What describes a food intolerance?

A food intolerance is characterized by unpleasant digestive symptoms that occur after consuming certain foods. This condition often results from the body's inability to properly digest or metabolize specific substances, such as lactose in dairy products or gluten in wheat. Symptoms may include bloating, gas, diarrhea, or nausea but do not involve the immune system in the way that food allergies do.

The other options describe different concepts that are not representative of food intolerance. An abnormal immune response to a protein typically refers to food allergies, where the immune system reacts negatively to proteins in certain foods. Intense dislike of specific foods is a matter of personal preference, rather than a physiological response. Severe allergic reactions to food relate to allergies, which can trigger life-threatening symptoms and involve the immune system, distinguishing them from the milder, digestive nature of food intolerances.