Alex Carson
Food Allergies
Food allergies can be very serious and having one can be frustrating. If you are allergic to a particular food, you need to make sure that it is not an ingredient in something that you are eating. Many people confuse allergies with food intolerance. The difference is that food allergies come on right after eating, and food intolerance can take hours to come on. Allergies to food occur because, for some unknown reason, your immune system mistakes a particular food as being dangerous, and your cells release immunoglobulin E antibodies to attack the allergen and then neutralize it.
The next time you eat this food, histamine will be released into the bloodstream, causing itchiness, hives, an upset stomach, and even anaphylaxis. Young children are most affected by food allergies. Over time, some children grow out of the allergy, while others have their food allergies their entire lives. Most doctors recommend that children see an allergist every seven years to be tested to determine if they still have a food allergy. While a person can be allergic to just about any food, here are the 10 most common food allergies nowadays.
Eggs
When it comes to food allergies, eggs are one of the most difficult to deal with. Most baked goods, including cake, cookies, and brownies, contain eggs. Many recipes include eggs, and many store-bought products don’t list eggs on the label. Instead, they use words such as albumin, globulin, lysosome, lecithin, livetin, and many words that start with ovo or ova. People with egg allergies also cannot get certain vaccines because they contain egg components. Egg allergies often affect children who are 5 years old or younger. Most kids grow out of it, but some take it with them in adulthood.
Avoiding eating eggs can be difficult, but at home, it is much easier. Rather than using eggs in your recipes, you can substitute them with tofu, cornstarch, or flaxseed oil.
Milk
Many people confuse a milk allergy with being lactose intolerant. While many of the symptoms of the two are similar, a milk allergy occurs when the immune system reacts abnormally to the proteins in the milk. Lactose intolerance occurs in the digestive system and makes it impossible for the body to break down certain enzymes. To know whether you have a milk allergy or are lactose intolerant, you would need to see an allergist. An allergy to milk is often seen in infants, and then they grow out of it. If a person takes the allergy into adulthood, they need to watch everything that they eat.
If you have a milk allergy, you can get around it by drinking soy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk.
Peanuts
Peanuts are a very common food allergen. It is such a common allergen that many schools no longer serve peanut butter, and don’t allow peanut-based foods from home. The schools that do allow peanuts in school have a special “peanut table” set up, for students with peanut allergies to sit at lunch. This is the best way to protect students with peanut allergies. The allergy occurs when the peanut protein is identified as harmful, which causes the immune system to activate, causing chemicals to be released into the bloodstream. Any food that contains peanuts or has been cross-contaminated with peanuts can cause an allergic reaction, which often leads to anaphylaxis. People with peanut allergies need to read the label on everything they eat. It is also important that they let their server at restaurants know that they have a peanut allergy.
Peanut butter is very dangerous for a person with peanut allergies, but butter made with sunflower seeds (Sunnybutter) is an excellent alternative. Many schools use this in their sandwiches.
Tree Nuts
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 1.2 percent of the population is allergic to tree nuts. Nuts in the tree nut family include cashews, almonds, pecan, and macadamias. If you are allergic to one of these nuts, there is a good chance that you are allergic to all of them. The nuts aren’t the only thing that should be avoided. The oil from the tress can also cause an allergic reaction. These oils are often found in salad dressing, barbecue sauces, and pie crust. The most common allergic reaction to tree nuts is anaphylaxis.
A few great alternatives to tree nuts are pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds.
Wheat
When a person has a wheat allergy, gluten is the main protein that is attacked by the immune system. Many people confuse wheat allergies with celiac disease, which is a disorder that causes an adverse reaction to gluten. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to avoid what products because they are in many foods such as pasta, bread, and crackers. It is even present in beer. Some people experience a reaction to wheat right away, while others experience a reaction after eating wheat and then taking aspirin or exercising. These activities activate the same mechanism biologically that cause the reaction to wheat. There are some people who suffer from Baker’s Asthma. When these people encounter wheat flour, it causes breathing problems. When they eat wheat, they experience no symptoms.
Fortunately, you can find many foods in the supermarket today that are gluten-free. You can find a gluten-free version of just about every food that contains wheat.
Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds are a common allergen, but mostly in the Middle East. This is because sesame seeds are used much more often there. It is the third most common allergen in Israeli children. While this is a common food allergen in the Middle East, there are people in the United States who are allergic to sesame seeds. Those who need to watch out for everything bagels, hamburger buns, hummus, snack foods, and many dressings and sauces. It is essential that you read the label on everything you eat if you have a sesame seed allergy. Also, make sure to inform your server of your allergy if you are dining out. Sesame oil is often used in Chinese, Japanese, and Thai food, so you should be careful.
If you do have a sesame seed allergy, you can still eat sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and poppy seeds. Each of these is an excellent alternative to the sesame seeds.
Shellfish
If you have an allergy to shellfish, you would need to avoid foods like lobster, scallops, squid, and other crustaceans. There are some people who can eat certain types of mollusks, while others can’t. This allergy is more common in adults than children, probably because children don’t eat shellfish very often. The reaction caused by a shellfish allergy could be a breakout of hives on the skin, severe swelling of the face and neck and anaphylaxis.
If you are allergic to shellfish, you will need to avoid it. Instead, stick with fish. As long as the fish didn’t live in a shell, you should have no problem eating it.
Fish
Finned fish can cause an allergic reaction because the fish protein reacts with the immune system. You may think that it is easy to avoid eating fish, but it may not be as simple as it sounds. There are some foods that are made with anchovies such as Caesar salad dressing and Worcestershire sauce. When dining out, if your food is cross-contaminated with fish, you can have an allergic reaction. Most people who are allergic to finned fish are not allergic to shellfish and vice versa.
If you are allergic to fish, you should speak to your doctor. Many people with fish allergies can eat canned tuna and salmon safely.
Soy
Soy is a common allergen. People who eat sushi and have an allergic reaction often blame the fish, when it is actually the soy. Infants can have an allergic reaction to soy if they are given soy-based formula. Soy is also in many foods that you eat every day, such as chocolate, cereal, baked foods, and meat products. Soy is included in many Asian dishes; therefore, you should always inform your server if you have an allergy. Many people leave behind their soy allergy during infancy, while others carry it into adulthood. If you have asthma, hay fever, eczema, or hives, you are more likely to take your soy allergy into adulthood.
If you have a soy allergy, lupin seeds are an excellent substitute for soybeans.
Raw Fruits and Vegetables
If a person suffers from seasonal allergies, they can also have an allergic reaction to raw fruits and vegetables. These raw foods have the same proteins same to pollen, which can cause an allergic reaction. In most cases, the reaction is not as severe as with other food allergies; however, in very rare cases, anaphylaxis has occurred.
If you have an allergic reaction each time you eat raw fruits and vegetables, try peeling the skin. You can also cook the fruits and vegetables to remove the toxins.
