Types of adverse food reactions

Adverse manifestations are produced in our organism by ingestion of food with very similar symptoms but very different causes. For the identification and study of these conditions, they are classified into two large groups.

Toxic reactions: these are those that occur in all individuals when the dose of toxin contained in any food exceeds certain limits. And they are classified according to the origin of the toxicant in two types:

• Toxic reactions caused by internal toxins: the toxins are part of the substances that make up the food. Example: poisonous mushrooms.

• Toxic reactions caused by external toxins: the toxins are not part of the substances that make up the food, but arise as a result of contamination with poisons, microbes, etc. Example: salmonellosis.

Non-toxic reactions: these reactions occur in a small number of people and depend on the degree of individual susceptibility to a certain element of the food. And they are classified according to the causes that originate them in two types.

Non-toxic reactions due to non-immunological causes: they are not the result of reactions of the immune system. They are called intolerances. Their origin can be given by:

• Some characteristic of the affected individual, e.g., enzyme deficiency.

• Some characteristic of the food involved, e.g. pharmacological activity.

• Implications in the individual's metabolism.

• Unknown causes.

• Example: lactose intolerance. This causes digestive disorders when milk is ingested and is produced by enzyme deficiency in the organism. It can be wrongly classified as an allergic disease.

Non-toxic reactions due to immunological causes: these are the result of inappropriate responses of the immune system. They are called allergies. Example: milk allergy. They can cause skin and digestive system disorders. Symptoms may appear without ingesting milk; simple contact sometimes causes allergic reactions.