John Myers
The nut cake tasted delicious, but shortly after the last bite you suddenly got an itchy rash and your stomach was rumbling? Then you may be suffering from a food allergy. We explain how this happens.
This is what happens with food allergies
The intestines are on high alert, an unpleasant skin rash develops, and the mucous membranes in the mouth swell: such symptoms can result from a food allergy. The immune system reacts to certain food components with a defensive reaction that can show up on the skin, in the digestive system, or in the respiratory tract. A food intolerance such as lactose intolerance, in which the body lacks the breakdown enzyme for lactose in the small intestine, must be distinguished from an allergy. In the case of an allergic reaction, on the other hand, the body regards foreign proteins as dangerous and forms antibodies against them. However, that does not mean that a generally low-protein diet is indicated.
These foods are possible triggers
Food allergies can basically affect all types of food, even low-protein ones like fruits and vegetables. The reason is the so-called pollen-associated food allergy, which mainly affects adults. If the immune system forms antibodies against the proteins in pollen, a so-called cross-allergy can occur: Proteins in food that are similar in structure then also trigger allergic reactions. The most common food allergies include those against
- Nuts, peanuts, and seeds
- Milk
- Wheat
- Seafood and fish
- Pome and stone fruit
- Celery
- carrots
- Soy products
- Chicken eggs
When and how do allergies appear?
Whether symptoms occur and what happens with a food allergy depends, among other things, on age. A milk protein allergy in children often disappears again when they reach school age. Others only develop over the course of life. In particular, pollen-associated food allergies can occur very suddenly and violently: the life-threatening anaphylactic shock is feared. A food allergy should definitely be treated by a doctor. If you are not sure whether you have a food allergy, the dermatologist can diagnose it with a food allergy test.
Victims can do that
If you have an allergy, you should avoid the allergen – i.e. the triggering protein. This requires precise knowledge of the foods in which it is contained. The right diet in the case of a wheat allergy, for example, not only includes avoiding wheat, but also avoiding spelt, spelled, einkorn, kamut, bulgur, couscous, wheat-based starch, and other foods that can sometimes be hidden on the list of ingredients in ready-made products.
