The 3 most common foods that cause allergies
What to avoid when you have a food allergy? How to know if it’s whether a food allergy or a food intolerance?
The safest way to prevent an allergy reaction and manage all the symptoms is to stay away from the food that is prone to it. What is the difference between a food allergy or a food intolerance? What food to avoid? We will go through everything in this article.
What is a food allergy and what are the symptoms?
A food allergy results in a reaction from your immune system that occurs right after eating certain food. Usually harmless, if you are sensitive, even a tiny amount of them can create an allergic reaction.
Most of the time, the symptoms may be uncomfortable, but not severe. However, it is possible to have strong reactions which lead to be frightening and even life-threatening.
The most common symptoms include:
- Hives, itching, atopic dermatitis such as eczema;
- Tingling or itching in the mouth;
- Swelling of the mouth, face, tongue, and sometimes, even throat;
- Nasal congestion, difficulty breathing;
- Digestive problems, nausea or vomiting;
- Low blood pressure.
What is the difference with a food intolerance?
Compares to the food allergy, this is not your immune system that reacts, but your body itself. You may be able to eat small amounts of this food without trouble and even preventing reactions by using a food alternative or taking an enzyme pill to aid digestion.
The causes of a food intolerance include:
- Irritable bowel syndrome;
- Sensitivity to food additives;
- Celiac disease;
- Lack of an enzyme needed to fully digest the food;
- Histamine toxicity.
The 3 most common foods that are prone to allergies
Cow’s Milk
This is the most common childhood allergies, it occurs mainly when babies and children have been exposed to cow’s milk before they are six months old. (1) A milk allergy is mainly because of the whey or casein, the proteins in cow’s milk, which is not the same as lactose intolerance.
Children who are allergic to cow’s milk are more likely to develop other allergic reactions to other foods such as eggs, soy or peanuts. The most common symptoms of milk allergy are atopic disease, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, or eczema. (2)
Eggs
This is the second most common childhood allergies, but usually disappear at a very young age. However, it happens that some people remain allergic to eggs the rest of their lives.
A person can be allergic to a certain protein in either the yolk or the egg white. Indeed, the proteins in egg differ if they are in the white or the yolk part of the egg. (3) Yet most of the proteins that trigger an allergy are mainly in egg whites, so an egg white allergy is the most common. The good news is, a person with an egg allergy to egg whites can tolerate egg yolks and vice versa.
Wheat
A wheat allergy is a typical response from the immune system to one of the proteins found in wheat. Like other allergies, it can result in digestive distress, hives, vomiting, rashes and sometimes, more severe reactions.
It is often confused with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which can have similar digestive symptoms. (4) They are not life-threatening, whereas a true wheat allergy is a serious condition and result in severe reaction allergies such as anaphylaxis.
Conclusion
The 3 food allergies mentioned above are the most common ones. However, there are many more such as peanut, soy, fish and also, shellfish allergies.
It is necessary to see a doctor or allergist if you have symptoms related to food allergy shortly after eating certain foods. If possible, try to see your doctor when the allergic reaction occurs so it can be quickly diagnoses.
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