What is the difference between having a milk allergy and being lactose intolerant? Which one has the higher steaks?
A food allergy takes place when a person's immune system doesn't react well to a certain food. This food becomes an allergen. Allergies are very severe. They can have life threatening impacts.
A milk allergy is when the immune system overreacts to milk, and this can have severe symptoms related to the allergy. Some examples related to a milk allergy that are dangerous are not being able to breathe, wheezing, and passing out. There are also milder symptoms such as rashes, hives, and itches. Depending on the severity of an allergy, the consequences of eating an allergen can be deadly for some people.
This is where it differentiates. Food intolerance does not affect the immune system. Instead, it affects the digestive system.
People who are lactose intolerant don't have the key enzyme lactase. Lactase helps the body process lactose, which is a sugar that is prevalent in items like milk and dairy products. This means that people missing this enzyme can't digest lactose. Some symptoms that may come from not having lactase and trying to eat lactose are stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, etc. These conditions may make a person uncomfortable, but they are not life threatening like the conditions that can take place when a person has a food allergy.
And there you have it! I highly reccomend checking out FoodAllergy.org if you want to learn more! I hope you thought this article was MOO-velous!
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