Physical reactions to certain foods are common, but for the most part they are caused by afood intolerance rather than a food allergy.
A food intolerance can cause some of the same signs and symptoms as afood allergy, so confusion between the two is common.
A true food allergy causes an immune system reaction that affects numerous organs in the body; it can cause a range of symptoms, sometimes severe, in rare cases it can even be fatal.
In contrast, the symptoms of food intolerance are generally less severe and often limited to digestive problems.
Often, those with food intolerance can eat small amounts of the offending food without particular problems; sometimes it is even possible to prevent a reaction, for example, with pills that aid digestion, such as lactase-based pills for lactose-intolerant people.
