In this post, we will assess the various food allergies. We will revise what food allergies are and provide examples on them and how they can be managed. We will also identify how these food allergies are assessed and diagnosed.
Food allergies
Food allergies are also known as food hypersensitivities. If you have a food allergy, you experience immune reactions after you consume particular foods. The hypersensitivity is usually caused by an antigen (contained in the food, and which is usually a protein). In most cases it is foods that contain protein e.g. milk, eggs, soya, shellfish etc. that cause allergic reactions. If you are allergic to shellfish, for example, once you ingest shellfish or any of its ingredients, you will notice certain symptoms caused by immune reactions that may occur within 24-48 hours after consumption.
Common food allergy reactions are gastrointestinal-related (with symptoms such as diarrhoea, abdominal cramping, nausea and vomiting) respiratory system related, skin-related, and can cause systemic anaphylaxis with shock.
Nutrition Assessment and Diagnosis
There is not an actual test that precisely denotes the presence of a true food allergy. Normally, if you are suspected to have a food allergy, you will be required to provide your diet history (a detailed description of suspected foods that trigger allergic symptoms, quantities consumed of suspected foods and the onset period of symptoms), be physically examined, have your immunologic and biochemical tests taken, have Elisa and RAST tests taken and undertake an elimination diet trial that will last until the symptoms subside.
There are various forms of elimination diets including open, placebo-controlled etc but the placebo -controlled is mainly utilized in similar cases, whereby you are provided with various foods in their pure form- a particular food each day to assess its impact. Once suspected foods are identified, they are eliminated from your diet for about 1 ½ to 2 months before being re-introduced, and if you do not react to them then they are slowly incorporated into your diet; however, if an allergic reaction is triggered, then the foods are omitted from your diet.
The elimination diet comes with potential challenges linked to nutrient deficits especially if the diet involves the assessment of multiple foods within a particular food group. One may lack necessary nutrients after incorporating this diet and as such a dietitian should provide alternatives for foods that can be consumed as substitutes to avoid any nutrient inadequacies. With that in mind, at no time should an entire food group be excluded from your diet permanently.
The most appropriate solution to tackling food allergies is excluding the food triggering the allergy. For instance, if you have a peanut allergy, then you will have to completely omit peanuts and foods that contain peanut ingredients such as peanut butter.
Examples of food allergies and the foods to be exempted
If you have a milk allergy, among the foods and ingredients you will be recommended to exclude from your diet include:
- Custard
- Curd
- Ice cream
- Milk -goat milk, cow milk, camel milk
- Casein
- Buttermilk
- Cheese
- Soups, sauces and puddings with milk or milk ingredients
- Milk powders
- Ghee
- Milk chocolate
- Butter
If you have an egg allergy, among the foods and ingredients you will be recommended to exclude from your diet include:
- Mayonnaise
- Eggs
- Livetin
- Albumin
- Ovalbumin
- Ovomucin
If you have a nut allergy, among the foods and ingredients you will be recommended to exclude from your diet include:
- Peanuts
- Peanut butter
- Baked products or chocolates with nuts
- Nut oils
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Cashew nuts
If you have a shellfish allergy, among the foods and ingredients you will be recommended to exclude from your diet include:
- Molluscs
- Clams
- Shrimp
- Scallops
- Lobsters
- Oysters
- Crabs
- Stocks, soups with ingredients that contain shellfish
Generally, any food allergy diet should be designed by a professional dietitian after it is established that you have an allergy. Through a dietitian’s guidance you will identify all ingredients associated with either food allergy that you may have and what foods and ingredients you should omit as well as receive advice as to what foods you can substitute with those that you should exclude.