Home-Health-Allergies-FoodAllergySymptomsand6NaturalWaystoManageThem
Foodallergyisagrowingconcern,withover32millionAmericansaffectedbyit,accordingto FARE(FoodAllergyResearch&Education).Theseimmune-basedconditionscanleadto severereactionsand,insomecases,evendeath Despitetheirseverity,foodallergies currentlyhavenocure,andthemosteffectivemanagementinvolvesavoidingallergensand addressingsymptomspromptly
Thankfully,severalnaturalremediescanhelpreducefoodallergysymptomsbyenhancing theimmunesystemandimprovingguthealth Below,we’llexplorethecauses,symptoms,and naturalwaystomanagefoodallergieseffectively.
WhatAreFoodAllergy?
Foodallergyoccurswhentheimmunesystemmistakenlyidentifiescertainproteinsinfoodas harmful,triggeringthereleaseofhistaminestocombattheperceivedthreat Thisprocess leadstovarioussymptoms,includinghives,respiratoryissues,orgastrointestinaldiscomfort.
It’sessentialtodistinguishbetweenfoodallergiesandfoodintolerances Whilefoodallergies involveanimmuneresponse(oftenIgE-mediated),foodintolerancesarenon-immunologic
andstemfromaninabilitytodigestcertaincomponents,suchaslactoseinmilk.Forinstance, lactoseintolerancecausesabdominalpainanddiarrheaduetodifficultybreakingdown lactosebutdoesn’tinvolvetheimmunesystem.
CommonFoodAllergies
Althoughnearlyanyfoodcancauseanallergicreaction,afewculpritsareresponsiblefor mostcases:
Cow’sMilk
Cow’smilkproteinallergy(CMPA)affects2%to7.5%ofchildren,thoughitisrarefortheallergy topersistintoadulthoodsincemorethan99%ofchildrendeveloptolerancebytheageof6. Variousmilkproteinshavebeenimplicatedinallergicreactions,andmostoftheseproteins containmultipleallergenicepitopes—specificregionsthattheimmunesystemtargets. IgE-mediatedreactionstocow’smilkaremostcommonininfancy,whilenon-IgE-mediated reactionstendtooccurmorefrequentlyinadults
A2005studypublishedintheJournaloftheAmericanCollegeofNutritionindicatesthatthe prevalenceofself-diagnosedcow’smilkallergyisabout10timeshigherthantheclinically confirmedincidence.Thissuggeststhatasignificantnumberofindividualsmaybe unnecessarilyavoidingdairyproductsduetoaninaccurateself-diagnosisofanallergy.
Eggs
Aftercow’smilk,eggallergyisthesecondmostcommonfoodallergyininfantsandyoung children.A2012meta-analysisontheprevalenceoffoodallergiesestimatedthateggallergy affectsbetween0.5%and2.5%ofyoungchildren.
Eggallergytypicallypresentsduringthesecondhalfofthefirstyearoflife,withthemedian ageofonsetbeingaround10months.Mostreactionsoccurafterachild’sfirstknown exposuretoanegg,witheczemabeingthemostcommonsymptom.
Fivemajorallergenicproteinshavebeenidentifiedineggsfromdomesticchickens,with ovalbuminbeingthemostdominant
Soyallergyaffectsabout04%ofchildren A2010studyconductedatJohnsHopkinsUniversity SchoolofMedicinefoundthat50%ofchildrenwithasoyallergyoutgrowtheconditionbythe ageof7.
Theprevalenceofsensitizationafterusingsoy-basedformulasisaround8.8%.Soyformulais commonlyusedforinfantsallergictocow’smilk,andresearchindicatesthatsoyallergy occursinonlyasmallminorityofyoungchildrenwhohaveanIgE-associatedcow’smilk allergy
Wheat
Gluten-relateddisorders,whichincludewheatallergy,celiacdisease,andnon-celiacgluten sensitivity,areestimatedtoaffectnearly5%oftheglobalpopulation.Thesedisordersshare similarsymptoms,makingitchallengingtodiagnosethemaccurately
Awheatallergyisanimmunesystemreactiontoproteinsfoundinwheatandrelatedgrains. IgEantibodiesmediatetheinflammatoryresponsetoseveralallergenicproteinsinwheat Wheatallergycanimpacttheskin,gastrointestinaltract,andrespiratorysystem.
Wheatallergyismorecommoninchildren,manyofwhomoutgrowtheconditionbyschool age.
Peanuts
Peanutallergytypicallyappearsearlyinlife,andmostindividualswiththisallergydonot outgrowit.Forthosewhoarehighlysensitized,eventraceamountsofpeanutscantriggeran allergicreaction.Researchsuggeststhatearlyexposuretopeanutsmayhelpreducetherisk ofdevelopingapeanutallergy
A2010studyfoundthatpeanutallergyaffectsabout1%ofchildrenand0.6%ofadultsinthe U.S.Peanutsareaffordableandcommonlyconsumedintheirnaturalform,aswellasin variouspreparedfoods.Theyareresponsibleforthehighestnumberofcasesofsevere anaphylaxisanddeathrelatedtofoodallergiesintheU.S.
TreeNuts
Theprevalenceoftreenutallergiesisrisingworldwide,affectingabout1%ofthegeneral population.Theseallergiesmostcommonlydevelopinchildhood,thoughtheycanappearat anyage.
Onlyabout10%ofpeopleoutgrowtreenutallergies,andaccidentalingestionoftenleadsto severereactions,makingitaseriousconcernthroughoutlife
Thetreenutsmostcommonlyassociatedwithallergicreactionsincludehazelnuts,walnuts, cashews,andalmonds Lessfrequently,allergiesarelinkedtopecans,chestnuts,Brazilnuts, pinenuts,macadamianuts,pistachios,coconut,Nangainuts,andacorns.
A2015systematicreviewfoundthatwalnutandcashewallergieswerethemostprevalent typesoftreenutallergiesintheU.S.
Fish
AccordingtoastudypublishedinClinicalReviewsofAllergyandImmunology,adverse reactionstofisharenotonlytriggeredbyimmunesystemallergiesbutcanalsobecaused byvarioustoxinsandparasites,suchasciguateraandanisakis.Fishallergiescanleadto seriousandpotentiallylife-threateningreactions,andunlikemanyotherfoodallergies, childrentypicallydonotoutgrowfishallergies.
Thesereactionsarenotlimitedtoeatingfish;theycanalsooccurfromhandlingfishor inhalingcookingvapors.Theprevalenceofself-reportedfishallergiesrangesfrom0.2%to 2.29%inthegeneralpopulation,butitcanbeashighas8%amongfishprocessingworkers.
Shellfish
Allergicreactionstoshellfish,whichincludebothcrustaceans(suchascrabs,lobsters, crayfish,shrimp,krill,woodlice,andbarnacles)andmollusks(suchassquid,octopus,and cuttlefish),canrangefrommildsymptomslikehivesandoralallergysyndrometo life-threateninganaphylaxis.
Shellfishallergyiscommonandpersistentinadults,anditcanleadtoanaphylacticreactions inbothchildrenandadults.Theprevalenceofshellfishallergyrangesfrom0.5%to5%.Many childrenwithashellfishallergyalsohavesensitivitiestodustmitesandcockroachallergens.
Aphenomenonknownascross-reactivitymayoccurwhenanantibodyreactsnotonlywith theoriginalallergenbutalsowithasimilarallergen Cross-reactivityhappenswhenafood allergensharesstructuralorsequencesimilaritieswithadifferentfoodallergen,potentially triggeringareactionsimilartotheoriginalone.Thisiscommonamongdifferenttypesof shellfishandtreenuts.
SymptomsofFoodAllergy
Foodallergysymptomsvaryinseverityandmayinvolvetheskin,respiratory,digestive,or cardiovascularsystems.Commonsymptomsinclude:
1. Vomiting
2. Stomachcramps
3. Hives
4. Coughingandwheezing
5. Difficultyswallowing
6. Swellingofthetongueorthroat
7 Paleorblue-colouredskin
8. Weakpulseordizziness
Inseverecases,foodallergiescanleadtoanaphylaxis,alife-threateningreactionrequiring immediatetreatmentwithepinephrine.
FoodIntoleranceTest
Asystematicapproachtodiagnosingfoodallergiesinvolvestakingathoroughmedical history,followedbylaboratorystudies,eliminationdiets,andoftenfoodchallengestoconfirm thediagnosis.Itisessentialtobeevaluatedanddiagnosedbyahealthcareprofessionalor allergist.Self-diagnosisoffoodallergiescanresultinunnecessarydietaryrestrictionsand inadequatenutrition,especiallyforchildren.
Recently,therehasbeenariseintheavailabilityofcommercialtestsforfoodallergies, marketedtobothconsumersandhealthcarepractitioners.Thesetests,includingIgGorfood intolerancetesting,claimtoidentifyfoodsensitivities,intolerances,orallergies.However, researchersbelievethesetestsareunvalidatedandunreliable.
ThesetestsmeasurethepresenceofimmunoglobulinG(IgG)antibodiesintheblood,which areproducedbythebodytocombatspecificallergenicfoods.Bloodsamplesareexposedto apaneloffoodsandfoodcomponents,andthedegreeofIgGbindingtoeachfoodis
measured.Theresultsarethenclassifiedtodeterminewhetheranyfoodcausesanimmune response
TheissuewithIgG-basedfoodallergytestsisthatIgGantibodiesarefoundinbothallergic andnon-allergicindividuals UnlikeIgEantibodies,whicharedirectlyresponsibleforallergic reactions,IgGsarethebody’snormalantibodiesproducedtofightinfections.Therefore, researchersbelievethatthepresenceofspecificIgGantibodiesinfoodindicatesexposure andtolerance,notnecessarilyanallergy.Asaresult,positivetestresultsforfood-specificIgG arecommoninhealthyindividuals,increasingtheriskoffalsediagnosesandleavingpeople confusedbythetestresults.
ThecontroversysurroundingIgGtestsstemsfromthepotentialformisuse Manyresearchers arguethatthesetestsshouldnotberelieduponfordiagnosingfoodallergies.Onemajor concernisthatindividualswithtrueIgE-mediatedfoodallergies,whoareatriskfor life-threateninganaphylaxis,maynotshowelevatedlevelsofIgGfortheirspecificallergen. Thiscouldleadtomisguidedadvicetoreintroduceapotentiallydangerousfoodintotheir diet.
Insteadofrelyingonself-diagnosisorunproventests,itisimportanttoconsultwithan allergist.Anallergistwillconductacomprehensivemedicalhistory,followedbyaseriesof teststhatcanprovidethenecessaryinformationforaproperdiagnosis Thesetestsmay includeaskinpricktest,bloodtest,oralfoodchallenge,andfoodeliminationdiet.
HowtoReduceSymptomsofFoodAllergies
Therearecurrentlynotherapiesavailabletopreventorfullytreatfoodallergies.The managementoffoodallergiesinvolvesavoidingtheingestionoftheresponsibleallergenand knowingwhattodoincaseofaccidentalingestion.
Thefollowingnaturaltreatmentscanhelpreducetheseverityoffoodallergysymptomsand helpyoucopewiththecondition:
1.GAPSDiet
TheGAPS(GutandPsychologySyndrome)dietisdesignedtorepairthegutlining,support theimmunesystem,reducetoxicoverload,andpreventtoxinsfromenteringthebloodstream Itiscommonlyusedforautoimmunediseasesandfocusesoneliminatingfoodsthatare difficulttodigestandharmfultogutflora Instead,itreplacesthesewithnutrient-densefoods tohelpthegutheal.
Thedietinvolvesavoidingprocessedfoods,grains,sugar,starchycarbs,potatoes,artificial chemicals,preservatives,andconventionalmeatanddairy Instead,itemphasizesconsuming healingfoodslikebonebroth,non-starchyvegetables,organicwildmeats,healthyfats,and probiotic-richfoods.
2.DigestiveEnzymes
Inadequatedigestionoffoodproteinsmaycontributetofoodallergyandgastrointestinal symptoms.Takingdigestiveenzymeswithmealscanhelpthedigestivesystembreakdown foodmoreefficiently Theseenzymessupportthedigestionoffoodparticlesandcanbea vitalremedyforfoodallergies,helpingpreventallergicreactionsrelatedtoincomplete digestion.
3.Probiotics
Probioticsarebeneficialbacteriathatpromoteahealthygutandimmunefunction,which mayhelpreducetheriskoffoodallergy.A2011studypublishedinBioscienceofMicrobiota, FoodandHealthinvolved230infantswithsuspectedcow’smilkallergies.Infantsreceiving probioticsshowedimprovedimmuneresponsesandenhancedresistancetoinfections. Probioticshelpstimulatethematurationoftheimmunesystem,whichcandecreasethe likelihoodofallergicreactions.
4.Methylsulfonylmethane(MSM)
MSMisanorganicsulphur-containingcompoundknowntoimproveimmunefunction,reduce inflammation,andpromotetissuerepair.ResearchsuggeststhatMSMsupplementsmayhelp alleviateallergysymptoms,particularlythoseaffectingthedigestivesystemandskin.MSM canbeusefulinmanagingtheinflammationassociatedwithfoodallergy.
5.VitaminB5
VitaminB5,alsoknownaspantothenicacid,supportsadrenalfunctionandplaysarolein managingfoodallergysymptoms.Ithelpsmaintainahealthydigestivetractandboosts immunefunction.Bysupportingadrenalhealth,VitaminB5mayhelpregulatestressand inflammation,whichareoftenassociatedwithallergicreactions.
6.L-glutamine
L-glutamineisthemostabundantaminoacidinthebloodstreamandisknownforitsability torepairthegutandboostimmunehealth.Researchindicatesthatintestinalpermeability, commonlyreferredtoas“leakygut,”cancontributetoallergies.L-glutaminehasthepotential toreduceinflammationandoxidativestress,helpingtorestoretheintegrityofthegutlining andpreventallergicreactions.
FinalThoughts
Foodallergiesareimmune-relatedconditionsthathavebecomeasignificanthealthconcern inmanypartsoftheworld Symptomsoccurwhentheimmunesystemreactstoaparticular foodasifitwereharmful.Thebodythenproduceshistaminetoprotectitself,whichresultsin allergicreactions
Commonallergensincludecow’smilk,eggs,soy,wheat,peanuts,treenuts,fish,andshellfish. Todiagnoseafoodallergy,it’sessentialtoconsultwithanallergist,whowillperformvarious testsandreviewyourmedicalhistory.
Whilethereisnocureforfoodallergy,thebestapproachistoavoidallergens.Natural remediessuchasprobiotics,digestiveenzymes,VitaminB5,andtheGAPSdietcanhelp reducesymptomsandimproveoverallhealth.Alwaysconsultahealthcareprofessional beforestartinganynewtreatmentordiet,particularlywhenmanagingfoodallergies.
ReferencesforFoodAllergyandNaturalRemedies:
1. FARE(FoodAllergyResearch&Education)
Providescomprehensiveinformationonfoodallergies,theirimpact,andstatistics
Source:https://www.foodallergy.org
2. AmericanCollegeofAllergy,Asthma,andImmunology(ACAAI)
Offersresourcesonfoodallergies,symptoms,andmanagement.
Source:https://acaai.org
3. NationalInstituteofAllergyandInfectiousDiseases(NIAID)
TheNIAIDprovidesresearchandguidelinesonfoodallergiesandrelatedhealth conditions
Source:https://www.niaid.nih.gov
4. JournaloftheAmericanCollegeofNutrition(2005studyonCMPAprevalence)
Discussestheprevalenceandself-diagnosisofcow’smilkallergy
Source:https://www.jacn.org
5. GAPSDietInformation
LearnmoreabouttheGAPSdiet,whichcansupportguthealthandimmunefunction infoodallergies.
Source:https://www.gaps.me
6. NationalCenterforComplementaryandIntegrativeHealth(ProbioticsforImmune Health)
Informationonhowprobioticsinfluenceguthealthandimmuneresponses.
Source:https://nccihnihgov
7. Methylsulfonylmethane(MSM)forAllergyRelief
OverviewofMSM’seffectsoninflammationandallergysymptoms
Source:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5353580
8 WebMD–FoodAllergiesOverview
Providesanoverviewoffoodallergies,includingsymptoms,diagnosis,andtreatment.
Source:https://wwwwebmdcom/allergies/guide/food-allergies
9. JohnsHopkinsMedicine–SoyAllergyResearch
Informationandresearchonsoyallergiesinchildrenandthedevelopmentof tolerance.
Source:https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org
Dr.Robecca Owner
LatestHomeRemedies(Lhradmin)isproudlybasedinVirginia,USA,andweextendourhealth remediescenterstoservetheKarachicommunity.Ourcommitmentencompassesarangeof services,includingcomprehensiveprimarycare,completefamilydentistry,andintegrated behaviouralhealth.Additionally,weprovidewellnessservicessuchasacupuncture,massage, andhealthcoachingtosupportoverallwell-being.
