Each year, millions of Americans have allergic reactions to food. Although slightly more common in young children and in people who have a family history, most food allergies develop early in life and many are outgrown.
Food allergies occur when your body's immune system reacts to a substance in a food, usually a protein, your body sees as harmful. This sets off a chain reaction within your body. Symptoms can occur within minutes and can be mild — such as a runny nose or itchy eyes to severe and can even be life-threatening.
A food intolerance is not the same as a food allergy. Different food intolerances have different causes. An intolerance occurs when your body is unable to digest a certain component of a food, such as lactose, a sugar found in milk. Symptoms of intolerance may be unpleasant, including abdominal cramping or diarrhea, but they are not life-threatening.
Types of Food Allergies
More than 170 foods are known to cause food allergies. However, eight foods account for 90 percent of all food-allergic reactions:
- Milk
- Egg
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts (walnuts, cashews)
- Fish (pollock, salmon, cod, tuna, snapper, eel and tilapia)
- Shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab)
- Soy
- Wheat
Eating Well with Food Allergies and Intolerances
People with food allergies or intolerances need to avoid foods that make them sick. But navigating menu items and dishes, where many foods include a combination of ingredients, can be difficult. Allergy-triggering foods may be prepared on the same counters, or with the same utensils as non-allergy causing ingredients. Through cross-contact, a food allergen can creep into what may otherwise be a safe food.
If you have a food allergy or intolerance, be sure to speak with whoever is preparing your food to inform them of your allergy and ask them to be especially careful when preparing your food.
Follow these tips if you have a food allergy or intolerance:
Meet with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. An RDN can help you understand which foods are safe to eat and how best to avoid items that may cause a reaction. When foods are cut from your diet, you may be short-changing yourself on important vitamins and minerals. An RDN can help ensure you get the nutrition you need for your health and lifestyle. Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
Learn About Ingredients in Foods. Eggs, wheat, milk and other allergy-causing foods are often called by other names. To help avoid allergens, the Food and Drug Administration has mandated food companies specify on product labels if any of the eight major allergens (listed above) is contained in the food. If you do not have an allergy to one of the eight, your RDN can guide you on how to further read an ingredient label.
Read Labels Carefully. Manufacturers can change ingredients of products without notice, so double-check ingredient labels every time you buy a food, even a familiar one. Cosmetics and beauty products also may contain common allergens such as milk, egg, wheat and tree nuts.
Talk with Your Day Care, School and Workplace. Make sure the teachers, nurse and administrators at your child's school or day care center are aware of your child's food allergies and that they know how to respond to adverse reactions your child may experience. Similarly, inform your coworkers of allergies you have. Some people are familiar with food allergies and know what to do if a person has a reaction; others may not and will need your help in keeping your risk for exposure low.