Fitness and Health: A Practical Guide to Nutrition, Exercise and Avoiding Disease

els of hydrochloric acid can cause stress in the colon from undigested
food. This can cause irritation directly, or influence the “friendly” bac-
teria that should be living there.
While most of the gut — from stomach through the small intes-
tine — is sterile, the large intestine is home to various types of bacte-
ria that normally reside there. They help create an important environ-

THE GUT • 269

Food Intolerance

I’ve discussed carbohydrate intolerance in great detail, but var-

ious other foods can also cause problems generally labeled as

food intolerance. Symptoms come from various reactions in the

body, although the gut is usually the main area of involvement.

Intestinal gas, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort are

the most common indications. More serious food intolerances

can cause skin reactions, such as a rash or welts, breathing dif-

ficulties, such as wheezing and asthma symptoms, head and

sinus problems including inflammation, runny eyes and nose,

and headache, and whole body reactions such as edema (fluid

retention) or even shock.

In addition to carbohydrates, including lactose (milk sugar),

fructose and the so-called “sugar-free” sugars sorbitol, manni-

tol and xylitol, other foods can sometimes cause bad reactions.

These include:

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG), commonly used in
  packed foods and in restaurants;


• Sulfites, which naturally occur in red wine, but are
  sometimes sprayed on vegetables and fruits (another
  reason to eat organic).


• Histamine-containing foods, including beer, wine,
  cheese, chocolate, tomatoes, saurkraut, vinegar, egg-
  plant, spinach, some fish (tuna and mackerel) and yeast.


• A variety of additives and other agents used to make
  dietary supplements, medications, and cosmetics can
  also trigger reactions.