Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T18:50:27.526Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Food intolerance: a community survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

M. L. Burr
Affiliation:
MRC Epidemiology Unit, 4 Richmond Road, Cardiff CF2 3AS
T. G. Merrett
Affiliation:
RAST Allergy Unit, Benenden Chest Hospital, Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

1. A questionnaire inquiring about food intolerance was sent to a random sample of the electorate in a small South Wales town. Replies were received from 170 men and 305 women, the response rates being 87 and 93% respectively.

2. Adverse effects of some food were reported by 19% of men and 26% of women, or 14 and 18% respectively if minor digestive symptoms are excluded. Certain foods were thought to cause non-abdominal symptoms by 4% of men and 10% of women, and vomiting, diarrhoea or abdominal pain by 11% of men and 10% of women.

3. Plasma IgE was measured in a random subset of ninety-nine women and found to be significantly lower in those with major symptoms than in the rest. This suggests that allergy is probably not a common cause of food intolerance.

Type
Papers of direct relevance to Clinical and Human Nutrition
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1983

References

REFERENCES

Bender, A. E. & Matthews, D. R. (1981). Br. J. Nutr. 46, 403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bleumink, E. (1970). Wld Rev. Nut. Diet. 12, 505.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bock, S. A., Lee, W-Y., Remigio, L. K. & May, C. D. (1978). J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 62, 327.Google Scholar
May, C. D. (1976). J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 58, 520.Google Scholar
Merrett, T. G. & Merrett, J. (1978). Clin. Allergy 8, 543.Google Scholar