Are all these food allergies real?

MrsR0SE

Too many processed foods, too many pesticides, too many hormones in meats. Not scientific at all. No study to back up anything I said. Just a thought. Hope someone can answer this I am curious too. Seems like every poster on the forum has an allergy to something. *shrugs*

It doesn't bother me personally. But, I just want to understand it. I can't tell if people are really having problems, or if there's a weird social epidemic where people want to have a problem and they make it up. Ha, ha. The mind is so powerful, I think you can make yourself think you are allergic to something and actually have the physical reactions of being allergic, but you aren't really allregic. LOL. I'm just curious. It's fascinating.

It's very unlikely that my 3 year old son was imagining his anaphylactic reaction to a cashew nut. Perhaps people should use the definition of anaphylaxis to describe a life-threatening allergy, instead of 'allergy' which seems to be misunderstood nowadays.
Edited to add: we've never had an over-santised environment, and no IVF involved, lol

risenonlytofall

Yes, it is awful. The farmers around here don't even want to deal with the big M that tries to promote their company as such a family loving, environementally friendly, gag, gag, gag.............

The billboards around here make me sick.

I bet. I'm still bitter because I found out one of my county's locally based "organic" food companies pumped $500,000 into suppressing GMO food labeling. It's so frustrating because I just want information that should be available BY DEFAULT.

Oh yes. I know Whole Foods backed up Monsanto a whole lot in this mess.

I have also heard from others that live in California that it is possible that there was ballot tampering and that the measure might have actually passed.

I was praying for rop 37 to pass in California as a first so that it would spark and unite other states to join in also.

Of course Missouri would want no parts of it because they are big Monsanto lovers around these here parts.

Monsanto paid for some INCREDIBLY misleading ads that were shown all throughout the valley. They were chock full of lies and scare tactics. Gross.

We're not giving up, though. One good thing that's come from it is I know exactly which companies to stay away from in my area. I already kept a list, now it's a little longer.

dorianaldyn

I think the explosion in IVF and that ilk is helping keep genetic codes surviving when they should be dying out. You have a couple who can't get pregnant via intercourse, so they spend $$$ to get his sperm and her eggs mixed in a dish and implanted in a uterus to have the kid(s) they've wanted. I'm not bashing on IVF, just pointing out that maybe people who can't get pregnant "naturally" shouldn't muck around.

*awaits flaming*

Yeah... having experienced a taste of infertility myself, it's not something I would ever, ever wish on anyone and I fully support whatever responsible (ie not octomom craziness) medical treatment a couple seeks in order to fulfill their dream of having a child. IVF is a relatively new technology, and the amount of IVF children out there cannot possibly account for the dramatic rise in food allergies amongst the general population. In fact, of the kids I know that have food allergy issues, none of them were the result of assisted reproductive technology, nor were their parents. If you're apt to believe in evolution, the forces that will shape and evolve modern humans are far different from what shaped early humans. Personal wealth, access to quality healthcare, etc. are far more important than, say, quick reflexes and a good spear throwing arm. I do not think that IVF is causing us to breed a bunch of genetically inferior humans.

I do think there is a huge difference between a true allergy and an intolerance. I also think people throw around the word "allergy" far too loosely, doing a disservice to those with true allergies. I also think gluten-free is a fad for many (for some it is necessary). I also think paleo is a fad. The weight loss industry practically invented fads! It's always going to be something.

jbwegner

I think the explosion in IVF and that ilk is helping keep genetic codes surviving when they should be dying out. You have a couple who can't get pregnant via intercourse, so they spend $$$ to get his sperm and her eggs mixed in a dish and implanted in a uterus to have the kid(s) they've wanted. I'm not bashing on IVF, just pointing out that maybe people who can't get pregnant "naturally" shouldn't muck around.

*awaits flaming*

Yeah... having experienced a taste of infertility myself, it's not something I would ever, ever wish on anyone and I fully support whatever responsible (ie not octomom craziness) medical treatment a couple seeks in order to fulfill their dream of having a child. IVF is a relatively new technology, and the amount of IVF children out there cannot possibly account for the dramatic rise in food allergies amongst the general population. In fact, of the kids I know that have food allergy issues, none of them were the result of assisted reproductive technology, nor were their parents. If you're apt to believe in evolution, the forces that will shape and evolve modern humans are far different from what shaped early humans. Personal wealth, access to quality healthcare, etc. are far more important than, say, quick reflexes and a good spear throwing arm. I do not think that IVF is causing us to breed a bunch of genetically inferior humans.

I do think there is a huge difference between a true allergy and an intolerance. I also think people throw around the word "allergy" far too loosely, doing a disservice to those with true allergies. I also think gluten-free is a fad for many (for some it is necessary). I also think paleo is a fad. The weight loss industry practically invented fads! It's always going to be something.

Thank you and Amen! Well put!

kmadki4

As far as allergies (to foods, medications, bee stings, what have you) go, developed countries have a much higher incidence than underdeveloped countries. The theory is that people in other countries are exposed to a lot of agents that we are not exposed to. Many parasites, bacteria and other microorganisms are commonly encountered there, but have been mostly eradicated from developed countries like the US. Because we are so sterile and rarely encounter foreign things, our immune systems are overly sensitive and often mount either an allergic or an autoimmune response to innocuous substances. People in underdeveloped countries rarely get allergies or autoimmune disorders, and this is why immunologists believe so.

However, most people who say they have food allergies are actually intolerant, not allergic. I don't really know the physiology behind that as well, but I do know that our bodies can produce antibodies to certain food products, or people can be deficient in certain enzymes needed to metabolize the products, hence the upset stomach, bloating etc. accompanying the food.

Edited to add: Bottom line is immunizations, antibiotics, better hygiene and a generally sterile environment in developed countries could be major contributing factors to the increase in allergies.

DawnieB1977

I think the explosion in IVF and that ilk is helping keep genetic codes surviving when they should be dying out. You have a couple who can't get pregnant via intercourse, so they spend $$$ to get his sperm and her eggs mixed in a dish and implanted in a uterus to have the kid(s) they've wanted. I'm not bashing on IVF, just pointing out that maybe people who can't get pregnant "naturally" shouldn't muck around.

*awaits flaming*

Aren't you just little Miss Sunshine? My husband and I have tried for 5 years to get pregnant and would be wonderful parents. I wish we could afforf IVF. Yet there are irresponsible, immature people all around us having kids that don't really want them and can't really take care of them. I guess according to you, their geneitc codes are better than ours.

And BTW, allergies and food intolerances have nothing to to with genetics.

What on earth has IVF got to do with food intolerances?!

My son was conceived naturally, 1st month trying, and he has a slight lactose intolerance, as does my husband.

Doberdawn

It seems insane that in the last few years, everyone is allergic to something. The big thing now is gluten. But, WTF is going on? When I was a kid, no one had any problems (OK, in my whole enitre childhood, there was this one kid that was alergic to peanuts, but that was it). Now, all of the sudden, everyone has some issue with wheat, gluten, dairy, etc....the list goes on. Am I insane? Or, is something happening out there? >snip<

As an example, someone I know stopped eating gluten and says he fels so much better. But, that's totally not scientific. I keep asking if something was wrong or what? He just said he was having "issues" (of course, it's undefined), and he stopped eating gluten and now he feels good. But, to me, that's not a real issue. Since his problem isn't well defined, and because he doesn't really know if it was the gluten, or if it's something else. So, this is kind of what I mean. People self-diagnose, but is the problem real. Ya know?

Okay... they say a picture is worth 1,000 words.... so here are a few thousand fairly scientific words (unless you don't believe what your eyes show you in plain color) on whether gluten is a problem (or can be).... The first two pictures were taken within hours after accidentally being dosed with gluten. The second two pictures were taken FOUR days later after the reaction was finally going down. Same person, same shirt, same kitchen, same angle, same camera. Any questions? (Oh, and typical gluten "issues" are horrid diarrhea and bombshell gas among other embarrassing things your friend may just not feel comfortable specifying with you.)

A couple hours or so after exposure:



Get ready to gasp.... the difference IS that shocking. 4 short days later after the reaction is subsiding... same person, shirt, position, location, camera:



Is seeing believing? I can't explain WHY we're developing allergies and intolerances. My allergist says that we are getting them from over exposure and because we eat far more processed foods than we ever did historically.... just try to stay away from corn, it's in darn near everything. But, you can't doubt the obvious PHYSICAL reaction my body has. It's a no brainer... gluten is not my friend. *sigh*

NoahandPresleysMom

Totally personal opinion, but I think we've trashed our immune systems until they react to everything under the sun because they're not exposed to anything to build them in early childhood.

When I was a kid (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) we played outside, dropped our cookies in the dirt and ate 'em, crawled around floors that were not disinfected to within an inch of their lives. I teethed on my Dad's tobacco pouch. Our immune systems got exposure and became robust. I have friends now who make us use hand-sanitizer before we can hold their baby.

totally agree with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

patrnbabe

Food allergies are real.
Not every allergic reaction is anaphylactic shock.
One can develop allergies, and allergies can fade over time.
The tendency to be or become allergic to things / food is quite possibly inherited.

Half my rather large family is allergic to something or other. All different allergies, and yet we all sat at the same table and ate the same food. Only my mom has anaphylactic reactions to only one of her allergies. And yes, we've all been diagnosed. Way back when in the early 80's when most doctors (and the psychiatrists) thought Mom was a crackpot for noticing her at least one of her kids was behaving abnormally. Allergy specialists were very hard to find then.

To the poster who was on shots for a year, based on my personal experience, that's not long enough. And unless you were 100% avoiding your allergens, you didn't give your body a chance to recover from all the years of allergic onslaught. 30 years later, I STILL rotate what I eat and am cautious to avoid certain foods. Some foods I can now eat frequently in small amounts.

I'm not 100% convinced of the GMO scare either. My allergies were present and diagnosed BEFORE GMO foods were in the public market. It was not techinically possible to manipulate food genetically until the early-mid 80's. The science hadn't developed much before then. My father was in agriculture R&D, and did ALL, that is 100%, of his R&D research by hand, in the fields, no microscopic messing with individual genes. I know, because I worked with him every summer pollinating by hand. Exactly the way bees do in nature.

Do I think heirloom tomatoes taste better? Yes, because they've not been selectively bred for size, color, and to survive mechanical harvesting. Flavor is the thing that has been bred out of most hybrid foods. Do I like to eat food grown with gobs of pesticide? Not really, because if it's able to kill bugs, it's probably not that good for me either. But all hybrids are bad? That one I'm not convinced of.

::ducks from the tomatoes that will surely come my way::

laylaness

Food allergies are weird. You can get them at almost any time in your life. A lot of people are saying it's GMOs, processed foods, etc., but that's not necessarily the only reason, and those allergies caused by these things may be connected to chemicals rather than the food itself.

I somehow became allergic to almonds in my early 20s. I used to love almonds. One day, I was eating a handful of raw almonds from Trader Joe's, and my throat started itching, and my lips swelled and started itching, and I got ulcers in my mouth. My doctor confirmed it's an allergy to almonds. I can take Benadryl and the symptoms go away, but I try my hardest to avoid eating almond products because it's not pleasant.

A lot of people say they have milk or dairy allergies when they just get an upset tummy if they have milk. My ex had an anaphylactic reaction to milk products, meaning he could actually die if he had milk or cheese or whatever. Most people associate milk allergies with intolerance, so more than once I had to take him to the hospital after a restaurant got cheese or sour cream in his burrito, I'm sure by accident, but instead of remaking the meal, they just served it as-is, probably thinking he would be fine and wouldn't notice.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Well. GMOs. Isn't that clever? The farmers are able to make more money on crops that are bigger and disease resistant and it could be causing all this grief?

It's not the farmers making all this money, it's the corporations who produce the fertilizer.

Exactly. Most of the farmers are near broke and forced to produce these mono-crops or be forced out of business. The Corporations pull all the strings and have all the say so in farming today.

spiregrain

Ah! A pro-eugenics argument! I'd really be surprised if there was a genetic link between difficulty conceiving and the child who is born through IVF having an overactive immune system, but I suspect it would be insanely easy to confirm/deny this through simple polling.

Hookworms may hold the answer to OP's question about the large number of new actual diagnoses:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20054982

... if not the question about "bandwagon" diagnoses.

But: since you asked! And seem very curious to know! I usually don't share this out of basic politeness, and I can't speak for all doctor diagnosed Celiacs, but I know my symptoms when I am "glutened" even slightly include:

fever
chills
profuse vomiting
totally liquid diarrhea like pee
inability to concentrate to the point where I can't read a sentence or follow what is said to me

Usually these symptoms last about 3 days and then it takes me another week or two to get back to the point where I could eat something that has the consistency of baby food. Until then its all clear liquids. There is no pill I can take to reduce symptoms even slightly. Last time I was seriously "glutened" I lost 35 lbs in 2 weeks -- and before you run out and "buy the book," keep in mind that some of that may have been stuff like all my intestinal cilia and probably none or very little was fat.

I might normally refer to this as "issues" or "bad issues" so as to avoid speaking the phrase "totally liquid diarrhea like pee" in polite company.

Why people are "jumping on the bandwagon" with that? I'm as confused as you are, guys...

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I know how you feel. I get the same reaction. I can go from looking like I am 9 months pregnant to..........."When did you have your baby" reaction from people.

People never believe it is due to eating some gluten containing grains though. <sigh>

It seems insane that in the last few years, everyone is allergic to something. The big thing now is gluten. But, WTF is going on? When I was a kid, no one had any problems (OK, in my whole enitre childhood, there was this one kid that was alergic to peanuts, but that was it). Now, all of the sudden, everyone has some issue with wheat, gluten, dairy, etc....the list goes on. Am I insane? Or, is something happening out there? >snip<

As an example, someone I know stopped eating gluten and says he fels so much better. But, that's totally not scientific. I keep asking if something was wrong or what? He just said he was having "issues" (of course, it's undefined), and he stopped eating gluten and now he feels good. But, to me, that's not a real issue. Since his problem isn't well defined, and because he doesn't really know if it was the gluten, or if it's something else. So, this is kind of what I mean. People self-diagnose, but is the problem real. Ya know?

Okay... they say a picture is worth 1,000 words.... so here are a few thousand fairly scientific words (unless you don't believe what your eyes show you in plain color) on whether gluten is a problem (or can be).... The first two pictures were taken within hours after accidentally being dosed with gluten. The second two pictures were taken FOUR days later after the reaction was finally going down. Same person, same shirt, same kitchen, same angle, same camera. Any questions? (Oh, and typical gluten "issues" are horrid diarrhea and bombshell gas among other embarrassing things your friend may just not feel comfortable specifying with you.)

A couple hours or so after exposure:



Get ready to gasp.... the difference IS that shocking. 4 short days later after the reaction is subsiding... same person, shirt, position, location, camera:



Is seeing believing? I can't explain WHY we're developing allergies and intolerances. My allergist says that we are getting them from over exposure and because we eat far more processed foods than we ever did historically.... just try to stay away from corn, it's in darn near everything. But, you can't doubt the obvious PHYSICAL reaction my body has. It's a no brainer... gluten is not my friend. *sigh*

spiregrain

Food allergies are weird. You can get them at almost any time in your life. A lot of people are saying it's GMOs, processed foods, etc., but that's not necessarily the only reason, and those allergies caused by these things may be connected to chemicals rather than the food itself.

I somehow became allergic to almonds in my early 20s. I used to love almonds. One day, I was eating a handful of raw almonds from Trader Joe's, and my throat started itching, and my lips swelled and started itching, and I got ulcers in my mouth. My doctor confirmed it's an allergy to almonds. I can take Benadryl and the symptoms go away, but I try my hardest to avoid eating almond products because it's not pleasant.

A lot of people say they have milk or dairy allergies when they just get an upset tummy if they have milk. My ex had an anaphylactic reaction to milk products, meaning he could actually die if he had milk or cheese or whatever. Most people associate milk allergies with intolerance, so more than once I had to take him to the hospital after a restaurant got cheese or sour cream in his burrito, I'm sure by accident, but instead of remaking the meal, they just served it as-is, probably thinking he would be fine and wouldn't notice.

That really sucks. I think also part of this is that there are a subset of people who don't eat dairy for ethical reasons who claim to be allergic to it so they won't get "ethically contaminated". I totally respect their right to not get ethically contaminated, but I wish they would not claim to be allergic, because this is the resulting attitude in kitchens ("he's probably just a vegan" or whatever).

jesp1216

its real. I eat wheat, apples, cherries, any type of nut, vanilla, or salmon and I'm dead in 7 minutes. I didn't believe all of it either and thought it was bs until i got two different tests, blood and skin, then actually ate some of the foods to try it out. That ended in me in the back of an ambulance with my throat closing half dead. so yes, many people make it up, or have an "intolerance" to a certain food but others like me, are truly allergic to way too many foods. I don't understand why, I was fine with all these foods up until two years ago when suddenly I ate a bowl of cereal with organic vanilla soy milk and ended up in the ER near death.

alaskaang

Unfortunately, yes they are. Whether just an intollerance or full blown allergy, it's miserable. Ice cream and milk give me painful stomach cramps and gas, wheat causes debilitating muscle fatigue, corn causes severe congestion and bloating, and only God knows what causes the chronic inflammation in my left ankle that's plagued me for more than 10 years. The more you consume these things the worse reactions can get. I've had also the severe allergic reactions where I break out in hives, throat starts to swell shut, and breathing becomes difficult. And as much as I'd love to think it's just in my head and I can overcome it, that's just not the case.

My personal opinion is that it is a combination of the modification, processing, chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. that has been done/manufactured into our food as well as being over sanitized and immunized. Artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, hydrolized vegetable protein, modified food starch, etc. Even "whole food" is not what it used to be. Whether you consider it genetic modification or just standard agricultural practice, most of the wheat eaten today is dwarf wheat created in the 60's and has more and different types of gluten proteins than it's predecessors. Meat, chicken and pork purchased at the grocery store frequently have "15% flavor enhancing solution added".

jennaworksout

over processed foods, chemicals, preservatives, yep....intolerance for alot of things, like gluten, dairy.... I also think humans immune systems are getting broken down, from antibiotics, medications, that now there are more people allergic to various things, like nuts, fish, etc.

jennaworksout

Totally personal opinion, but I think we've trashed our immune systems until they react to everything under the sun because they're not exposed to anything to build them in early childhood.

When I was a kid (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) we played outside, dropped our cookies in the dirt and ate 'em, crawled around floors that were not disinfected to within an inch of their lives. I teethed on my Dad's tobacco pouch. Our immune systems got exposure and became robust. I have friends now who make us use hand-sanitizer before we can hold their baby.

and this^^^
we need to get sick, our immune system needs to build up

mensasu

Too many processed foods, too many pesticides, too many hormones in meats. Not scientific at all. No study to back up anything I said. Just a thought. Hope someone can answer this I am curious too. Seems like every poster on the forum has an allergy to something. *shrugs*

Totally personal opinion, but I think we've trashed our immune systems until they react to everything under the sun because they're not exposed to anything to build them in early childhood.

When I was a kid (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) we played outside, dropped our cookies in the dirt and ate 'em, crawled around floors that were not disinfected to within an inch of their lives. I teethed on my Dad's tobacco pouch. Our immune systems got exposure and became robust. I have friends now who make us use hand-sanitizer before we can hold their baby.

Now I definitely agree with this and there is science to back this up. I don't even remember washing my hands as a child (I'm sure my Mother made us at supper time?). Now parents have hand sanitizer in their cars, child's backpacks, at school - everywhere. I have no allergies (knock wood). Maybe things are changing for the worse. Sad.

Also we now live with more stress. And don't get enough sleep. We've taken too many antibiotics, and get too many hidden in our meats. We use air conditioning both at work and home. We've destroyed a good portion of our ozone, been exposed to many many pesticides, and the pollution is so bad they are predicting that this generation of children will die of lung cancer without ever smoking a cigarette. Our diets have become ladened with junk foods that include dyes, preservatives and things we can't even pronounce. So our systems are super stressed.

As far as why later in life ... we have likely hit our intolerance point. You rarely die from the first bee sting, just swell but watch out for that second sting. I've also heard that after years of picking cashews or pistachios, the pickers can develop an allergy to the nuts.

I always had problems/symptoms as a child but never could figure out the cause, after all you eat what your parents give you. Took me many years and diligent diary watching (including some elimination diets) to pin point my food sensitivities. So now I try to eat clean for the most part and feel much better.

Tracy_03311981

I have also noticed the increase of the "gluten"allergy, which I don't entirely believe (I apologize for offending anyone).
I myself am allergic to shellfish.....inherited it from my father, never actually eaten shellfish in my life, found out that I was allergic to it because I ate at a Japanese hibachi and my food was cooked with shellfish, ended up at the hospital that night.
My father can't even be in the house when it is being cooked.
There is some I believe and some I don't