Food intolerances can cast a shadow over daily life, causing discomfort and sometimes genuine mystery about what's behind your symptoms. If you've found your way here, our food intolerance symptoms chart is your guide – watch the video above, or read on for a full symptom-by-symptom breakdown.
Food Intolerances and Their Symptoms
Understanding the connection between what you eat and how your body reacts is the first step to reclaiming your wellbeing. Food intolerance symptoms exist on a spectrum, ranging from minor nuisances to more pronounced discomfort.
This food intolerance symptoms chart lists some of the common food intolerance symptoms and the foods that may trigger them:
| Symptom | Possible Causes |
| Abdominal pain | Dairy foods, apples, beans, bread, foods high in fruit sugar (fructose), eggs |
| Acid reflux | Watermelon, cherries, pears, foods containing fructose-based sweeteners |
| Anxiety | Caffeine from tea, coffee and chocolate |
| Asthma | Salicylate, a natural plant chemical found in spicy food, coffee and oranges |
| Bloating and gas | Dairy foods, bread, pasta and cereals, FODMAPs (found in apples, beans, lentils) |
| Constipation | Foods high in gluten, including bread and pasta |
| Diarrhoea | Dairy foods, amines (found in fermented foods like yoghurt and pickles), fructose-rich foods, eggs |
| Headaches | Gluten-rich foods |
| Insomnia | Caffeine |
| Itching | Dried fruit, smoked fish, dried cheese |
| Nasal congestion | Dried fruit, wine, pickled foods |
| Rashes and hives | Gluten-rich foods and some food colourings |
| Stomach cramps | Fermented foods, dried fruit |
| Wheezing | Pickled food, dried fruit |
As you can see, symptoms can be broad and sometimes overlap between different food intolerances. Keeping a detailed food diary can help identify patterns and potential trigger foods.
What Is the Difference Between a Food Intolerance and a Food Allergy?
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, food allergies are distinct from food intolerance. Allergic reactions involve the immune system and can trigger symptoms serious enough to be life-threatening without prompt medical treatment. "Food intolerance," by contrast, refers to a range of milder, though still genuinely unpleasant, symptoms associated with particular foods.
If you want to know more, read our guide to food intolerance vs food allergy.
How to Test for a Food Intolerance
If you experience any of the symptoms listed on our food intolerance symptoms chart on a regular basis, it's likely something you're starting to worry about. Navigating the range of possible food intolerances isn't always straightforward, but our at-home food intolerance test offers a clear way to explore your body's reactions to hundreds of different foods, giving you actionable insight to help take charge of your health.
