There are various reasons why people gain weight, from consuming high-calorie foods to leading a sedentary lifestyle. However, one aspect of weight gain that often goes overlooked is food intolerance.

What is food intolerance?

Food intolerance arises when a person experiences difficulty digesting certain foods. These dietary components may inspire symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues.

The cause for food intolerance comes from a deficiency of digestive enzymes required to break down particular foods. Food intolerance is different from food allergy in the way that the latter involves the overreaction of the immune system to a food substance.

How does food intolerance cause weight gain?

Food intolerance entails the difficulty in digesting some foods which can cause a range of symptoms, including bloating, weight gain, inflammation and malabsorption of nutrients.

Moreover, food intolerance often causes people to increase their caloric intake by consuming foods that cause them discomfort to counteract these side-effects when hungry. However, the resultant stomach bloating may be a result of weight gain.

Therefore, despite the absence of extra fat, those with food intolerance may appear overweight or bloated due to the accumulation of gas and intestinal matter that was not efficiently eradicated by digestive processes.

What are some common food intolerances?

Food intolerances vary according to individuals. However, some of the most common ones include lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, fructose intolerance and histamine intolerance.

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. Gluten intolerance is the inability to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Fructose intolerance is the inability to digest fructose, a sugar found in fruits and some vegetables.

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Finally, histamine intolerance is an inability to metabolize histamine found in fermented foods, aged cheeses and cured meats. These intolerances may inspire serious gastrointestinal symptoms leading to bloating, inflammation and malnourishment, which are linked to weight gain.

How can one manage weight gain caused by food intolerance?

Managing food intolerance, especially as it relates to weight gain, involves achieving a delicate balance between appropriate food intake and avoiding those foods that you react to.

You may want to identify which foods trigger the symptoms that lead to weight gain and what dietary changes or modifications will be beneficial. This may involve tracking food consumption in a food diary and using elimination diets to identify culprits.

Additionally, it would help to engage a healthcare professional who can guide you through the intricacies of food intolerance and implement strategies to address resultant weight gain.

The bottom line

Many people experience food intolerance, which entails the inability to digest specific foods, and some of these intolerances are linked to weight gain.

People with food intolerance may experience increased caloric intake to counteract gastrointestinal issues. It becomes necessary to understand which foods trigger food intolerance when addressing weight gain caused by food intolerance so that we can address weight gain effectively.

As with most health concerns, reaching out to medical professionals for guidance is always in your best interest.