Food Allergens

Food Allergens
Up to 6 percent of children and 2 percent of adult differ from food allergy-the body’s immune system reacting to certain substance in food, usually a protein.

The immune system misinterprets a chemical component of a food as harmful and releases histamines and other chemicals to combat it, which results in hives, swelling, itching vomiting, diarrhea, cramps or difficulty breathing.

Severe reactions may cause anaphylaxis, which can result in death.

Eight foods-egg, wheat, peanuts, milk, soy, tree nuts (such as walnuts and almonds) fish and shellfish – cause 90 percent of all food allergies.

The only way to prevent al allergic reaction is to avoid that food entirely.

Food intolerance often is confused with food allergy since the symptoms are often the same.

Food intolerance is an adverse reaction to a food that does not involve the immune system.

A person with lactose intolerance lacks an enzymes needed to digest a form of sugar present in milk.

Consuming milk products causes symptoms such as gas, bloating and abdominal pain, but does not involve any immune system response.
Food Allergens