Glossary

Antibodies
Defence cells in blood serum, immoglobulin.

Coeliac disease
Coeliac disease is the chronic illness of the small intestine which occurs through gluten intolerance.

Food allergy
The immune system responds to food which is normally harmless.

Food intolerance
All reactions that lead to medical conditions after the ingestion of foodstuffs.

Fructose intolerance (fructose malabsorption)
Fructose transport from the intestines into the blood stream is disrupted - fructose is only absorbed in restricted amounts and ends up remaining in the intestine.

Histamine intolerance
Histamine from food can no longer be metabolised due to the enzyme Diamine oxidase (DAO) working with reduced efficiency or not at all.

Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance is the consequence of an absence of, or a reduction in, lactase enzyme production. Lactase enzymes break down lactose and make it easy to digest.

Type I food allergy (immediate allergy)
With a "classic" allergy (type I food allergy), IgE antibodies are generated at the first contact with the food. With repeat consumption of this food, this type of allergy leads to an immediate reaction between the allergens and antibodies.

Type III food allergy (delayed allergy)
With type III allergy, the immune system initiates a defensive reaction. Through damage to the small intestine, unusual food particles can end up in the bloodstream. The immune system recognises these as "antigens" and generates specific IgG antibodies. Immune complexes are then produced, which are broken down by inflammatory reactions. The reaction occurs in a delayed timeframe (from within hours up to three days).