Common Gastrointestinal Problems

What is food intolerance? When ingestion of a particular food or food additive causes unpleasant symptoms, a person is said to be intolerant to that food or additive. Symptoms occur as a result of either poor absorption from the intestine into the bloodstream or less commonly by the release of chemicals within the body occurring as a result of contact of the food/ additive with the body. The most common symptoms are gas, bloating, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Less common symptoms include shock, welts, fluid retention, rash, wheezing, inflamed sinuses/eyes/nose, vocal cord swelling and, rarely, a migraine headache.