If you find that eating certain foods causes gastrointestinal symptoms, you may have food protein intolerance. Protein intolerance can occur from eating any food and can develop at any age. Unlike an allergy, most food protein intolerances cause digestive complications and do not affect other systems in the body. Talk to your doctor if you suspect that you have protein intolerance.
Protein Intolerance
Everything you eat contains specific proteins that your body uses to build muscle and stores as energy. When you consume food, your digestive system creates enzymes that help to break down the protein so that your body can absorb it. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, about 25 percent of Americans believe they have a food allergy, but only about 2 percent of the adult population is genuinely allergic to foods; others have a food intolerance. A food allergy is a hypersensitivity of the immune system, while food intolerances are an inability to digest certain foods.
Common Intolerances
The most common protein intolerances include gluten, milk and corn, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. For various reasons, your digestive system cannot properly digest the proteins in the food, which results in the proteins remaining undigested. When the proteins enter the large intestine, naturally occurring bacteria interact with the undigested proteins to cause digestive problems, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. A severe form of gluten intolerance called celiac disease may cause severe damage to your digestive system. Milk intolerance is not the same condition as lactose intolerance, which involves the inability to digest sugar in milk, not the proteins.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Common symptoms of protein intolerance include gas, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, cramping, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. In certain situations such as gluten intolerance, symptoms may also include fatigue, bone pain, seizures, numbness in your hands and feet, bone loss and an iron deficiency. If you develop severe pain that is accompanied with blood in your stool, call your doctor; this may be a sign of another condition such as bowel obstruction, a peptic ulcer or cancer.
Treatment
Your doctor can order tests to determine which proteins your body cannot digest. An elimination diet can help identify potential foods that trigger your symptoms. Protein intolerance is incurable; you need to work with a medical doctor and a registered dietitian to create a meal plan that maintains proper nutrition while eliminating problem foods.
