What is food allergy?
Food allergy is an acquired hypersensitivity allergic reaction to a protein antigen character content in a liquid or solid food, animal or plant origin. Not to be confused with food intolerance, which is a completely different reaction in which there is a component of food allergy and is usually associated with congenital deficiencies in the synthesis or functioning of the enzymes responsible for carrying out the digestion of dietary principles
In both cases, the symptoms appear to eat a certain food, even in small quantities.
Is increasing the prevalence of food allergy cases, either by increase in cases of hypersensitivity to food or a better diagnosis of this condition before, on occasion, goes undiagnosed, or is not accorded the importance it deserves.
If they suspect a food allergy, it is imperative that an allergy specialist make an accurate diagnosis of the agent involved and the foods associated with it, since any food within a group can cause an allergic reaction.Many people avoid eating things that are created by mistake Allergy. And many are those who expose their health by eating dangerously biologically related to another that have developed allergies.
Why develop a food allergy?
When there is an exposure of immune cells of the gastrointestinal tract to food proteins, unless, at any given time, are presented to another group of cells as foreign agents, you can start the mechanism of synthesis and production of specific IgE molecules against these food antigens, and trigger the whole cascade of allergic reaction every time you eat that food.
As a general rule can not trigger an allergic reaction when taking food for the first time. But there are exceptions, as sometimes the food has been eaten (albeit hidden or unconsciously) in meals, drinks, juices, mixes, preserves, use as preservatives or any other form.
It should also be aware that with the growth of production and consumption of GM foods, different groups may share the same protein structures.
We can also have an allergic reaction if they first eat a food that belongs to the same group and another who are allergic, and therefore, share much of their protein. These phenomena are known by the name of cross-reactivity.
Plants and plant foods are a common phylogenetic origin and possess biologically similar proteins belonging to the group known as profilin. For this reason it is not uncommon to see as patients allergic to pollen from some trees develop allergic reactions to plant food groups associated with them.
It is well known that patients allergic to latex proteins extracted from the tree Hevea brazzilensis, have allergic reactions when they eat avocado, pineapple, banana, banana and probably other vegetables. Is also seriously considering the relationship between allergy to grass pollen and sensitization to fruits of the Rosaceae family like peach, nectarine, apricot, apple, almonds, cherries and others.
Examples of allergens and cross-reactive allergens
In principle it may be allergic to all kinds of food, but reactions to eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables, fish, shellfish, soy and nuts are the most common.
The birch is a potential cross-reactivity with hazelnut, walnut, almond and other nuts, apples and other less studied and identified.
There is also some cross relationship between some vegetables and some nuts.
credit to: Dr. Flemming Andersen, Dr. Dan Rutherford, Dr. Jaime Royo Cabañero