Final answer:
Food allergies involve an immune system reaction to a harmless substance recognized as an allergen, resulting in an inflammatory response. Food intolerances, differing from allergies, may be dose related and do not typically invoke the immune system.
Step-by-step explanation:
True, food allergies do involve the immune system. A food allergy is a condition where the body's immune system incorrectly identifies certain foods as a threat and mounts a defence against them.
This can lead to an inflammatory response in the body, resulting in symptoms like hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, anaphylaxis. The substance in the food that triggers this reaction is known as an allergen.
The phrase "dose related" refers to the relationship between the amount of a particular substance and the response it elicits. In the context of food intolerance, it means that symptoms may only occur when a certain amount of the offending food is consumed.
Unlike food allergies, food intolerances generally do not involve the immune system and are more related to the digestive system's response to certain substances or the absence of specific enzymes required for digestion.