marzo 05, 2021 3 min read

Are You Worried about Food Allergy Symptoms? Find out Alternatives and Remedies

Food allergies are a primary health concern in the United States. Although food allergy symptoms are common to observe, no treatment is available for food allergies. Thus, the only option to treat food allergy is by avoiding the allergen.

What Are Food Allergies?

Generally, food allergy is the response of our body against offensive food. Our body senses the harmful element in the food that might affect our body health. It then triggers our immune system to respond against it by producing histamine.

 Food intolerances are often mixed with food allergy symptoms. The most common food allergies are IgE-medicated ones. Generally, they cause the immune system to react.

 The Eight Most Common Food Allergies

Below given is the list of eight foods causing over 90 % of food allergies:

  1. Cow’s Milk

This protein allergy affects 2-7.5% of children. Milk proteins contain allergenic epitopes, so causing the allergy.

  1. Eggs

Hen’s egg allergy can affect 0.5-2.5% of young children. Eczema is the most common symptom of this allergy.

  1. Soy

This food allergy can affect 0.4% of children. Soy formula is an alternative for children having an allergy to cow’s milk.

  1. Wheat 

Wheat allergy; a gluten sensitivity allergic reaction prevails in 5% global population. This allergy happens when a response occurs against proteins present in wheat. 

  1. Peanuts 

This allergy affects children (1%) and adults (0.6%). It also causes the highest number of deaths in the U.S. Symptoms of peanut allergy are commonly observable.

  1. Tree Nuts

Tree nuts allergies can affect about 1% of the general population. Generally, nuts causing allergies are hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts and almonds. 

  1. Fish 

The general prevalence of fish food allergy is about 0.2-2.29%. However, it is about 8% among workers in the fish processing industry. 

  1. Shellfish 

Shellfish allergy is prevalent in 0.5-5% of the population. Besides, its symptoms include skin allergic reactions. 

 Allergic Reaction Symptoms

Food allergy symptoms are common and are easily visible. They usually start appearing after 2 hours of eating the food. They include:

  • Stomach problems particularly, vomiting and cramps
  • Lungs issues specifically, coughing, wheezing and breathing problems 
  • Skin problems generally pale color and tongue swelling

 Food Intolerance Test

 Food intolerance tests measure food sensitivity. IgG antibody in the body fights against allergenic foods. For this reason, the test comprises reacting different food components with IgG to check immune reactions.

IgG antibodies are present in both allergic and non-allergic persons. Therefore, it has a limited validity ratio. The person having high IgE does not always have high IgG. Other diagnostic tests are blood test and food removal test.

 Six Ways to Reduce Symptoms of Food Allergies

Some of the natural treatments for food allergies are:

  1. GAPS Diet

This meal plan boosts the immune system and prevents toxins from entering the body. It encourages people to use probiotic-rich foods.

  1. Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes help in digesting food particles and are a remedy against allergens.

  1. Probiotics 

Their primary function is to boost the immune system and reduce the risk of food allergy. Probiotics enhance the immune defense of the gut.

  1. MSM 

MSM supplements improve immune function and restore healthy body tissues. It also relieves digestive and skin issues.

  1. Vitamin B5

It maintains a healthy digestive tract and helps in controlling food allergy symptoms.

  1. L-glutamine 

This amino acid repairs the leaky gut and boost immune health. Thus, it inhibits oxidative stress.

 

Therefore, the best way to reduce food allergy is to avoid taking foods causing the allergy. Yet, many alternatives are available that can replace the food causing allergy.