Diets, nutrition, health and lifestyle -  Feed News  - Community

 

Web www.vitadidonna.it

 

Woman' Life  Who we are  Where we are  Contact us

Home women's health 

DIET - RELATED DISEASES 

Eating disorders: Anorexia and bulimia 

Food Allergies 

Diet and risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease 

 

Adult nutrition 

Child and adolescent nutrition 

Obesity and overweight 

 

Food Allergies  Surveys show about 20% of all adults believe they have food allergies. When a full evaluation and diagnosis has been performed, however, only 1 to 2% of people suffer from allergies.   Because their immune systems are not yet fully developed, young children are likely to be more affected than adults.  What is food allergy?  A food allergy is an adverse reaction to a food or food component that involves the body's immune system.   Other adverse reactions to foods involve the body's metabolism but not the immune system.

These are known as food intolerance and can include reactions to food poisoning and enzyme deficiencies, which prevent proper digestion of certain food components such as lactose (milk sugar). 

A true allergic reaction involves three primary components: Contact with the food allergen (a reaction provoking substance, usually a protein) Increased Immunogloblin E (IgE - an antibody in the immune system that reacts to allergens) Mast cells (tissue cells) and basophils (blood cells) which when in contact with IgE antibodies release histamine or other substances causing allergic symptoms 

When the body's immune system recognises an allergen in a food, it produces antibodies to block this foreign invasion.  

At the same time, the body exhibits physical symptoms such as swelling of the lips, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea, hives, rashes or eczema, a running nose and breathing problems.  

A more serious but rare reaction is anaphylactic shock which is life threatening and requires immediate medical attention. 

Allergic reactions to food are rare but may be caused by just about any food. ILSI (the International Life Sciences Institute) has categorised a list from a CODEX proposal of recognised food allergens: 'Critical' allergen: peanut 'Major' allergens: cereals containing gluten (oats, wheat, barley, rye spelt), shellfish (excluding molluscs), eggs, fish, soya, milk protein, tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecan nuts, pine kernels, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts) and sesame seeds. 'Minor' allergens: buckwheat, celery, fruits with stones (apricots, cherries, peaches and plums) 

 

What to do when food allergy is suspected? 

If an allergy to a food is suspected, it is best to avoid eating that food until a doctor is consulted to establish the causes, as factors such as one's medical condition may also produce similar symptoms.  

If however, the symptoms are associated with a food allergy, evaluation by an allergist is essential. The only reliable diagnosis of a food allergy is a combination of skin tests (application of the suspect food to the skin) and double blind oral challenges (eating food or a placebo in the form of a capsule while both the patient and the doctor are unaware of either capsule's contents). 

Living with a food allergy  Presently, no adequate treatment exists to cure food allergies permanently.   Once diagnosed, the only effective treatment is the so-called 'avoidance' diet -removing the food in question from a person's diet.   We should be aware that the removal of foods, especially staple foods, may require medical advice because of potential dietary imbalances, particularly in children.

 

 

References: European Food Information Council (EUFIC) 

 

Date last updated: 25 November 2006

Contact us 

The Association Life of Woman is regularly enrolled to the Court of Rome from 1999. All contents copyright © 2002-2006 Vitadidonna.it, unless specifically noted otherwise. All rights reserved and protected under all International Treaties and Agreements such as the Berne Convention. This internet site provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use This site is designed to be used with Internet Explorer (IE) 5 or higher, and FireFox. -  

Notes on the publicity, the privacy and informative on the services Aborto 

   Feed News