About Food Allergies

Food Allergies   

Many people think of allergies exclusively in terms of airborne allergens such as pollen, dust, and molds. However, immune reactions can result from the different types of food sensitivities you may possess. The most common foods causing allergic reactions are peanuts, soy, wheat, shellfish, fish, milk, eggs and tree nuts.  Any substance (food, pollen, dust, etc) that causes this reaction is termed an antigen.

Currently there is no cure for food allergy. Once identified, we recommend eliminating those problematic foods from your diet. Food allergies are divided into two major categories: immediate and delayed. When an immediate food reaction occurs, sufferers experience symptoms within hours of having ingested the food. Symptom onset is rapid and may include tingling of extremities, wheezing, coughing, tightening of the throat, nausea, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Sometimes in cases where nuts, shellfish, fish, and peanuts have been eaten anaphylaxis can occur. 

Immediate food reaction is a fixed food allergy. The food to which you are allergic will almost always provoke an immune reaction when ingested. In immediate reactions the body over-produces what is called Immunoglobulin E antibodies, (IgE).

Delayed food sensitivities can take up to three days to appear. This type of reaction is IgG and IgA mediated. Unlike immediate food reaction, delayed food reaction is not a fixed food allergy. It is cyclical in nature. For example, you may be IgG or IgA sensitive to milk. If you were to increase your intake and/or frequency of milk consumption, it is at this point that symptoms would likely appear. (IgG is primarily produced in response to allergens in the blood while IgA is produced in response to allergens primarily in the GI tract and other mucous membranes. Therefore, it is recommended that you test for both IgG & IgA since you are testing different areas of the body and different aspects of the immune system.) 

From this explanation you may say this seems self–evident. Why bother to test for food sensitivity? Due to the fact that delayed food reaction symptoms can appear up to three days after the food is eaten, some patients remain unaware of the foods to which they are sensitive. Some people may be ill and have no idea that their symptoms are allergy related. 


Some facts about Food Allergies and Sensitivities 
(provided by The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network)

* Food allergy is a growing public health concern in the U.S.
                          
* Though reasons for this are poorly understood, 
the prevalence of food allergies and associated 
anaphylaxis appears to be on the rise.
  • Peanut allergy doubled in children over five-year period (1997-2002).
  • Research suggests that food-related anaphylaxis might be under-diagnosed.
  • An increasing number of school students and staff have diagnosed life-threatening allergies.
  • A 2007 study has shown that milk allergy may persist longer in life than previously thought.  Of 800 children with milk allergy, only 19 percent had outgrown their allergy by age 4, and only 79 percent had outgrown it by age 16.
* More than 12 million Americans have food allergies.  That's 1 in 25, or 4 percent of the 
population.

* The incidence of food allergy is highest in young children - 1 in 17 among those under age 3.

* About 3 million children in the U.S. have food allergies.

* In the U.S., food allergy is the leading cause of anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) outside 
the hospital setting.  A recent analysis of data from U.S. hospital emergency departments (ED) 
estimated a total of 20,821 hospital ED visits, 2,333 visits for anaphylaxis, and 520 
hospitalizations caused by food allergy in just a 2 month period.

* Each year in the U.S., it is estimated that anaphylaxis caused by food results in 100 to 200 
deaths.  Death can be sudden, sometimes occurring within minutes.

* Eight foods account fo 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions in the U.S.: milk, eggs, peanuts, 
tree nuts (e.g., walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish.

* There is no cure for food allergies.  Strict avoidance of food allergens and early recognition and 
management of allergic reactions to food are important measures to prevent serious health 
consequences.

* Even trace amounts of a food allergen can cause a reaction.

* Most people who've had an allergic reaction to something they ate thought that it was safe.

* Food allergies are life-altering for eveyrone involved and require constant vigilance.

* Early administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) is crucial to successfully treating 
anaphylactic reactions.



Food and chemical sensitivities are estimated to affect up to 50 percent of Americans. At times more subtle and difficult to spot than true "allergies," sensitivities cause a wide range of very individualized symptoms, from a foggy head to unexplained diarrhea, that can significantly decrease your quality of life. Here is a list of just some of the symptoms that may be related to a food or chemical sensitivity:
  • Dizziness
  • Poor memory
  • Foggy thinking
  • Learning disorders
  • Seizures
  • Paranoia
  • Arthritis
  • Eczema                                                            
  • Asthma
  • Headache
  • Sneezing
  • Runny or stuffy  nose
  • Puffy, watery or itchy eyes
  • Blurred vision
  • Earache
  • Hearing loss
  • Sore throat
  • Itching in the roof of the mouth
  • Candidasis
  • Canker sores
  • Sinusitis
  • Coughing
  • Chest Pain
  • Heart irregularities
  • Sudden changes in blood pressure
  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Abdominal pains or cramps
  • Rashes
  • Insomnia
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Swelling of the hands or feet
  • Urinary frequency or urgency
  • Vaginal itching
  • Excessive hunger or binge eating
  • Depression
  • Hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD)
  • Emotional instability or hypersensitivity
  • Panic attacks
  • Aggressive behavior
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