Are there more food allergies these days, or do we just hear about it more?

Question

As I sit here eating my Kung Pao chicken and noticing all the peanuts, it just made me wonder. It seems like there are so many people with deadly allergies to nuts or shellfish, and less-deadly but still troublesome allergies to dairy products. If we really do have more food allergies, why ???

Answer 1

There are a lot of picky and whiny people in the world.
There are a lot of germophobes in the world.
People are exposing their kids to less and less in the world.

And none of the above have anything to do with the quantity and quality of allergies nowadays.

The simple truth is there are very few people who are allergic to 'food'. Most people are allergic to or sensitive to an additive or chemical that has become part of the food through our modern growing, packaging, storing of foods. All of these processes require manipulation of the food, manipulation by chemical means.

There is a growing body of research that says that there are few, very few people that start out actually allergic to peanuts. Most peanuts, even most labeled organic have various chemicals added to the soil, the plant, in the cooking or processing. These chemicals set up a 'sensitivity' in the human body in some people, a sensitivity that is then 'connected' to that food's protein or amino acids. When that body then receives that protein or amino acid, an allergic reaction occurs, even if the original, sensitizing agent is not there.

Another reason is that we live hermetically sealed lives, sealed IN with all kinds of offending toxins other generations were either never exposed to, or not exposed to in such concentrations and for such duration. Once you have a sensitivity to one substance, it is very likely you will develop a sensitivity to another substance. It is not about the substance per se, it is about your body's reaction to stimuli.

A lot of people report food allergies due to digestion issues. These types of allergies again can be related in large part to the type of diets modern Americans consume. Again, a big factor is the manipulations substances such as wheat go thru, the chemical exposures of these substances, which make people first sensitive to the substance then allergic to the food. Some of this can be addressed by eating a more varied diet starting in childhood and some of it can be addressed by improving the overall diet. I know people who are lactose intolerant, yet think nothing of the quantity, quality and source of other fats in their diets.

Another reality is that there are people, population groups who are intolerant of some foods historically. Hence, the Jewish restriction against shell fish, for example. Since we now live in a global village with no more than six degrees of separation from every other person on the planet, allergies to specific things are no longer restricted to specific genetic groups.

Then there is the Darwin theory. Allergies are carried in our genetic code, and if the right genes combine, the resulting person will have allergies. In earlier times, people WERE allergic to foods, bee stings, etc. The difference is they DIED, probably relatively young i.e., before they procreated and passed on their allergies.

Ultimately, I feel it is both misinformed and insulting to say that people are just being wimps or cry babies. People who have allergies to hay fever, cats, etc., are no more to blame than those who are allergic to peanuts or shellfish, and neither should be ridiculed or demonized by small minded, mean people. Speaking as someone who had never an allergy to ANYTHING, who suddenly came up allergic to the neurotoxin MSG, I can assure you life is much easier and simpler not having to worry about the next allergic reaction that may just end your life. Wanting to take responsibility for myself and take control of my own life and destiny requires me to be pretty picky about what I eat, which may be a pain in the butt to some waitress, but too bad. If I am the worst thing a waitress has to deal with that week, she had a pretty good week. Ultimately, those of us with allergies to these unnatural substances in life, whether it is lead in paint, formaldehyde in carpeting or MSG in food, are doing the rest of the world a favor. Because of our hyper-sensitivity to these things, we are making the world a safer place for the everyone else. And maybe someday fewer and fewer people will develop these allergies because they will be less and less exposed to these offending substances.

Answer 2

Allergies have always been around. They are just more recognized now. I hear old people talking about all kinds of problems that they had as kids. But back then (30s, 40s, 50s) the parents put up with less "nonsense" and the kids just kind of had to keep it to themselves. I am sure that lack of understanding of allergies is part of how some old wives tales got started and contributed to the rate of babies and young kids dieing unexpectedly. I think that maybe food allergies get worse with time as people try to immunize themselves to the world. Kind of like how using too many antibiotics or antibacterial soaps can make some germs stronger. Maybe too much carefully processing the foods and selecting the fabrics we are exposed to is making us more sensitive to seemingly harmless foods.

Answer 3

I think it's two things, but the main reason is #2:

1. People are wimps these days and will look for any excuse to whine, be picky, and get special treatment.

2. When kids aren't little, they aren't exposed to as many foods and allergens anymore - too many parents don't even make their kids try new foods, and won't let them get dirty playing outside, where they inevitably eat dirt, plants, and get exposed to pollens, mold, and dander. And they use too much antibacterial soap.

Hence, while the immune system is in its formative years, it is not being exposed to things that could potentially harm it, therefore it is not building up the useful life-long antibodies that help the body resist disease and allergic reaction. Less breast-feeding and more formula explains the lactose allergies.

I read that a generation ago, the average kid ended up eating about 7 pounds of dirt, etc, while growing up! All this dirt and organic material helps a child's immune system grow strong and resistant to various allergens, including foods.

If you don't want your kids to be allergic to everything, make sure they get plenty of fresh air and time to play outside - don't let the TV or PlayStation babysit them. Expose them to new places and climates, and especially to new foods! Don't let them refuse an item at dinner - make them at least try everything! Plus, that way if there really is a meaningful allergic reaction, you can find out about it right away and get it treated.

Answer 4

There are over 100 known food allergies. The ones that we constantly hear about are the most common.

Answer 5

See, there are more and more people becoming afraid of icky nasty germs, therefore, people are constantly washing their hands, etc. And because they do this, they loose their own bodies ability to fight of germs and to have immunities. This is the same with food. People have overwhelmed their bodies with germ killing chemicals, making their bodies helpless to even digest something as simple as a peanut....

However, this is only a theory.

Answer 6

lol i am allergic to milk shellfish and all sorts of stuff but not nuts nope perfectly fine with nuts most of it is geneology i runs in the family

Answer 7

We probably have more because of all the chemicals and pesticides used in the growing and processing of foods nowadays.

Answer 8

There are just more wimps in the world today.

Answer 9

IF YOU WORRY ABOUT EVERY THING YOU EAT YOU WOULDN'T EAT ANYTHING AT ALL.
LET THE BUMD SH++ WORRY ABOUT IT AND YOU EAT WHAT EVER YOU WANT TO.
HAVE A GOOD LUNCH.