Your One Stop Food Allergy Guide

Food allergies are the body's reaction to certain proteins in the diet. Allergies are basically when our immune system goes too far in its "quality control" campaign, rejecting things that would not otherwise be a problem.

These allergies could be due to strong spices, packaged foods, processed food, etc. So, strict diet control is recommended for these people.

Initially, our immune system produces a substance called antibodies which are intended to surround, detoxify, damage, and eradicate foreign bodies. This ability of your immune system to protect us from harmful substances is called the defense mechanism, without it, we will not be able to fight the flu or infection, and almost everything can lead to severity of disease and eventually death. In the case of food allergies, it is like pouring a fire extinguisher every time you light a candle.

There are two basic types of allergies.

 The fastest one contains an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Another non-IgE, the method can take longer - up to a few hours or in some cases even more - to do.

Allergies are very different from food sensitivities and intolerance. Food sensors often trigger a subtle immune response (including sneezes, fatigue, rash, joint pain, etc.). And because of food intolerance, the effects are usually only superficial or intestinal.

Food Allergy Symptoms

Severe allergies can lead to a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis.

The word originally comes from the Greek words “ana” (above) and “fax” (guardian, protector).

Symptoms of food allergies usually start within 5-30 minutes, or sometimes up to an hour, after exposure to an allergen.

Anaphylaxis is a medical condition but can be treated with an epinephrine autoinjector (a popular product EpiPen) until emergency medical care is provided. Anaphylaxis is a medical condition, but it can be treated with an epinephrine autoinjector (a popular product EpiPen) until emergency medical care is provided.

But not all allergies are so serious.

Food allergies can affect both children and adults, although they are more common in children. Like, many people end up avoiding milk, eggs, soybeans, and wheat, permanently if they have a history of severe reactions. Other food allergies are more likely to persist in adulthood, such as nuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish allergies. And for some, as a baby gets older, he or she will outgrow this.

Major Food Allergens

Because allergies are an excessive reaction of the immune system, almost any food may trigger an allergic reaction. In reality, though, there are a number of common food allergies (which may vary slightly from one place to another).

In western countries, eight major diets account for 90% of the following allergies:

Milk

Soybeans

Wheat

Tree Nuts

Eggs

Fish

Tree Nuts

Milk

Shellfish (including mollusks and crustaceans)

Allergists and immunologists, therefore, use skin prick tests primarily to determine diet and to make a list of possible items for further investigation.

Food Disorders Panel

An additional diagnostic tool for allergies is the food allergy panel, which is a type of blood test. It looks for IgE in the blood that may be formed as a result of certain foods. But just because IgE exists, does not mean that there is an allergy. As a result, these tests have a high level of inaccuracy.

Oral Food Challenge

The most reliable test for allergies and eating oral challenges. Sounds like: you eat food and see what happens. The tests are performed under strict medical supervision and involve giving the patient small amounts of what is suspected to be a food trigger by increasing doses over time. The patient is then monitored for a few hours to determine the reaction.

Causes of Allergies 

We have seen the spread of food allergies increase dramatically over the past 30 years, but we are still not sure what that means. The internet is full of hypotheses, from sound to straightforward, but it will take more research to eliminate red herrings (otherwise, of course, you don't get along with red herrings).

 The problem is, many parasites have been eliminated in developed lands in the past, and yet the levels of allergies continue to rise dramatically. So, there must be something else going on.