Can I Have An Intolerance To Drinks?

You’d be forgiven for thinking a food intolerance test only identifies ingredients in meals that play havoc with your digestive system. However, if you’re regularly experiencing symptoms such as bloating, headaches, and stomach complaints, you could have an intolerance to drinks. Can I have an intolerance to drinks? This question is often asked by customers who are suffering from intolerance symptoms. Here’s the truth.

The tests at UK Food Intolerance study the body’s response to up to 900 items, including drinks such as gin, coffee, tea, and lemonade. If your body has difficulty digesting any of these items, it can trigger the onset of a physical reaction in the same way that food items can. In this blog, we look at some of the drinks and their ingredients that are often at the root of intolerance symptoms and how they affect our health. You should be able to find the answer to the ultimate question; can I have an intolerance to drinks?

Milk

If you have lactose intolerance, you’ll have difficulty digesting the sugar in milk and other dairy products. This occurs when your body doesn’t have enough of an enzyme called lactase, which breaks down lactose so it can be digested into the stomach and small intestine. Instead, undigested lactose continues to the large intestine, where bacteria break it down. This can cause the onset of unpleasant symptoms such as bloating and stomach cramps. If your intolerance test identifies that you’re intolerant to lactose, then it’s a good idea to research dairy-free milk such as oat, soya, and almond.

Caffeine

Although many of us keep ourselves topped up with coffee throughout the day, its effects can be too extreme if you have a caffeine intolerance. If you’ve found that you feel like you’ve consumed a few cups of coffee after just taking a few sips or experiencing a strong adrenaline rush, it’s plausible that your body isn’t best suited to a cup of Joe. If you are intolerant to caffeine, your body will metabolise it more slowly, and you’ll experience symptoms such as a headache, feelings of anxiousness, a racing heartbeat and insomnia. As much as there’s nothing like a cup of coffee to help wake you up, it could be worth switching to the de-caffeinated kind if you suspect your hot drink is affecting your health.

Chemicals in alcohol can lead to an intolerance in drinks

Although you may not be intolerant to alcohol itself, you could have difficulty digesting the chemicals that give the drinks their colour and flavour. For example, wine, cider and beer contain high amounts of sulphates and/or histamines, which can trigger symptoms like wheezing, an upset stomach and headaches. These nasal symptoms can be worse for asthmatics due to the irritation that’s caused to the airways. The good news is that there are some alcoholic drinks that are low in sulphites, such as gin and vodka. So even if your favourite tipple leaves you feeling unwell (without the hangover), you’ll hopefully find a suitable alternative that you can pour in its place.

Contact UK Food Intolerance for advice

Suppose you regularly experience symptoms like an upset stomach, headaches and fatigue after eating. In that case, a food intolerance test can identify ingredients in your meals and drinks that are making you feel unwell. It could be that you have a good idea as to what is causing the onset of symptoms, but because they can occur hours after eating or drinking, it can be hard to pinpoint the offending item. You can read more about the different items we test for on our website and learn more about the tests we provide. Alternatively, if you have any specific questions, please email [email protected] or fill out the contact form on our website.

Although we will always try and assist you, please remember our advice should not replace that of medical professionals and that it’s best to speak to your GP if you’re concerned about your health.