What is the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance? Provide examples of each. ...

A food allergy can range from symptoms such as acute urticaria, angio-edema, flushing, pruritus, and contact dermatitis to a serious and life threatening condition. A food allergy is an immune response to a food that the body believes to be harmful. The immune system will mount a defense by creating specific antibodies to fight the allergen, so that the next time the food is eaten, the individual's immune system will release chemicals known as histamines to protect the body. The most common food allergies include milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. Food intolerances are most often are due to a lack of enzyme, which can cause nutritional side effects such as malabsorption or gastrointestinal discomfort. Food intolerances are, typically, not life-threatening. Lactose intolerance is common example of a food intolerance.