An analysis of the rates of illness and death for allergic disorders other than asthma suggests that systemic allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis (serious allergic reaction in several areas of the body) and food allergies, have soared in recent years.
The analysis looked at data from national surveys, consultations with primary care health practitioners, prescriptions, hospital admissions, and deaths.
600 Percent
Hospital admissions for anaphylaxis have risen by 600 percent, and those for food allergies have risen by 400 percent. Prescriptions for all types of allergy have also increased over the past 15 years.
Unknown Cause
The cause of the increase is not known, although it could be attributable to changes in the sources of allergic disease.
The good news in the study was that eczema and hay fever rates seem to have stabilized. But food allergies are clearly soaring far beyond anything known in the past.
Some of the most allergenic foods out there are:
So if you think you're suffering from a food allergy, avoiding these foods is nearly always helpful. You can also be sensitive to food additives like artificial colors, preservatives and flavor enhancers (MSG), so avoiding processed foods may also help.
If you believe you may be suffering from a food allergy, one of the best things to do is a diet elimination challenge. Simply remove all foods that contain what you believe you are allergic to and see if your symptoms improve over the next few days. You may need to go as long as five days to give it a full trial.
If the symptoms disappear in one day, of course you have your answer. The real clincher, though, is to reintroduce the food or drink (on an empty stomach). If the suspected food is the culprit you will generally be able to feel the symptoms return within an hour.
This can be difficult if you eat a lot of processed foods, as these often contain "hidden" ingredients like corn, milk, soy, wheat, yeast and artificial additives that are often problematic. The most suspect foods will be those eaten daily or more than once a week, and, ironically, foods that you crave or eat during the night.
In extreme cases where it is difficult to isolate the offending food, you may even need to go on a fast to see if your symptoms resolve.
After you identify what foods you are allergic to, you will want to avoid them as much as possible. Your symptoms will likely disappear or improve once you reduce your exposure. If you don't take measures to address food allergies, you can end up with permanent, long-term damage.
Allergies can put constant and unnecessary stress on the immune system that will weaken it over time, possibly leading to chronic or degenerative disease.
If you find that milk (one of the most common allergies) is the problem, it would be worthwhile experimenting with raw cow's milk to see if that still causes a problem. If it does you can also try other species milk, like sheep, goat and lamb's milk.
Another trick that also frequently helps food allergies is to add some beneficial bacteria to your gut. There are many good brands at your local health food store. For your convenience we have carefully researched this area and have one of the highest quality ones for the lowest price in our store.