Digestive difficulties, intestinal problems, swelling.
Or even headaches, hives, fatigue.

These are just some examples of generic symptoms often attributed to the so-called food intolerance, or the inability of some individuals to "bear" certain foods, which therefore should be banished from the diet, without exceptions or second thoughts.

Today, however, immunology has evolved and specific scientific analyzes have allowed us to go beyond the concept of food intolerance, now obsolete. That is beyond the thought that the defendant is the single food, investigating the relationship between food and health, Especially exploring i individual mechanisms able to trigger the so-called "intolerance".

We have thus seen that what is called intolerance does not depend on a single factor, but on one series of individual and behavioral aspects, which must be monitored and corrected to resolve the problem. Professor explains it well Attilio Speciani, immunologist, who in his new book "Food Intolerances do not exist" (here link to the Monadori Store), tells the reasons why it is not correct to speak of intolerances, deepening the forms of food inflammation.

At the base is inflammation

The fundamental starting point is that the bad relationship with a food is born not from the food itself (the only two recognized intolerances are currently the lactose and gluten intolerances, responsible for celiac disease), but from one inflammatory state, which can be measured, scientifically through the quantification of specific substances, or biomarkers.

Consume some foods in an excessive or repeated way

Measuring biomarkers it is well understood which inflammatory substances cause the symtoms and which food comes consumed in a manner uncorrect (ie in excess or too repetitive). When one eats too often a food, it increases the level of these substances, generating inflammation throughout the body.

Sugars and glycation are important factors of inflammation

The exaggerated assumption of sugars or the consumption of certain carbohydrates / proteins that are altered when subjected to high temperatures can be decisive in the inflammation process of the entire organism, simulating a sort of "allergy". If you measure inflammation you can create il individual food profile of each of us, favoring the well-being of the body and also a better regulation in thesugar absorption.

The balance of food constituents

Another essential factor to combat inflammation is to take all foods available in nature, in the right relationship, to optimize energy management.
Also in this case, consuming only proteins or just carbohydrates in one's diet, triggers inflammatory and metabolic stimuli that are a necessary alarm bell to take us back to the right path, returning to the right balance between the various foods.

The importance of genetic predisposition

Finally, genetic predisposition is also very important. A person who is particularly "sensitive" to inflammation will develop symptoms more easily than another, so he will have to pay more attention to regulating the quantity / frequency of consumption of certain foods that he may introduce incorrectly into the daily diet.

Elisa Nata
April 2019

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