If you’re sensitive to certain foods, this could be an issue with chronic pain and inflammation. Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Maybe you’ve noticed that each time you eat a certain food, your gut seems unhappy. If you’re intolerant to certain foods or substances added to it, this could be a source of chronic inflammation and pain. That’s according to Ashley Greenwald, a dietician at Johns Hopkins.

Greenwald: Food intolerance is a trigger that can influence inflammation. It happens within the gut, and it’s the result of an enzyme deficiency or a sensitivity to a certain additive. Or it can even naturally occur in food. Intolerances such as lactose intolerance or a gluten sensitivity, tyromine, MSG, food dyes and additives, are something else that can trigger chronic inflammation as well as exacerbate certain symptoms.  :25

Greenwald says getting your arms around this starts with a food diary, where you record what you eat and how you are reacting to it. Over time certain patterns may emerge and you can identify your triggers. A gastroenterologist and a dietician can help. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.