A rating of the most dangerous food allergens
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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When it comes to food allergies, the first thing that comes to mind is chocolate, strawberries, mandarins ... In fact, there is no stable "popularity rating" of allergens, and it looks different in different parts of the world. The same chocolate almost never causes allergies in Aboriginal people living on the banks of the Paraiba do Sul river - a weak decoction of cocoa beans has been feeding babies deprived of mother's milk for many centuries ...
If we talk about statistics in Russian allergology, then officially it has not been made yet, but practicing doctors say that there is a list of common products that at different ages (this is important!) Can trigger an allergic reaction.
From Mom and Dad
Age and heredity are key moments in the likelihood of allergies to this or that food. The fact is that at the age of 12 months, allergies can cause almost any food - simply because of the immaturity of the digestive system. In this age category, the most common allergy to proteins of any milk, except for the mother, as well as meat, fish, poultry. The baby's organism can protest against quite harmless, it would seem, potatoes and cabbage, as well as many cereals, even the most "hypoallergenic" buckwheat. Up to three years, children are more likely to be allergic to most brightly colored foods - red and orange fruits, vegetables, as well as "chemical" sweets and soda. But at an older age, there are fewer reasons for food allergy.
At the place of residence
For adults, it is also impossible to compile an exact list of provocative products, since it strongly depends on the region of residence, as well as the racial and national identity of the individual. If to speak about inhabitants of an average strip of Russia at them the allergy on following products is statistically more often:
- Sea fish, seafood.
- Chicken eggs.
- Some types of citrus fruits (usually mandarins and oranges). Lemons, grapefruits and sweets cause allergies much less often.
- Nuts (hazelnut peanuts).
- Honey and other products of beekeeping.
- Poultry meat, lamb and beef.
- Red and black summer berries - strawberries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, blueberries.
- Ready-made mustard, as well as products that it includes (mayonnaise, salad dressing).
- Cocoa and products containing it.
- Grapes.
Dairy rivers
As for the allergy to milk and dairy products, here the opinions of experts differ. However, in general, it is considered that most often allergy is caused by whole "paired" milk that has not undergone any heat treatment or fermentation. Rarely allergic to sour-milk products. In addition, especially allergies to milk protein are confused with lactose intolerance, which in itself is not an allergy.
All diseases from nerves
According to the doctor-allergist Mikhail Koshman, the occurrence of an allergic reaction to a particular product affects the presence of chronic diseases - autoimmune, digestive system or broncho-pulmonary:
"It has already been proven that a food allergy is more likely to occur against a background of general unhappiness in the body," says the doctor. - For example, an indirect cause may be chronic gastritis, ulcerative colitis, pancreatitis, an outflow of bile. Also, allergies to new foods are often manifested during clinical depression, increased nervous excitability, epilepsy. And more recently, we are increasingly confronted with food allergies, which suddenly appeared in adulthood against the background of sharp obesity - in particular, in newly given women.
In addition, according to the doctor, an increase in the number of people who are allergic to a particular product, leads to the spread of low-quality semi-finished products. The fact is that many artificial industrial additives (especially dyes, humectants and thickeners) are so alien to our body that they can turn into a potentially dangerous product from the point of view of an allergy, even ordinary pelmeni or frozen cutlets.
Therefore, simple advice from a doctor: do not be lazy to cook at home from the simplest foods - meat, milk, vegetables, cereals: this is the most reliable way to protect yourself from many food allergens. At the same time, you will save ...
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