Can you be allergic to sugar?

Date: Jun-07-2017 Sugar is found in many parts of our diets, both in natural and manufactured foods. Cells in the body use sugar for energy, so an adverse reaction to sugar can cause serious complications.

There are steps that people can take to avoid sugar and the complications of intolerance, and seeing a doctor is always recommended.

Contents of this article:

Symptoms of food allergies

Food allergies or sugar intolerance?

Risk factors

Managing sugar intolerance

Sugar substitutes

When to see a doctor

Fast facts on allergies

Here are some key points about allergies. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.

  The symptoms of an allergy may vary from person to person.

  A severe allergy to something mixed in with sugar containing foods can be cause for concern due to anaphylaxis.

  Sugar intolerance to certain sugars is not a true allergy.

  A person with a food allergy or intolerance will often manage it by keeping a food journal.

Symptoms of food allergies

An allergy can be confused with intolerance, but there are some distinct signs and symptoms.

Symptoms of a food allergy vary from person to person and can even change depending on the type of food consumed.

Symptoms such as clogged sinuses, headaches, and hives may indicate an allergic reaction.

People who are allergic to certain components within food tend to experience symptoms after consuming them.

Symptoms include:

  clogged sinuses

  headaches

  stuffy or a runny nose

  stomach cramps

  redness of the skin

  rashes or hives

  nausea or vomiting

Severe allergies can cause a serious reaction known as anaphylaxis. These reactions can come on quickly and may be fatal if left untreated. Symptoms of a severe anaphylactic response to an allergen can include:

  swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, or throat

  shortness of breath or being unable to breathe properly

  a wheezing cough

  a sudden drop in blood pressure

  a racing heart

  dizziness or loss of consciousness

People with severe allergies should carry antihistamine medications or epinephrine pens on them at all times.

Anyone who experiences new signs of an allergic reaction should contact their doctor or allergist. Symptoms of anaphylaxis require medical attention immediately, even if the person has already taken antihistamine medication or used epinephrine.

People who experience signs of an allergy or intolerance for the first time should also to visit a doctor to discuss their options.

Food allergies or sugar intolerance?

Symptoms such as abdominal cramps and painful bloating can indicate a food intolerance.

A true allergy to sugar in itself is for the most part non-existent, whereas some sugar intolerances are quite common. The two are similar but have some key differences.

Food allergy

An allergy develops when the body responds to a component of something mixed in with sugar as if it were an intruder rather than food.

The body responds to the allergen by triggering the immune system to attack and eliminate the invader. During an allergic reaction, the immune system releases histamine, which causes many of the symptoms experienced during an allergic reaction.

Sugar intolerance

Sugar intolerance does not involve the immune system response that occurs with an allergy. Instead, someone who is intolerant of a certain sugar has trouble digesting or processing it.

Sugar intolerance is relatively common. It causes a range of digestive issues, which range in severity from person to person. As the body tries to digest the sugar, people may experience symptoms a few minutes to a several hours after eating the sugar.

Symptoms of sugar intolerances often include:

  fatigue

  abdominal cramps

  painful bloating

  gas

  nausea or vomiting

  diarrhea

The symptoms of sugar intolerance often follow a pattern whereby the person may feel nausea or cramps first, followed by gas and bloating as the sugar passes through the digestive system.

Sometimes a person will experience diarrhea as the sugar exits the body, but this is likely to stop once the person has stopped eating the sugar that bothers them. Those who are intolerant to sugar may also show signs of restlessness or inattention.

One typical example of sugar intolerance is lactose intolerance. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), up to 65 percent of people around the world experience some level of lactose intolerance.

Someone who is lactose intolerant will have trouble digesting lactose, which is the sugar found in milk. This intolerance causes one or more of the digestive issues noted.

Risk factors

People with certain ethnic backgrounds are more likely to be intolerant to lactose, including those who are:

  West African

  Arab

  Jewish

  Greek

  Italian

  East Asian

Some people with other digestive issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) may also have difficulty digesting certain sugars, such as fructose and lactose.

Intolerance to specific sugars may cause other problems as well. Someone who is intolerant to glucose may also have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Others who are intolerant to fructose may be at risk for kidney failure.

Food allergies or intolerances can cause life-threatening complications, which is why people who experience serious food allergies should carry medication with them at all times. Because sugar is the primary source of energy for cells, people who have food allergies or intolerance to certain sugar types will need to find other ways to fuel their body.

Managing sugar intolerance

Keeping a log of everything that they eat throughout the day can help a person discover what type of sugar is causing the intolerance. People can then eliminate these trigger foods from their diet.

Someone with a food allergy to something mixed in with sugar may need to remove all forms of this food from the diet to avoid reactions. Additionally, if intolerance to sugar occurs, people need to avoid foods containing that particular sugar.

People with a sugar intolerance should be mindful of the ingredients in juices, soft drinks, and other potentially sugary drinks.

People may have intolerances to both natural and processed forms of sugar, which can be found in the following:

  fruits and fruit juices

  milk

  soft drinks and sweetened coffee or tea

  condiments, such as ketchup, syrup, and jelly

  desserts and baked goods, such as cakes, cookies, muffins, ice cream, and candy

  breakfast cereals, protein bars, and granola bars

  nut butter and nut milk

Hidden sugars

Certain unexpected snacks and food items also contain sugars, such as pasta sauces, chips, and salad dressings. It is important that people with problems with sugar read the labels of everything they eat to avoid potential reactions. People should also read food labels carefully because sugar and other sweeteners have many different names.

The names of some of these sweeteners include:

  sugar, brown sugar, glucose cane syrup, cane juice, or beet sugar

  corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, or fructose

  agave

  molasses

  honey

  ice syrup

Sugar substitutes

Many people who are intolerant to a specific type of sugar may not have an adverse reaction to certain sugar substitutes. These sugar substitutes can include:

  xylitol

  stevia

  saccharin

  aspartame

However, sugar substitutes may have health implications that people should be aware of as well. Research posted in Nature suggests that artificial sweeteners could play a role in developing glucose intolerance, so they may not be a good choice in many cases.

When to see a doctor

True allergy to sugar does not exist, but sugar intolerances do. Anyone experiencing new symptoms to certain foods should see their doctor or allergist to check for allergies and intolerances. Doctors can carry out blood tests and breath tests to identify many sugar intolerances, and there are also different types of tests available for diagnosing food allergies.

The doctor may ask people to help the process by following an elimination diet or keeping a food diary. Working directly with a doctor is the best way to find a solution to most cases of sugar intolerance or other food allergies.

Written by Jon Johnson

Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.