Dip into that hot sauce, and your eyes start tearing up. Fried food gives you gas, and a glass of milk could mean diarrhea later. However, reactions like these from time to time aren’t necessarily caused by your immune system but food intolerances. So how is food intolerance different from a food allergy?
The latter is a case of your body taking harmless food as something that can potentially make you sick. Eating something you’re allergic to can cause your immune system to react and protect you. This may mean reactions like itchy eyes, skin rash, or even something as severe as gasping for breath. So what trigger foods can cause these reactions?
According to FARRP or by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a number of items people consume daily account for nearly 90% of all food allergies in America alone. Hence, it’s only reasonable to identify and look out for them on food labels.
Milk
As opposed to lactose intolerance, a milk allergy is your body's reaction to proteins, and it is one of the most common allergies found among children. Even though milk is often advertised as highly nutritious, some of its components can cause swelling, rashes, and cramps in those suffering.
However, here’s the good news, it doesn’t last long among children. In fact, according to FARRP, 90% of cases by age 6 grow out of it.
Eggs
Another common allergen found to affect children after cow's milk is an egg. However, again, it is usually outgrown by the time they reach the age of 6. Some of the most prevalent reactions are those of the digestive system that get triggered due to egg white and egg yolk proteins.
Moreover, due to the similarity of proteins among eggs of different birds, people also tend to react to eggs from species such as ducks and geese.
Shellfish
Oysters, prawns, crayfish, lobsters, shrimps, and several other seafood varieties may make you ask for more, but shellfish allergies are no joke!
In some cases, this seemingly harmless allergy may not develop instantly, but in others, it engulfs the body without much warning. In fact, in rare cases, even the vapors emitted while cooking shellfish may trigger a bunch of reactions. Hence, if you are allergic to a single group of shellfish, then you're also likely to be allergic to other types.
Peanuts
It’s no surprise that peanut allergies are almost everywhere. Not only are they common among children but also among adults. However, since they are deemed fatal when compared to the rest of the food allergies, making even little contact with peanuts can cause a disproportionate amount of reaction. Moreover, since traces of them are commonly found in a number of food items, it’s important to read labels carefully before purchasing.
Soy
Your favorite canned tuna may be adding versatile flavors into your mouth, but the high quantities of soy in it can trigger reactions you may not have fathomed. Soybeans, the primary source of soy, can cause allergic reactions among children under the age of three, but adults are also susceptible to them.
Some of the most common ones include hives or itchy rashes appearing around the mouth and also anaphylaxis, but it's a rare occurrence. Unfortunately, a lot of products people consume on a daily basis carry soy in them, such as baked goods, canned tuna, infant formula, and high-protein energy bars. Again, as usual, the best course of action you can take is to check the label.
Wheat
From the grain’s amber waves to the counters of thousands of bakers, wheat is found everywhere. However, people with wheat allergies may not exactly be fond of that fact. People often confuse the condition with celiac disease, which is a pretty harmless autoimmune disorder.
Wheat allergy, on the other hand, is the body's reaction to proteins found in wheat. Even though the white blood cells in your body proactively fight against it, there are several symptoms you may experience during the process, such as swelling of the tongue and lips, shortness of breath, itching, abdominal pain, and nausea.
However, here's the good news, most people often outgrow this type of allergy by adolescence. If they take it on with them up till adulthood, then they're most likely to carry it for the rest of their lives, and the only treatment, in that case, should be a wheat-free diet.
Tree Nuts
As the name suggests, this type of allergy is a result of nuts and seeds that come from trees, and it is also thought to affect about 1% of the US population. Some of the many varieties of tree nuts include:
- Almonds
- Brazil nuts
- Cashews
- Walnuts
- Pine nuts
- Pistachios
- Macadamia nuts
Most people who are allergic to these nuts are also allergic to food products made using them, such as oils and nut butter.
Fish
Last but not least, fish allergies are also found to affect around 2% of adults. In some ways, it does seem similar to a shellfish allergy as it can also trigger serious and fatal reactions. While diarrhea and vomiting are the main symptoms, anaphylaxis is also a rare occurrence.
However, it's important to note that being allergic to fish does not necessarily mean that you're also allergic to shellfish. This is because they both carry different proteins, but those with a fish allergy may be allergic to more than one type of fish.
The Bottom Line
Unfortunately, the eight major allergens that trigger mild to severe reactions in people are still used in several food items since their presence is often “hidden,” thanks to the packaging and labeling errors. In fact, mislabeling is one of the leading causes of people purchasing food allergens from the markets in bulk and unknowingly affecting their health.
While food allergen recalls aren't a delight to deal with, they can significantly be reduced through better industry awareness and minor changes in the way ingredients, labels, and packages are handled within production facilities.
