January 8, 2019.
We sometimes consider ourselves allergic to a particular food or food component and we deprive ourselves of it … wrongly! A recent study has shown that many adults are mistaken about alleged allergies. Explanations.
An American study to better understand allergies
In the United States, 26 million people declare themselves allergic to a food or food component. But thanks to a study by researchers at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago and Nortwestern University, we now know that half of them would ultimately not be allergic but simply intolerant, or nothing at all.
Out of a sample of 40,443 adults surveyed, 19% declared themselves allergic. After checking the symptoms, only 10.8% present a true allergy. At the top of the ranking, allergy to shellfish. Next come allergies to milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, soy and sesame.
Avoid misdiagnosis
This phenomenon is verifiable in many Western countries and in the United Kingdom in particular. To avoid this kind of diagnostic error, consult a doctor specializing in allergies in adults and perform reliable testing.
It could turn out that certain ailments (diarrhea, bloating or stomach aches) are linked only to simple lactose intolerance. This tune up could avoid depriving yourself of certain foods unnecessarily and free yourself from certain antihistamine or adrenaline treatments.
Maylis Choné
Read also: Food allergies, what to do to avoid them?
