Allergenic foods

Cow, egg, fish, seafood, tree seeds, peanuts, soy and wheat are the culprits of up to 90% of food allergies.

There are more than 160 types of foods that can cause allergies, of which 8 are mainly. Many countries such as the US, Canada, EU, Japan, Australia and New Zealand are required to specify these allergenic ingredients on the packaging of all foods:

Dairy cows

Cow milk is the main culprit causing food allergies in young children. About 2-3% of babies are allergic to milk. Thankfully, when I was 6 years old, 90% of these children went away on their own.

Cow's milk allergy is related to an immune response against one or both of the milk proteins, casein and serum protein (whey protein) . These proteins are also present in other mammalian milk, so cow's milk allergy is often allergic to goat's milk and sheep's milk.

Cow's milk protein allergy often causes skin manifestations (erythema, urticaria, dermatitis, eczema), gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, digestive disorders), and respiratory (dyspnea, asthma) right in First hour after use. Severe allergies can cause anaphylaxis, a high risk of death. Clinically, cow's milk allergy is often mistaken for cow's milk intolerance, a condition with genetic causes, due to lack of lactose digestive enzymes.

Cow's milk allergy increases the risk of allergies to other foods as well as nasal allergies. Up to 10% of babies allergic to cow's milk will react to beef.

Egg

Eggs are the second most common cause of food allergies in young children, about 1.5% of babies are allergic to chicken eggs. This situation is less common in adults, 80% of children get rid of egg allergies when they are 6 years old.

Most allergenic proteins are in the white, while yolk proteins are less allergenic. Due to the similarity between chicken egg protein and other eggs, people who are allergic to chicken eggs are often allergic to duck eggs and eggs . Using chicken meat duck does not cause any trouble.

Egg allergies often cause skin manifestations (dermatitis, urticaria) and digestion (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting). The first dermatologic reaction may appear only a few minutes after the administration of the egg, while the gastrointestinal manifestations are often very different in appearance, severity, and duration. Anaphylaxis and respiratory reactions (difficulty breathing, coughing, asthma attacks) after eating eggs have also been reported.

High temperature does not reduce egg allergy.

Fish

Fish allergies usually begin in adulthood, people with allergies rarely get rid of this condition. The disease is common in people who eat fish.

Although fish are extremely diverse, the main allergen component of all fish is parvalbumin protein . People who react to a fish are often allergic to other fish.

Fish allergies often cause skin and gastrointestinal manifestations, which appear immediately after eating. Sometimes there may be a systemic reaction, including anaphylaxis.

High temperatures do not destroy the allergy of parvalbumin, so avoiding eating fish is the only way to prevent it.

Shrimps and crabs

Seafood allergies with hard shells such as shellfish often occur in older children and adults, especially in areas where people often eat shellfish. People who are allergic to shellfish are also allergic to molluscs such as clams, oysters, snails, mussels, clams .

Allergic symptoms include mild localized oral reactions (mouth, throat itching) to a life-threatening, systemic reaction. Sometimes there may be gastrointestinal and respiratory manifestations.

High temperatures do not reduce the allergy of this food group, so allergic people need to avoid all kinds of shrimp and crabs.

Artwork: Therootofhealth.com

Lost

About 0.5-1% of children are allergic. Unlike milk and egg allergies, this disease is less self-limiting, 75% of babies are still allergic to adulthood.

Peanut is a legume native to South America, with the same family name as beans, soy beans. Allergic culprits are reserve proteins, nutritional sources for later plant growth. The two most allergenic proteins are vicilin and albumin, which are still stable at high temperatures, but baked baked allergies are more allergy than boiled or roasted peanuts.

Clinical manifestations of allergies may include oral allergies (itchy mouth and throat) or difficulty breathing (asthma), even anaphylaxis. In all types of food allergies, allergies to peanuts are often the most severe. Peanuts can cause strong allergies during the first use. Symptoms of tingling in the lips when exposed to peanuts are warning signs of a strong reaction that may occur. In a few cases, just inhaling peanut or minimal skin inhalation, even kissing can lead to peanut allergies.

About 80% of children with allergies will respond right away at the first contact. It is unclear why the body has an allergic reaction when not in direct contact with the peanut before. It is hypothesized that babies have become accustomed to peanut protein while in the womb or during breastfeeding. The allergic allergy is often allergic to nuts such as chestnuts, cashews, almonds, and chestnuts .

The hypoallergenic threshold was recorded as 1 milligram (one peanut has an average weight of 500-1000 mg). This means that 1 in 1,000 peanuts can trigger an allergic reaction in some patients.

Tree nuts

Nuts such as chestnuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pine nuts . are considered to have the greatest allergenic potential, meaning that only a very small amount is enough to cause reactions. violently. About 0.5% of the population is allergic to these particles, the disease rarely goes away on its own. Children who are allergic to a tree seed will also be allergic to other nuts and may be cross-allergic to peanuts. Cashew allergy is thought to be heavier than peanut allergy.

Clinical symptoms include mild signs of reactions such as perioral or systemic rash, abdominal pain, and vomiting. Severe cases can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, hoarseness due to respiratory allergies. Very severe cases can cause fainting, even anaphylaxis, leading to death.

Reacting violently with particles can be triggered by a small amount of food (sometimes just through skin contact or breathing), people with allergies need to absolutely avoid these foods.

Wheat

0.4% of young children are allergic to wheat. About 80% will go away when they are 6 years old. Wheat allergy is a special immune response to certain wheat proteins.

Symptoms often include mild local reactions of the skin, throat and intestines; Anaphylaxis is very rare. Difficult to distinguish clinical symptoms due to allergies to cases of gluten intolerance or gluten malabsorption syndrome (Celiac disease). Gluten intolerance causes severe intestinal symptoms, but does not cause bowel damage as in Celiac disease. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, oats, barley, rye .

Soybean

Although there are many reports of soy allergies, it is difficult to determine the true rate. Many cases of allergies to other types of beans may carry anti-soybean IgE but no reaction when using this product.

Allergy to soybeans is mainly noted in children with eczema (atopic dermatitis), babies usually get rid of allergies after 1-2 years of not using soybeans. This phenomenon is less common in adults.

Allergies to soy foods can cause itching and swelling in the throat, nausea, diarrhea, allergic rhinitis or asthma and urticaria. In severe cases, patients may have low blood pressure, shortness of breath.

Inhaling soybean meal at work can lead to respiratory symptoms such as rhinitis or asthma. Patients who are allergic to inhalation of bushes are not unusual to eat food from this food. Soybean dust was the culprit causing the asthma epidemic of porters in some Spanish port cities during 1981-1987 as well as in New Orleans (USA) in the 1950s and 1960s.

Doctor Tran Thu Thuy