Food Intolerance

Q Even with food intolerance, will I be able to eat my favorite foods like before?

A. If the cause is damage to the intestinal mucosa or an imbalance in gut flora, many people find that as their threshold rises through combined treatment and dietary adjustment, they can again eat a significant portion of foods they used to tolerate without problems. If the cause is a congenital enzyme deficiency, we adjust so you can still enjoy the food by keeping the relevant component in small amounts or supplementing the enzyme.

Q I was also told I have irritable bowel syndrome. Is that the same as food intolerance? Can they be treated together?

A. Food intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are different but often overlap. About 60-70% of IBS patients also have food intolerance components such as FODMAPs, so combining a low-FODMAP diet with treatment to restore gut function can address both problems at once.

Q After eating, it isn't hives, but my face flushes and my skin itches. Does food intolerance also affect the skin?

A. If you have histamine intolerance or FODMAP sensitivity, beyond digestion you may experience facial flushing, itching, and worsening eczema. Unlike allergic hives that react immediately, these often appear several hours later, and reducing trigger foods improves the skin symptoms as well.

Q I work near Dongincheon Station and always eat out for lunch. Can I manage food intolerance while eating out?

A. The key is to check ingredients when ordering and develop the habit of choosing menus low in FODMAPs, dairy, and flour. Simply not overeating and not drinking coffee or carbonated beverages immediately after meals often reduces reactions significantly.

Q I heard probiotics are helpful—which ones should I choose and how should I take them?

A. Probiotics can help when gut microbiome imbalance is the cause, but the strain type and dosage matter. Generally, multi-strain products (Lactobacillus + Bifidobacterium combination) taken before meals for at least 4 consecutive weeks tend to be effective.

Q If my lips swell or I feel short of breath after eating, is that food intolerance or should I go to the emergency room?

A. If lip, tongue, or throat swelling, shortness of breath or wheezing, generalized hives, rapid heart rate, and dizziness occur together, it may be anaphylaxis (food allergy emergency) and you should immediately call 119 or go to the emergency room. These symptoms are not food intolerance—they are an allergic emergency.

Q I am already taking digestive enzymes. Is it okay to take herbal medicine together?

A. Digestive enzymes and herbal medicine are generally compatible, and taking them 1–2 hours apart reduces absorption interference. Please inform us of the medications you are currently taking during your consultation so we can formulate the herbal medicine accordingly.

Q Is food intolerance something you can never eat that food again, or can it improve?

A. It depends on the cause. Congenital digestive enzyme deficiency (e.g., complete lactase deficiency) requires lifelong management, but if caused by intestinal lining damage or gut microbiome imbalance, treatment and dietary adjustment can raise the reaction threshold, allowing many people to gradually reintroduce foods they previously couldn't tolerate.

Q It has been a month since I started adjusting my diet but I still don't have a comfortable day. When will it get better?

A. With elimination diets alone, it takes at least 4–12 weeks for the intestinal lining to recover, and gut microbiome normalization may take even longer. Combining dietary adjustment with treatment to boost spleen-stomach function can speed up recovery.

Q Is food intolerance different from food allergy? I often feel bloated and have diarrhea after eating.

A. Food intolerance occurs when the body cannot properly digest certain components due to enzyme deficiency, intestinal lining damage, or gut microbiome imbalance—without an immune system reaction. Unlike allergies (which cause immediate hives or breathing difficulty), symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fatigue appear hours to a day after eating. Lactose intolerance, FODMAP sensitivity, histamine intolerance, and gluten sensitivity are common examples.

Q After experiencing a lot of stress, I suddenly started reacting to foods I used to eat fine. Why is this?

A. Stress increases intestinal permeability (leaky gut), allowing undigested proteins or components to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammatory responses, while also disrupting the gut microbiome—which can lead to sudden food intolerance. The same mechanism explains new intolerances developing after antibiotic use, severe stress, or infection.

Q I work near Incheon Dong-gu and every time I eat at a nearby snack restaurant, my stomach bloats up in the afternoon. What ingredients might be causing this?

A. Flour (gluten/FODMAP fructans), dairy (lactose), onions, garlic, and cabbage (FODMAP oligosaccharides), fermented foods (histamine), and artificial additives are common triggers. Keeping a 2-week food diary of what combination of foods you eat when symptoms appear can help narrow down the cause.

Q I was told to try a low-FODMAP diet but I don't know where to start reducing.

A. The low-FODMAP diet involves eliminating high-FODMAP foods (onions, garlic, apples, wheat, dairy, etc.) for 2–6 weeks, then reintroducing them one at a time when symptoms decrease to identify personal triggers—a 3-phase approach. Starting by reducing 1–2 high-FODMAP foods you eat most frequently is less overwhelming.

Q How often should I visit the Korean medicine clinic for food intolerance, and how long should I expect treatment to take?

A. Initially, acupuncture and herbal medicine are combined 1–2 times per week, reducing to every 2 weeks as symptoms stabilize. Generally, a 2–3 month baseline treatment period is expected, and bringing a food diary helps track progress faster.

Q What is the order of treatment for food intolerance on my first visit to the clinic?

A. In Step 1 we assess the state of your digestive (Spleen-Stomach) function and identify your main triggers through consultation and examination. In Step 2 we begin herbal medicine and a tailored elimination diet. In Step 3 we confirm symptom improvement while gradually reintroducing foods, and finally move on to the maintenance stage.

Q What should I prepare before my first appointment to make it more helpful?

A. If you briefly note the foods you ate over the past two weeks and the symptoms that followed (timing, type, intensity), your consultation will be faster and more accurate. It also helps to bring any medications or supplements you are currently taking and any test results you have (hydrogen breath test, blood test, etc.).

Q I stopped dairy and flour but my stomach is still uncomfortable after a few days. Can Korean medicine help fundamentally?

A. Avoiding specific foods reduces symptoms but if the gut's processing capacity is not restored, the body will keep reacting to other foods or small amounts. Korean medicine treatment aims to restore spleen-stomach function and intestinal lining so a wider range of foods can be comfortably digested.

Q I heard I should get an IgG food intolerance test—is it reliable?

A. IgG testing only shows that you have been exposed to certain foods, not that they are causing your current symptoms. It is not a standard medical diagnostic tool. A food diary, a 2–4 week elimination diet, and a hydrogen breath test are the currently recommended diagnostic methods.