. A weakened intestinal mucosa can cause a variety of diseases, including intolerance. You can take the lactulose-mannitol test at your doctor's office. A drinking solution is then used to look for the substances in the urine. Leaky gut syndrome can be cured.
Milk protein allergy is a special form of milk intolerance. Here, too, the symptoms are similar to those of fructose intolerance (see above), but the classic allergy symptoms such as rash, swelling of the lips, eczema, runny nose or persistent cough are usually added. If you suspect a milk protein allergy, please consult a doctor.
Irritable bowel syndrome is not an intolerance in the classical sense, but it does have a lot to do with diet. Some people feel better if they avoid white sugar, wheat, dairy products, pulses and carbon dioxide. The Irritable Bowel24 website and its closed Facebook group are highly recommended. https://www.reizdarm24.de/
Also recommended is the site of the German Irritable Bowel Self-Help Association (Deutsche Reizdarmselbsthilfe e.V.) https://reizdarmselbsthilfe.de/
Here you can find detailed information about the intolerances.
http://www.ernaehrung.de/tipps/intoleranzen/intoleranz12.php for sucrose-isomaltose malabsorption
http://www.ernaehrung.de/tipps/intoleranzen/intoleranz11.php for galactose or maltose malabsorption (list with maltose content and food search)
You can have sorbitol intolerance tested by your doctor or at a specialised clinic with an H2 breath test. Before the test, however, you must not eat anything for 12 hours and drink only water. On the day of the test, you drink a solution containing sorbitol and then have to blow into a tube at intervals, where the ppm content in the breath is measured. If you get a test result above 20 ppm, you are sorbitol tolerant. ATTENTION - it is best to take a companion with you, as you may not feel well afterwards. On the same day or even the next morning, diarrhoea and vomiting may occur, as the body "defends itself" against the sorbitol. This does not have to happen, but it can.
Who doesn't know it, with an intolerance or something similar. You have to ... now ... and there is no toilet in sight. That's why there are public toilet apps in the app stores that show you the nearest toilet.
For those who are seriously ill (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic intestinal diseases - proof required), you can buy a toilet key that fits all disabled toilets in Europe. The key with the corresponding toilet location book can be purchased for 30.00 € at CBF Darmstadt. https://cbf-da.de/de/shop/euro-wc-schluessel
An intolerance diagnosis can be made at the family doctor. On the evaluation form, the allergens are divided into so-called RAST classes. So the higher the "number" of the RAST class, the more you cannot tolerate the food.
RAST class 0 - negative result
RAST class 1 - weak positive result
RAST class 2 - moderately high result
RAST class 3 - high result
RAST class 4 - very high result
Wheat allergy often manifests itself immediately after eating. It causes reactions of the respiratory tract and skin with swelling, itching or scratching. Digestive disorders can also occur.
In the case of coeliac disease, the intolerance to gluten is genetically determined. In this case, it is essential to eat a strictly gluten-free diet to prevent damage to the mucous membrane of the small intestine. Coeliac disease can be diagnosed by a doctor. The German Coeliac Portal https://www.dzg-online.de/ is also very helpful.
