Food allergies: what are they?

True food allergies are relatively rare: they occur in approximately 5-8% of children, or in 1-3% of adults. However, as many people have food allergies that go unrecognized, the number of people with this type of allergy is likely to be higher than official statistics indicate. Food allergies that develop in the first few years of life will in many cases disappear. In adults, on the other hand, they often persist throughout life, but their appearance can change. It should be noted that there is no upper age limit when a person can develop a food allergy.

Allergens in food

Food allergies are distinguished from other allergies (e.g. pollen allergies ) by their symptoms, but not by their underlying mechanisms.

The most common triggers of food allergies include [1]:

• cow’s milk (rather in children),
• chicken eggs (rather in children),
• soya,
• nuts and seeds
• wheat,
• fish,
• fruit (e.g. peaches or apples),
• vegetables (eg celery).

As part of a sufficiently varied diet , we take in up to 170 substances in our food, which in principle can cause allergies. We refer to these substances as food allergens. These include primarily proteins , but also some food additives .

An Alien Called “Food”

In the case of a food allergy, the body considers one or more substances in food to be harmful, although these substances are harmless in themselves. The defense response of the immune system is very beneficial in the case of parasites , viruses , bacteria or other pathogens , but not in the case of food or its components . Allergic problems begin to occur when the body starts a “fight” against harmless food components, creates antibodies against them and activates the defense cells of the immune system . This process, called sensitization, typically takes place in such a way that so-called immunoglobulins E ( IgE ) are produced against protein allergens , which bind to the cells of the immune system inducing inflammation in the body and “bring them to life”. In the case of gluten and some food additives, it is usually an immunopathological reaction IV. type , the trigger of which is not IgE, but directly cells of the immune system (see the article Allergy: what is it? ).

However, if IgE has already been formed in the past, then upon re-contact with the allergen , a huge amount of inflammatory substances are released into the bloodstream , which trigger an early-type allergic reaction . Months to years can pass between sensitization to a certain allergen and the first symptoms, if the person has not consumed the corresponding food in the meantime.

Immediate and delayed reactions

The symptoms of an immunopathological reaction of type I usually appear very quickly (within a few minutes), but sometimes with a delay (after one to two hours). Individual manifestations can be very different. The problems mostly affect the “swallowing tract” (that is, the lips, mouth and esophagus ) and then the digestive tract . But symptoms can also appear in the nose and deeper in the respiratory tract , on the skin , and also in the eyes. The places on the body where allergic problems manifest themselves, i.e. in the case of IgE allergy, do not have to be the same as the places where the organism encountered the allergen.

Food components are also absorbed into the bloodstream , so the cardiovascular system can also be affected at the same time . There can be a drop in blood pressure up to anaphylactic shock – in this case, the allergy directly threatens a person’s life. Allergic problems can be aggravated by physical exertion, alcohol consumption and the use of certain medicines . It cannot be said that some food allergens show typical symptoms.

You can find more detailed information in the article Allergies: what is it?

Note: Information about food allergies and food intolerances obtained, for example, from the Internet cannot replace professional diagnosis and personal advice from a specialist, in this case an allergist . If you try to “self-diagnose” yourself, you can easily end up with malnutrition or malnourishment. Therefore, a consultation with a nutritionist may be appropriate.

Differences between men and women

Scientific research proves that gender-specific differences play an important role in the development of food allergies and food intolerances. Females are significantly more sensitive than males after reaching puberty, which points to a direct negative effect of female hormones . Female sex hormones increase the risk and severity of asthma and food allergies.

What are the causes of sex-specific differences?

Estrogen in women causes increased permeability of the skin and mucous membranes . Increased intake of allergenic foods therefore leads to the appearance of allergy symptoms more often in women. In addition, women have a lower metabolic rate . The severity of allergic reactions can be very different: from IgE-mediated food allergies (with a potentially high risk of life-threatening reactions) to celiac disease to histamine intolerance and lactose intolerance .

From puberty onwards, food allergies affect more women than men. In addition, women develop serious anaphylactic reactions more often in connection with physical activity . It is interesting that some allergens cause allergic reactions more often in women, specifically, for example, berries (blackberries, strawberries, currants, etc.) and fruits. This also points to sex-specific differences in lifestyle.

Try to avoid allergy triggers

The only sensible measure in the case of food allergies and intolerances is to avoid triggers – i.e. substances to which a person is allergic. Women usually follow this strategy better than men, but often with the fact that they do not undergo a professional diagnosis by an allergist. Therefore, there is an increased risk of malnutrition for them.