What Triggers Food Allergies?

An allergic reaction to food is your immune system's response to certain proteins found in food.

Milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, fish, shellfish and soy cause 50 to 90% of all allergic reactions.

Consumers should check for these ingredients on all packaged foods manufactured in the US.

When a person has an allergic reacts to certain foods, the symptoms usually manifest within minutes to a few hours.
The severity of the symptoms is different for each individual.

Sometimes they are mistaken as symptoms of food intolerance and vise versa.

If you are allergic to certain foods, even a tiny amount of the trigger food can cause a severe reaction.

However, not all adverse reactions such as nausea, stomach cramps and hives are linked to food allergies.

For example, people who have lactose intolerance often experience nausea after eating dairy products and especially milk.

If you react negatively to milk, this may be related to a deficiency in the enzyme lactase responsible for breaking down the lactose in milk.

When individuals with lactase deficiency drink cow’s milk or eat other dairy products, they may experience digestive upsets, typically misinterpreted as a food allergy.

Almost any food can trigger an allergic reaction. Some individuals are only allergic to one food while others may be allergic to several types of food.

Cow’s milk is the leading cause of allergic reactions in very young children.

Milk allergy affects about 2 percent to 3 percent of infants worldwide, and its signs and symptoms can be serious enough to cause distress for both the allergic child and their family.

Surprisingly, some people's food allergies are triggered by exercise.

Since the body is stimulated by exercise, a person with an exercise-induced food allergy may feel itchy and lightheaded.

Hives and anaphylaxis may occur in severe cases.

If you are dealing with this type of condition, it helps to refrain from eating a couple of hours before working out.

Some fresh fruits and vegetables may also trigger a mild allergic reaction that causes the mouth to tingle or itch. This is called cross-reactivity.

The proteins in fruits and vegetables cause the reaction because they are similar to allergy-causing proteins found in certain pollens.

Allergic reactions are different for each person. Some are mild while some can pose serious dangers to one's life.

A serious allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis.

It happens quickly after the exposure and it involves the whole body.

The tissues in the body release histamine and other substances.

This will then cause the airways to tighten and result to other symptoms such as drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness.

In extremely severe cases or if proper treatment is not administered right away, the person may die.

We wish you well in your search for healthy diet solutions and your movement towards better health in all areas.

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