4 Reasons driving the rise in food allergies across the globe
Doesn’t it feel like there’s a new allergy or intolerance coming up everyday? Allergies and intolerances which were once rare have become a common trend as our population becomes more sensitive.
The human body is designed to recognize foreign particles like bacteria and viruses and send out protective cells for its defense. However, the immune system sometimes ‘misfires’ and attacks something harmless like a particular food, pollen, dust or a medicine and causes an allergic reaction.
There are different theories which explain the increase in food allergies. Let’s discuss 4 of these hypotheses!
1. Hygiene Hypothesis
Gone are the days when children are allowed to play in open fields and spaces. With our lifestyle becoming so westernized or “too clean”, children are losing the opportunity of being exposed to germs and infections at a young age and building their immunity. A weak immune system overcompensates by reacting harmless triggers like peanuts, dairy etc.
2. Delayed Exposure
Due to fear of allergies, parents are putting off their children from common food allergens like peanuts, shellfish or any other food they might be allergic to. Decreasing the exposure to such food allergens without having tried them increases the likelihood of the child developing an allergic reaction. Introducing new foods in the child’s diet while weaning trains the gut’s immune system to tolerate bacteria and new foods.
“This was the basis for King’s College London’s LEAP Study, which showed about an 80% reduction in peanut allergy in five-year-old children who regularly ate peanuts from the year they were born.”
3. Vitamin D Deficiency Hypothesis
Vitamin D helps to keep our immune system healthy and makes us less prone to allergies. Spending less time in natural sunlight is one of the most common causes of it’s deficiency and hence a weaker immunity.
“Australian researchers Katie Allen and Carlos Camargo conducted studies showing that a lack of exposure to sunlight, which can lead to vitamin D deficiency, can increase a child’s risk of developing egg allergy 3-fold and the risk of developing peanut allergy 11-fold.”
4. Overuse of antibiotics
Hold on before popping a pill just for a minor flu or fever. Excessive and prolonged use of antibiotic medications disrupts our gut microbiome. When our intestinal flora are out of balance from frequent antibiotic use especially, the gastrointestinal immune system is compromised.
Sometimes it’s just better to take a step back and rest and give our body the time to heal itself.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1679775/
- http://www.leapstudy.co.uk/
- https://www.news-medical.net/health/Whats-Driving-the-Recent-Rise-in-Food-Allergies.aspx
