Citric Acid Intolerance
Citric acid is a weak, naturally occurring acid, that has a variety of uses. It is used as a food additive to preserve foods and drinks. It has a natural sour taste that can enrich the flavor of several food items. Citric acid is naturally found in citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and grapefruits. It is generally considered safe for the use of humans as well as animals. However, some people suffer from a condition known as citric acid intolerance.
Intolerance to Citric Acid
Citric acid intolerance is a condition when your body is unable to digest citric acid. The term is often confused with citric acid allergy. However, this is not the same as citric acid allergy. An allergy is characterized by the auto response given by the immune system to certain foods. Food intolerance, simply occurs, when a person's body lacks a certain enzyme or chemical needed to properly digest a particular substance. The body of a person suffering from citric acid intolerance is unable to digest citric acid present in any form. The substance gets accumulated in the body and can cause intolerance symptoms. The immune system fails to identify the proteins from citrus fruits and releases histamine to attack the proteins, which in turn leads to intolerance. The body has an adverse reaction to all foods containing citric acid. The response, or the intolerance symptom shown by the body depends on several factors.
Symptoms of Citric Acid Intolerance
The nature and severity of this disorder vary from person to person. It also depends on tolerance level of citric acid, which is not the same for every one. The symptoms often mimic those of citric allergy. Hence, it becomes difficult to identify if the person is suffering from intolerance or allergy.
- Skin dryness
- Hives
- Rash
- Eczema
- Itching
- Skin crusting
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Anaphylaxis
- Sore throat
- Mouth ulcers
Treatment basically involves treating the various symptoms associated with this allergic reaction. Medication or remedies that aid digestion are the ones needed to manage citric acid tolerance. However, these medications are not guaranteed to work well with everybody. Hence, it is very important to avoid consuming citric acid, in any form, if you are intolerant to it. Injecting epinephrine can control anaphylaxis to some extent, which can be a life-threatening condition, that arises due to this disorder. Hence, those with a citric acid intolerance, should always carry epinephrine with them.
Managing citric acid is very important, as citric acid consumption by a person who is intolerant to it, can damage the inner lining of his gut, resulting in serious complications.
