Sugar allergy

Any food can be a food allergen. However, the immune system's fight is usually directed at a relatively narrow group of allergens.

According to doctors, sugar allergy is nothing more than a myth. Painful manifestations occur when consuming various sweets: chocolate, confectionery, a number of fruits with a high sucrose content. Most often, the cause of the allergy is any component of the sweet product, but not sugar itself.

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Is there an allergy to sugar?

Allergy is a response of the human body to the introduction of a foreign protein. Sugar or sucrose is a carbohydrate that brings a boost of energy, vivacity and good mood. In the digestive tract, sucrose breaks down into fructose and glucose, which then enter the bloodstream.

If there are undigested food residues in the intestines, sugar can intensify the processes of putrefaction, the decay products of which are actively absorbed into the circulatory system, thereby causing allergic reactions.

Is there an allergy to sugar? Modern medicine gives a clear answer to this question - there is none. Sucrose rather acts as a provocateur or intensifier of the painful condition, but is not an allergen. With an increase in blood sugar levels, existing allergic diseases progress, for example, atopic dermatitis.

Causes of Sugar Allergy

The occurrence and course of allergic conditions are caused by many factors or their combination. It is also possible that the body reacts acutely to a certain allergen, which is characterized by rapid development of symptoms.

Allergies are caused by exogenous and endogenous reasons. The first group includes physical, mechanical or chemical factors. The second group includes pathologies of internal organs.

Intolerance to sweets or causes of sugar allergy:

• hereditary predisposition;
• early acquisition of sensitivity to an allergen (even in the womb);
• influence on sensitization of cigarette smoke, industrial waste;
• periods of hormonal surge – puberty, pregnancy, menstruation, menopause;
• excessive consumption of sweets;
• helminthic invasions.

It is not necessary to eat a cake or a delicious pastry to develop an allergy; it is enough to eat fruits containing sucrose. Allergy to lactose (milk sugar) is also common.

For any food sensitivity, doctors recommend abstaining from your favorite sweets.

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Sugar allergy in children

According to medical data, food allergies are found in 6% of children, 4% of patients are among adolescents, up to 2% of all cases are among adults, and infants are the worst off – 20% of diseases.

Sugar allergy in children develops due to the following factors:

• the presence of dysbacteriosis, which is primarily associated with the underdevelopment of the immune system. As a result of immune disorders, a pathogenic effect on the intestinal microflora is observed, which triggers the suppression of pancreatic fermentation. It is the enzymatic deficiency that causes sensitivity to foreign protein;
• congenital causes - if there is an allergy sufferer in the family, then there is a high probability that the child will also develop an allergic disease.

Sweet-toothed kids do not understand that too much sweet is harmful to health, so parents should control the consumption of carbohydrate foods. The child's body will respond with a rash, hives, reddening of the skin, accompanied by incessant itching. Mild manifestations of sugar allergy are expressed by a rash on the lips, cheeks with characteristic dryness and peeling of the skin.

In teenagers, allergies are often aggravated by psycho-emotional experiences. Often, in a bad mood or depression, a child uses sugar-containing products as a doping agent - chocolate, candy, etc.

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Sugar allergy in infants

Infants are most susceptible to food allergies. Their intestines are considered to be the most permeable to foreign proteins. The newborn's stomach produces fewer active enzymes, so proteins enter the intestinal section undigested. And the baby's pancreas breaks down protein residues much more slowly.

Sugar allergy in infants occurs due to lactose intolerance (milk sugar). The fact is that babies have reduced activity of the intestinal enzyme lactase. Low levels of lactase in intestinal cells lead to disruption of the breakdown and absorption of lactose. Entering the large intestine, milk sugar serves as food for microbes that form lactic acid from it. The process is accompanied by abundant release of hydrogen.

Lactase deficiency is rarely a congenital pathology. The cause lies in intestinal infections, where a special role is given to rotavirus. The beginning of complementary feeding with milk formulas in such children occurs with acute diarrhea, which takes the form of a protracted process. Both serious diseases and drugs or anesthesia can provoke a decrease in lactase activity.

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Sugar allergy in adults

Sugar allergy in adults is more common after 50 years of age. This is due to physiological changes. People experience less need for food and sleep, associated with the expenditure of less energy.

Without following the natural changes of the body, adults begin to give free rein to their desires. Oversaturation with carbohydrate food develops into an allergic reaction with the most unpredictable consequences.

The concentration of a pink rash on a small area of skin hardly stops anyone from wanting to try all the sweet delights that they had to abstain from before. When the allergy takes on more noticeable outlines - focal spread of rashes on the body, discharge from the nose, cough, then a person begins to think. Allergic symptoms can develop into more serious diseases, such as diabetes.

Adults often behave worse than children, "eating away" problems with tasty and sweet things. If a child can be guided in the process of eating, then with adults things are more complicated.

Symptoms of Sugar Allergy

In infants, manifestations of allergies are most often characterized by diathesis (reddening of the cheeks), which is dangerous due to serious consequences. In the absence of appropriate treatment, asthma, eczema, rhinitis, neurodermatitis, and diabetes may develop.

Symptoms of sugar allergy are primarily found on the skin as various rashes, redness, itching, and peeling. The most common areas of localization are the neck, arms, face, and legs.

Patients experience gastrointestinal disorders: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Much less frequently, complaints include worsening runny nose, coughing and sneezing attacks, breathing difficulties, asthmatic conditions, and migraines.

How does sugar allergy manifest itself?

Depending on the nature of the course, allergies are divided into mild and severe forms. Severe manifestations include conditions that threaten the patient's life (Quincke's edema, serum sickness, etc.).

Allergies can develop quickly, with signs of intestinal upset appearing within minutes of eating the product. Skin reactions are observed later. Some manifestations are characterized by protracted processes, with the first symptoms appearing some time after eating sweets.

How does sugar allergy manifest itself at different ages, in each specific patient? So many people, so many clinical manifestations.

A doctor needs to be able to differentiate between allergies and food intolerances in order to prescribe the right treatment. Deficiency or absence of certain enzymes in the intestines can lead to certain foods not being broken down, which causes symptoms similar to allergies. For example, some people's bodies are unable to digest mushrooms.

Allergy to cane sugar

The popularity of brown sugar is explained by its content of plant fibers, vitamins and minerals, as well as its low calorie content.

Cane sugar is recommended for diets, for recovery after intense training, in the nutrition of children and allergy sufferers.

Black molasses, the main component of “overseas” sugar, is rich in potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, copper, iron and phosphorus.

What can cause an allergy to cane sugar? Firstly, there is an individual intolerance. Secondly, there are many types of sugar - "muscavado", "Barbados", etc. They differ in taste notes, appearance, and are used for different purposes. For example, "muscavado" is ideal for gingerbread, pomade. Thirdly, how will a specific organism react to an exotic product? Fourthly, the conditions of production and storage of any product are important for an allergy sufferer. After all, a reaction may appear not to the sugar itself, but to the existing impurities. Fifthly, any sugar can become a provocateur of the development of an allergy.

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Allergy to milk sugar

An allergy to milk sugar or lactose is associated with the body's inability to digest the product due to a lack of the digestive tract enzyme lactase.

When the absorption of milk sugar is impaired, the following occurs:

• pain in the abdominal area;
• flatulence;
• vomit;
• diarrhea.

Symptoms from the skin and respiratory system are usually not observed.

A way to prevent unpleasant conditions is to exclude lactose-containing products from your diet (all types of dairy products).

Lactose-free milk and baby food have become widespread.

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Diagnosis of sugar allergy

The doctor can recognize lactose intolerance in infants by the following symptoms: frequent “sour” stools, active gas emission.

Allergic manifestations are multifaceted, so the doctor determines the cause based on the food diary and the characteristics of the course of the disease.

Diagnosis of sugar allergy is carried out using the following methods:

• skin test - using a disposable scarifier, a scratch or skin puncture is made in the forearm area, where the allergen being tested is placed. Based on the reaction of the skin, the doctor makes a conclusion about sensitivity;
• tests for specific Ig E antibodies – causative agents are detected during examination of the patient’s venous blood;
• provocation methods – used in hospital settings with direct application of a small amount of the identified allergen;
• Elimination testing – eliminating the allergen from the diet.

Treatment of sugar allergy

Treatment of sugar allergy is carried out by stopping the intake of sugar and sweet products. Taking medications is required in particularly acute cases of the disease that threaten the patient's life. An important aspect of therapy is following a diet and keeping a food diary.

Spicy, hot dishes, canned food, products containing preservatives, dyes, flavors, etc. are excluded from the diet. An allergist is responsible for adjusting the diet, and will recommend taking vegetarian soups, vegetable oils, buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, and diabetic cookies. A diet that excludes overeating is also necessary.

Among the medications, "zaditen" stands out, used to treat adults and children over 3 years old in the amount of 1 mg in the morning and evening (during meals). Babies under six months are prescribed the medicine in the form of a syrup with a dosage of 0.05 mg per kilogram of weight, and children from six months to three years - 0.5 mg twice a day. The duration of administration is up to three months.

Acute manifestations of allergy require the use of antihistamines (suprastin, peritol, etc.) in two-week courses. When treating children with allergic manifestations, it is important to pay attention to the nature and frequency of stool, as well as monitor the amount of gastrointestinal enzymes. If necessary, it is possible to use enzyme preparations - "panzinorm", "abomin" or "pancreatin" for several weeks.

Any symptoms of allergy, especially acute ones, require consultation and observation by a specialist.

What can replace sugar if you have an allergy?

What can replace sugar in case of allergy? Rich in vitamins, minerals, and glucose vegetables and legumes.

List of foods with glucose:

• fruits and berries – grapes, cherries, plums, raspberries, watermelon, strawberries;
• vegetables – pumpkin, carrots, white cabbage.

Fructose is an excellent sugar substitute. It is contained in all the above fruits, as well as apples, pears, black currants and melon. Vegetables are less rich in fructose, only a small percentage is found in beets and cabbage.

Carbohydrates are present in bee honey, which is a natural sweet. Of course, if there is no allergy to this product.

Among the obvious advantages of fructose are its low caloric content compared to sucrose, and the possibility of using it in baking. The daily dose of fructose should not exceed 40 g, since excessive consumption increases the risk of heart disease.

Instead of sugar, you can use sweeteners such as xylitol, stevia or sorbitol.

Rowan berries contain the most sorbitol, apples and apricots contain less. Sorbitol reduces the consumption of vitamins in the body, is a choleretic substance and has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora. Sorbitol is a very high-calorie product, so it may not be suitable for people who want to lose weight. Overdose (more than 40 g per day) can be accompanied by nausea, bloating, intestinal disorders.

Xylitol is a component of most toothpastes and chewing gum. An excellent alternative to sugar, it does not cause caries, improves gastric secretion and has a choleretic effect. Large doses cause a laxative effect.

Stevia herb is a natural sugar substitute. It is much sweeter than sucrose, has no harmful effect on the body, prevents a number of diseases, and also eliminates allergic diathesis, improves sleep.

Prevention of sugar allergy

The most important condition for prevention is the correct diet of a pregnant or nursing woman, as well as a baby under one year old.

Prevention of sugar allergy includes keeping a special food diary, where you record data on sensitivity to foods and descriptions of symptoms that appear.

In cases of hereditary predisposition to allergic manifestations, it is recommended to follow a diet that excludes the main allergen products. Such people need to monitor the health of the internal systems of the body, not allowing the occurrence of chronic or protracted processes.

Methods of increasing immunity and eliminating provoking factors (for example, passive smoking) play an important role. Sometimes it is appropriate to use immune therapy based on gradual habituation to the allergen. According to doctors, desensitization is the only way to affect the cause of sugar allergy and not only, bringing a lasting effect.

Sugar allergy requires a person to be moderate in the consumption of easily digestible carbohydrates, which lead to weight problems. A balanced diet combined with an active lifestyle and a balanced mental state is the best way to prevent the development of allergies.