This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. Pharmacological food intolerance, also known as chemical intolerance, is an adverse reaction to chemicals in food that produce drug-like effects. These reactions can occur in people with or without a history of allergies.
Causes
- Food chemicals: Chemicals in food like caffeine, monosodium glutamate (MSG), salicylates, and amines can cause pharmacological food intolerance
- Histamine can cause food intolerance reaction (psuedo allergy, histamine intolerance, MCAS)
- Food additives: Preservatives like sulfites and benzoates can cause pharmacological food intolerance
- Food freshness: The freshness of the food can affect the reaction
- Metabolism: An individual’s metabolism can affect the reaction
- Medications: Medications a person is taking can affect the reaction
Symptoms
- Symptoms can develop quickly or slowly and may include:
- Nervousness
- Tremors
- Sweating
- Palpitations
- Rapid breathing
- Headache or migraine
- Diarrhea
- Burning sensations on the skin
- Tightness across the face and chest
- Breathing problems
- Some foods that are associated with food intolerance can also irritate the bladder.
Symptoms can vary from person to person and may shape shift. Many people with food intolerance can recover after a period of dietary restriction combined with other treatments (and mental health self care and lifestyle adaptions) as necessary for better health and reduced inflammation and fight/flight response. However when food intolerance is inherited (genetic) it can require ongoing management.
The authority on food intolerance is the RPAH ALLERGY UNIT.