Are you allergic to certain food? Educate yourself about common food allergies and food intolerances.
Health Canada estimates that food allergies affect as many as 6% of young children and 3% to 4% of adults. According to statistics posted on the U.S. FDA site, food allergies affect about two per cent of adults and four to eight per cent of children in the United States, and the number of young people with food allergies has increased over the last decade – research attributed to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
So while the percentages might seem like a small section of the population, chances are that you probably know someone who has some kind of food allergy or food intolerance. Whether it’s peanuts or a particular kind of edible oil, food allergies can often cause a lot of distress and discomfort. And it’s not just kids who suffer from food allergies.
What are food allergies?
In a nutshell, some food proteins are mistaken to be harmful to the body. Seen as harmful to the body, your defence mechanism kicks in and starts releasing chemicals that it believes will protect the body and return to its original state. Reactions to food allergies can be varied – skin breakouts, rash, cardiovascular problems, an upset stomach are common. At the severe end of things, food allergies can be fatal if not handled in time.
Food sensitivities can express themselves in several ways. On the more extreme end, you may suffer from severe food allergies but you also may just be intolerant to certain kinds of food or certain ingredients used in a particular creation. The biggest difference between food allergy and food intolerance is that the former involves the immune system while the latter does not. Many people often mistake a food intolerance to be a food allergy simply because sometimes the reactions to certain food may be similar. Food intolerances can also go away in time as a person’s tolerance to different foods changes at different points in their lives.
The most common food intolerances include lactose-intolerance where a person’s body cannot digest lactose that is present in milk and dairy products. If you’re intolerant to a particular food, it likely means that your body is unable to digest or process the food and/or proteins it contains. Health Canada says that it would take a substantial portion of food to cause a reaction. This may be in the form of an upset stomach or nausea. If you have a food allergy on the other hand, it would take just a mere morsel of a food item to cause a reaction. Some people are highly sensitive and so may display allergic reactions to the mere smell of certain foods, even if they’re not in the immediate vicinity.
Common Food Allergens:
Health Canada, working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, highlights nine prominent food items that are known to cause food allergies. These include:
* Peanuts
* Eggs
* Milk
* Tree Nuts
* Wheat
* Soy
* Sesame Seeds
* Seafood (Fish, Crustaceans and Shellfish)
* Sulphites
Important things to know about living with food allergies:
KNOW that you have a food allergy. Speak to a medical professional who may recommend tests to find which food items you are allergic to. Once you know what items you’re allergic to, you can avoid or minimise the intake of those food items.
ASK what certain food preparations contain at restaurants or at any other place you eat. Many restaurants in Canada participate in Allergy Aware, a program to prevent severe allergic reactions. Inform the restaurant that you do have an allergy and in most cases, they are happy to comply with your request.
READ food labels to find out if the product contains any allergens or related products that may cause a reaction. If you’re not sure about a product, contact the manufacturer and find out more.
GET help in case of severe allergic reactions. Don’t wait for things to get worse before you head down to meet your doctor or medical professional.
AVOID eating and consuming items that you know cause a reaction. As difficult as it may be, it’s better to prevent an allergic reaction than having to deal with its consequences.
Want more information? Visit Health Canada
Other resources:
U.S. FDA
It is not just living with food allergies that can be a problem. I have sensitive skin and getting a pedicure causes problems. Most of the time the pedicure involves a foot massage, which in itself is great, but the moisturizers cause problems. Every massage I have experienced is great untill my skin breaks out with a rash caused by the ingredients of the moisturizer. I think the perfumes are the culpert. I always warn people of my problem but for some reason no one believes me until the rash appears. I have learned to go to people that are used to me as I have made a believer of them.
Posted by: groundhog.judy | March 30, 2011 at 03:29 PM