For those with a sweet tooth, the idea is horrific: renouncing sugar because consumption triggers allergic reactions. But does a sugar allergy really exist?
Imagine letting a wonderfully sweet piece of chocolate melt on your tongue – and the next moment you get a rash and itch. That can actually happen because a "sugar allergy" really does exist.Even if, fortunately for those with a sweet tooth, only very rarely!
Short flights of fancy
Perhaps you have fallen into an extreme low performance after your energy level shot through the roof with a chocolate bar or a few gummy bears? The sugar is to blame: It drives up the blood sugar level, which gives us power for a short time – but this then sags all the faster. And we sit and stare blankly at the screen, completely unable to concentrate on our work.
This reaction is completely natural and luckily has nothing to do with a sugar allergy. Many people are just a bit sensitive to sugar. It becomes critical when we notice that sugar consumption is causing us physical complaints. Here, too, you have to differentiate between a sugar intolerance and a real allergy – in the worst case, the latter can be life-threatening.
What are the symptoms of a sugar allergy?
At a Sugar intolerance symptoms are primarily rather troublesome: For example, you may experience nausea and gas. If there is an allergy, on the other hand, physical complaints occur immediately after consumption. These include, for example:
- diarrhea
- Stomach cramps
- skin rash
- itching
If you get breathlessness or if your throat feels constricted, an emergency doctor should be called immediately. Because these symptoms indicate an anaphylactic shock, which, if left untreated, can lead to fainting and in the worst case to death.
Symptoms? Off to the doctor!
Fortunately, as I said, a real sugar allergy is really very rare. On the other hand, there are more frequent intolerances – because Lactose intolerance is also classified as sugar intolerance. If you feel that you are allergic to foods that contain sugars, you should definitely speak to your doctor.
The best way to do this is to keep a food diary in which you record what you have eaten and whether it has caused symptoms. Patients with intestinal diseases should also be careful such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis: Those affected are usually at higher risk of sugar intolerance.
By the way: If you want to live sugar-free, we'll tell you how to do it here.
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