Monday 13 June 2016

What does Research Tell Us about How Food Allergies are Caused

Food allergies are common these days. Many food allergies are first diagnosed in young children, though older children and adults are also reported to have food allergies. You will be surprised to know that most food allergies are caused only by eight foods, which are eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, wheat, and cow’s milk.

Cause of food allergies
The function of our immune system is to protect our body by producing specialized proteins called antibodies that identify potential threats to our body, such as bacteria and viruses. Antibodies signal our immune system to release certain chemicals to kill the threat. In the most common type of food allergy, an antibody known as immunoglobulin E (IgE), by mistake, targets a certain protein found in food as a threat. And then, immunoglobulin E (IgE) causes our body to release several chemicals, and histamine is the most common one. These chemicals cause allergic reactions. 

There is another type of food allergy, which is known as a non-IgE-mediated food allergy. This type of allergy is caused by different cells in the immune system, and it is very hard to diagnose as no test can accurately confirm a non-IgE-mediated food allergy.

The best way to manage a food allergy is to avoid eating the food that can cause you problems. You should carefully check ingredient labels of food products, and you should always buy food products that are free from the top ten allergens, just to be safe.