Food Allergies vs. Food Intolerances

Food Allergies vs. Food Intolerances

Recently, we experienced an encounter at a restaurant where I informed the waitress that Vivi had an allergy to corn & the waitress responded with “Oh, I’m intolerant to gluten. If I have too much, I get a foggy brain.” The protective food allergy mom inside of me wanted to scream & say “NO! If Vivi eats corn, she could end up in the hospital, not with a foggy brain for a few hours!” 

That led me to realize that there is a lot of confusion surrounding food allergies & food intolerances & most people tend to use them interchangeably in today’s world. What is a food allergy? What is a food intolerance? How are they different? Are they life-threatening or not? Here, we breakdown what a food allergy is, what a food intolerance is, & how to navigate in a society that is muddled with both!