Are Food Allergies a Fad?
Are Food Allergies a Fad?
Overheard - a conversation between two middle-aged women at the busy ‘Free-From’ aisle of Sainsbury’s:‘When we were young there wasn’t all this talk of ‘food allergies’. You ate what you were given and you never got sick. Food allergies are a figment of the hysterical mother’s imagination’.
With increasing food allergies constantly in the news we may well wonder what exactly has changed. Are we becoming ‘hysterical’? Are we making a beat-ourselves-up mountain out of the proverbial molehill?
With increasing food allergies constantly in the news we may well wonder what exactly has changed. Are we becoming ‘hysterical’? Are we making a beat-ourselves-up mountain out of the proverbial molehill?
What does ‘food allergy’ mean?
A food ‘allergy’ describes a situation where your immune system reacts to a certain type of food. Basically the body registers certain foods as dangerous and produces IgE antibodies. The next time you eat that food the IgE antibodies react to it, food causing a release of chemicals such as histamine. This leads to the physical symptoms we label an ‘allergic reaction’. The body’s tissues can inflame, sometimes to an extent that can be life threatening.
Note: Food ‘intolerance’ is less threatening as symptoms are usually restricted to the digestive system, typically resulting in vomiting and diarrhoea.
So What are The Symptoms?
Symptoms can include:
- Coughing, wheezing or even very severe breathing problems
- Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat
- Skin reactions e.g. swelling, itching, rashes, flushing
- Painful, red and itchy eyes
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Mild to severe abdominal cramps;
- Loss of consciousness.
Some experience mild reactions others risk dying without emergency medical help.
What sorts of foods typically cause reactions?
In theory you could be allergic to almost anything. But there are several food items that account for around 90% of allergic reactions i.e. fish, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy, wheat and nuts.
Some people are allergic to just one food, others to a range of different foods
The Increase – Real or a Hysterical Fad?
Research shows that in the past 5 years the number of people seeking treatment for food allergies has more than doubled. Why? Some people believe that modern children, kept indoors, are exposed to too few allergens. Others believe that excessive removal of bacteria from childrens’ environment by modern cleaning products weakens their immune systems. Still others suggest that it is the increase in chemical additives in food and environmental pollution that is compromising modern childrens’ immune system.On the other side of the argment some suggest the ‘increase’ isn’t real at all. It’s just that heightened awareness of allergies through excessive media coverage is causing a spike in reports of ‘allergies’. Then again, others would say that the number of ‘allergic’ patients has remained constant – it’s our diagnostic techniques that have improved.
So Who’s Right?
Chances are they’re all right in their own way. Many people in our grandparent’s days may well have suffered ‘mysterious’ symptoms such as stomach aches, headaches etc. These may well have been due to allergens but – if not diagnosed as allergies – they will not feature on medical records. Modern children are undoubtedly exposed to very different levels and types of allergens and bacteria level may well have decreased due to modern cleaning methods. And it seems unlikely that rising environmental pollution will not have had an effect on our general health.
So What Should we Do?
Don’t throw away the cleaning products. Many more people died in our grandparents’ day of all manner of life-threatening infections. Just keep it in moderation! By all means encourage children to play out in a safe environment and get gloriously dirty. Research does show that children from rural or farming communities suffer lower levels of allergies than urban children. Don’t get carried away by media reports. Before altering your own or your childrens’ diet in any way have any suspected allergies actually confirmed by your GP.
For more information on food allergies, the following websites are excellent:
Cooking for a family member with food allergies? Get help locally. The Edinburgh School of Food and Wine run food allergy cooking courses!
Visit : www.esfw.com
Do YOU have strong views about food allergies or experiences with your own family? Why not share them?
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