Friday, February 10, 2012
The prevalence of food allergies has drastically increased in the past few years. It seems like everyone is allergic to some kind of food product. In fact approximately 12 million people in the U.S. have a food allergy, that’s one in 25 or 4% of the population! But do you really know what a true food allergy is?
By definition a food allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks a food protein that has been ingested. Ingestion of the offending food can trigger a chain of reactions in the body, which may lead to mild or severe
There is no cure for a food allergy, and the only treatment is the strict avoidance of the offending food. There are eight common food allergens, and together they account for 90% of all food triggered allergic reactions. They are wheat, fish, shellfish, soy, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs.
Those individuals who complain of gastrointestinal disturbance or upset after consuming an offending food such as diarrhea, abdominal distension, and cramping may have what is called an intolerance. This is when enzymes essential to the digestion of the offending food may not be able to be produced in adequate amounts or not at all in the body. As a result the food passes through the intestines unprocessed, and may even linger in the gut fermenting and producing excess gas. A common example is lactose intolerance, where individuals do not produce ample lactase, the enzyme responsible for digesting lactose, the sugar naturally found in milk.
For more information please visit The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network at http://www.foodallergy.org.
