The most significant food allergens are. The most powerful food allergens. The same situation with eggs

Statistics show that the number of children with allergies is growing every year. And this is not surprising, because their percentage, among other things, is directly proportional to the number of parents suffering from allergies. If one of them is allergic, then the baby’s predisposition to allergic diseases is inherited in 25% of cases, and if both mom and dad are sick, the risk doubles.

Looking for someone to blame for allergies

Allergic manifestations are caused by improper functioning of the immune system. We all know from childhood that immunity is our friend, because it protects against diseases. But in this case, he becomes an enemy, since he begins to react to stimuli that do not cause any trouble to ordinary people. The most well-known allergens are tree and grass pollen, household chemicals, house dust, animal hair, and food. However, this list can be continued indefinitely.

Allergens on the table

It is a common belief that young children are more likely to suffer from food allergies. Indeed, the gastrointestinal tract of babies is completely immature. In allergy-prone children, the introduction of new foods sometimes causes skin rashes. Nowadays they are usually called diathesis, but to our mothers and grandmothers they are better known as “diathesis”.

The key to maintaining your baby’s health is strict adherence to the rules for introducing complementary foods, as well as choosing the least allergenic foods in the first years of life. Up to six months, exclusive breastfeeding is preferable. It is recommended to start complementary feeding with zucchini, cauliflower, green apple and pear, and bananas. However, be careful with bread and cereals. Wheat and rye contain gluten, which often causes allergic reactions. And barley and oats have in their structure the substances hordein and avenin, which are similar in their effects on the body of an allergy sufferer with gluten.

The world around the child

Among the reasons for the increase in the number of allergy sufferers, scientists are increasingly citing... excessive sterilization of the rooms in which children are located. Remember, decades ago, children played around in the ground without fear, crawled on the floor and were less likely to suffer from allergies. Modern mothers are afraid to once again let their child out on the floor without first cleaning it to a shine. Thus, the baby does not have a single chance to meet the microbes that train him. At the same time, excessive concentration of allergens in the children's room is also not welcome. Therefore, taking care of cleanliness in the house where the child lives should always be carried out, but without fanaticism.

Stuffed toys, open bookshelves, carpets and heavy curtains are the most famous dust collectors and carriers of allergens - dust mites. Creating a hypoallergenic space begins with combating them. As for pets and plants, they should not be outcasts at all, but they should not live in a children's room. Allergens such as mold and fungi can grow in flower pots. And animal secretions, and not fur at all, as many people think, but skin flakes and saliva are the most common culprits of allergic reactions. Therefore, you should not prohibit your child from playing with her pussy in the next room, but it is not recommended to allow her to be in the nursery frequently. By the way, allergies can be caused not only by four-legged pets, but also by fish, reptiles and food for them.

Among the means of maintaining cleanliness, wet cleaning without chemicals is always welcome. The fact is that traces of household chemicals left on surfaces can irritate the baby’s skin. If you can’t do without cleaning products, choose liquid options, preferably special ones for children. An air humidifier can be a good helper in the fight against dust, especially in winter, during the heating season, when the air in apartments is usually dry. If you haven’t decided on a humidifier yet, wet towels laid out on hot radiators will help.

And outside the window it’s spring and allergens

Allergens don't only live at home. They are found in large numbers on the street. Are you familiar with this picture? It’s April, everyone is waiting for spring, but the baby is sick: he is sneezing incessantly and his nose is stuffy. Hay fever or reactions to plant pollen may well be to blame. Yes, dusting of a number of trees begins before the first leaves appear in April. For example, in 2010 in Moscow, hazel and alder began to gather dust at the very beginning of April. In 2011, spring was late and the release of pollen from alder, hazel and poplar began in the 20th of April. In the central part of Russia, the first trees to release pollen are birch, alder, and hazel (hazel). Then, following the usual schedule, other trees bloom; in the summer, first cereals and then weeds take over the baton. Moreover, the wind can bring pollen from afar, especially in dry weather.

In children, hay fever occurs most often after the age of three. If it occurs, be careful while walking. Do not leave the house with your child in the early morning hours - this is when plants produce the most pollen. Rainy and cool days are the most favorable for walking. Upon returning home, you need to wash your clothes and take a shower. You need to dry your clothes at home. Apartment windows should be kept closed during the dusting period. And if during the flowering season you can take your child to another climate zone, where everything has already faded or has not yet bloomed, that will be simply wonderful.

Before the start of the flowering season, you need to discuss the necessary therapy with your doctor. Today there are a huge number of antihistamines. For example, second-generation medications do not cause drowsiness, do not impair a child’s learning ability, and some have truly powerful effects. But only a doctor will select what will be most effective in each specific case.

In addition, most often the reaction occurs to the pollen of certain plants. Therefore, it is important to identify a causally significant plant in order to maximally protect the child during its flowering.

Don't forget about cross allergies. When reacting to a particular pollen, intolerance to certain foods or herbs most often occurs. Therefore, a child with allergies who refuses a certain product may not be caused by a whim, but by a reaction to it.

Cross allergies can manifest themselves in different ways. The most common symptoms include difficulty swallowing or breathing, nasal congestion, body rash, nausea and abdominal pain.

Expert commentary

Irina Yakovlevna Tokareva, doctor of the highest category, allergist-immunologist of City Clinical Hospital No. 29 named after. Bauman, expert of the Netallergies.ru program:

"If a child regularly has a runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, or skin rashes appear, there is reason to think about an allergy. Pay attention to whether the symptoms are dependent on any external factors. If a runny nose with copious transparent discharge regularly occurs in one and in the same room and disappears in another place, most likely you are faced with an allergy. You can distinguish allergic symptoms from colds by the absence of elevated body temperature and weakness characteristic of ARVI. But only a specialist can confirm or refute the diagnosis based on an examination of the patient, as well as test results.

When treating any allergic disease, it is important to both eliminate the irritating factor - the allergen - and drug therapy. If a child has a pronounced reaction to animals, sometimes it is necessary to part with pets for the sake of the child’s health, since advanced allergies often develop into more dangerous allergic diseases, such as bronchial asthma. Be vigilant - often people with pets are carriers of allergens. Therefore, it would not be surprising if in kindergarten a child may experience an allergic reaction in close contact with another child who has a cat or dog at home. The abundance of carpets and soft toys increases the content of house dust in the air; all this must be gotten rid of at the slightest suspicion of an allergy.

Be sure to discuss taking antihistamines with your doctor. For children, medications in liquid form are preferred. Many drugs have age restrictions. There is a small list of modern effective and safe drugs that can be used by children from one year old.

Parents of allergy sufferers should be very attentive to the child’s condition, since the list of allergens to which his body reacts may expand.”

The most powerful food allergens

  1. Citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits).
  2. Nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts).
  3. Fish and fish products (fresh and salted fish, fish broths, canned fish, caviar and other seafood).
  4. Poultry meat (goose, duck, chicken) and products made from it.
  5. Chocolate and chocolate products.
  6. Coffee.
  7. Smoked products.
  8. Vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise and other spices.
  9. Horseradish, radish, radish.
  10. Tomatoes, eggplants, sweet peppers.
  11. Mushrooms.
  12. Eggs.
  13. Cow's milk.
  14. Strawberries, wild strawberries, melon, pineapple.
  15. Wheat, rye, barley, oats.
  16. Butter dough because it contains cow's milk.

Cross allergy

In patients with hay fever, the reaction is caused not only by the pollen itself, but also by a number of foods and plants. The left column indicates the types of pollen, and the middle and right columns indicate food and medicinal plants to which there may be cross-allergy.
Allergen Foods that may cause reactions to the allergen listed in the first column Medicinal plants that may cause reactions to the allergen listed in the first column
Birch, alder or hazel pollen Birch sap, plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, sweet cherries, olives, olives, apples, pears, kiwi, nuts, celery, parsley, honey, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, cognac in confectionery products Birch leaf, birch buds, alder cones, buckthorn bark, pine buds, linden blossom
Pollen of cereal meadow grasses (bluegrass, fescue, etc.) Food grains: cereals and pasta, bread and bakery products, other products made from cereals (oats, wheat, rye, barley) or products made from their flour (schnitzels, cutlets, gravies, sauces, muesli) All based on cereal herbs
Pollen of Asteraceae (wormwood, ragweed) Sunflower seeds and sunflower oil (sunflower halva, mayonnaise, mustard); drinks prepared using wormwood (vermouths, balms); melon watermelon; zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin, cucumbers, cabbage, honey, chicory Preparations based on wormwood, chamomile, calendula, coltsfoot, elecampane, string, yarrow, tansy, dandelion, rose hips
Pollen of goosefoot grasses (quinoa) Beetroot, spinach

Allergy is a very unpleasant and little-studied disease that affects, according to various estimates, from 20% to 40% of the adult population of the planet. The most common type of this disease is food allergy.

Typically, allergic reactions to food are observed from an early age. In this case, over time, a person develops a list of foods that cannot be eaten. But it happens that an adult suddenly begins to notice incomprehensible and unpleasant reactions of the body. What is it and how to deal with it?

Food products, plant or animal origin, contain large amounts of proteins foreign to the human body. If the human immune system is normal, metabolic processes are not impaired and there are no genetic diseases associated with protein intolerance, then our body secretes a sufficient amount of enzymes capable of digesting these foreign proteins.

Foods that cause allergies are a whole list of familiar and favorite foods that you will have to give up if you notice unusual reactions to their consumption.

Adults are often allergic to foods that did not cause concern in childhood.

The mechanism for triggering allergic reactions is not fully understood. Therefore, there is no medicine that can affect the cause itself. But there are a lot of medicines that relieve symptoms.

All food products are conventionally divided into three types according to the degree of allergenicity: high, medium and low.

Products with a high degree of allergenicity:

  • whole milk (cow, goat, sheep);
  • freshwater fish and all dishes made from it;
  • seafood and caviar;
  • chicken eggs;
  • cereals (wheat, rye, barley);
  • citrus fruits, exotic fruits, persimmon, melon;
  • tomatoes, bell peppers (red and yellow), carrots and celery;
  • chocolate, cocoa and all its derivatives, coffee;
  • nuts;
  • mushrooms;

Whole milk can cause allergies in both children and adults. Dairy intolerance, particularly lactose, and milk allergy are two different things.

Allergies can only be caused by one type of milk, for example cow's milk. But in most cases, goat milk has this ability. The protein found in this milk is somewhat different from the proteins found in other types of milk. Goat's milk is not recommended for children under one year of age, as frequent consumption can cause anemia.

The resources of the human body are not limitless. Over time they dry up. The quality and quantity of enzymes capable of digesting food changes. Adults, especially those over 60 years of age, lose the enzymes that break down lactose. Therefore, they are not recommended to consume whole milk. It is better to cook porridge with half-boiled milk. The exception is fermented milk products.

People suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular colitis, are not recommended to eat whole milk and dishes prepared from this product. With this disease, there is an almost complete absence of enzymes that process lactose. If we take into account the frequent dysbacteriosis that accompanies colitis, fermented milk products will be the best solution, because they contain lactobacilli, which are natural bacteria of the human body and help digestion processes.

Fish is a fairly strong allergen, exposure to which can even lead to anaphylactic shock. River fish is less allergenic than sea fish.

Eggs, in combination with chicken meat and broth, cause quite severe allergy attacks. Protein has this feature. Chicken egg yolk causes allergies to a lesser extent. Therefore, it is the yolk that is introduced into complementary foods for babies, starting with a very small amount. Quail eggs are hypoallergenic.

Products with a moderate degree of allergenicity:

  • beef, veal, chicken and broths made from it;
  • cereals (oats, rice, buckwheat);
  • legumes;
  • root vegetables (potatoes, turnips, beets);
  • nectarine, peaches, apricots;
  • wild berries (lingonberries, blueberries, blackberries);
  • , cherry and black currant.

In meat, during any heat treatment, the protein changes and is well broken down by gastrointestinal enzymes. The exception is meat fried in a large amount of fat.

Berries that have a coloring pigment can cause allergies in both children and adults. But with heat treatment (compotes, jams, jellies and other dishes), their tendency to cause allergies decreases.

When eating root vegetables and legumes, you should take into account your digestive characteristics, as these foods can cause flatulence.

Products with a low degree of allergenicity:

  • low-fat fermented milk products;
  • lean pork and lamb, rabbit and turkey meat;
  • cereals (pearl barley, millet, corn, oatmeal);
  • cabbage (cauliflower, broccoli, white cabbage);
  • cucumbers and zucchini;
  • parsley, dill, caraway seeds;
  • white currants and cherries;
  • yellow varieties of plums and cherries;
  • apples and pears of white and green varieties.

Eating these products can cause allergies only in rare cases, and mainly in adults. It is these products that are recommended first of all to be introduced as complementary foods for babies up to one year old.

If you buy ready-made products in a store, pay attention to their composition. Dyes, preservatives, emulsifiers and fragrances can cause allergies, even if they are part of products that are already familiar and do not cause a reaction.

Dairy products and meat may be treated with chemicals or drugs to extend shelf life. These can be antibiotics, sulfonamides, formaldehydes. They will be strong allergens and will cause an immediate reaction even in an adult, not to mention children.

Vegetables, fruits and grains may contain residual amounts of pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals that they have been treated with to extend their shelf life.

Pay attention to the container in which the product is enclosed. After all, substances that can cause allergies can also get into food from it. Also look at the expiration date and storage conditions. If they do not comply with the established rules, they may contain decay products or mold fungi. These are also powerful allergens that can cause severe poisoning and lead to anaphylactic shock.

How to recognize food allergies. If you notice that your body has somehow begun to react in a special way to seemingly familiar things, try to determine for yourself the reason for such strange behavior of your body.

You may be worried about organs that are completely independent of digestion. But the insidious thing about food allergies is that they can masquerade as other problems, the treatment of which will not bring any relief.

Symptoms of food allergies:

  • on the skin: rash, itching, redness, swelling, formation of small blisters with liquid;
  • from the respiratory side: runny nose, sneezing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, bronchospasm, asthma attacks;
  • from the visual side: lacrimation, conjunctivitis, severe itching, swelling;
  • from the digestive system: abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in taste;
  • from the nervous system: dizziness, loss of orientation, confusion, loss of consciousness.

If you find yourself with the above symptoms, analyze what foods you ate. These may be familiar foods, but which you have not eaten for a long time.

If you have found out exactly the cause of your ailments, then you should simply exclude the allergen product from your diet and the symptoms will go away.

But it often happens that allergies are caused by several foods at once. Then the best solution would be to keep a food diary. In it you will write down every day what exactly you ate and your body’s reaction to the product you ate. In this way, the cause of the malaise can be accurately determined.

There are products that give a quick, almost instantaneous, allergic reaction. Then identifying them is very simple. But there are products that give a remote allergic reaction. That is, you may experience allergy symptoms even a few days after eating such a product. This is where the difficulty lies.

Allergies, food allergies in particular, are a very insidious disease that requires serious treatment. After all, you can get not just watery eyes, rashes and itching. The consequences are much more tragic. Foods that cause allergies can not only undermine your health, but also take your life.

If you notice any allergic reactions to any food product, immediately eliminate it from your diet. The next stage in your fight against this insidious disease should be a visit to an allergist. It is the specialist who will be able to determine the cause of such reactions and prescribe adequate treatment. All recommendations and prescriptions of the doctor should be followed. Only then will you be able to keep your body under control and avoid the sad manifestations of food allergies.

One of the most common diseases in the modern world is allergies. According to some experts, up to half of the entire population of the planet suffers from it, and the most common variety is considered foodborne.

Typically, allergic manifestations begin in childhood; over time, an adult develops a whole list of prohibited foods. But sometimes older people experience sudden reactions. Why do food allergies occur?

Any food product, be it of plant or animal origin, contains proteins that are foreign to our body. And, if the functioning of the human immune system is not impaired, metabolic processes in the body proceed normally and there are no genetic diseases, then the human body is able to secrete the amount of enzymes that digest foreign protein. But the occurrence of an allergic reaction is still not fully understood; experts associate allergies with the number of mast cells in the body.


In the event of an allergic reaction, these cells release histamine, which resists allergens. It is histamine that provokes skin itching, rashes, intestinal upset, etc. Medicines that completely eliminate the cause of allergies have not yet been invented; modern drugs can only alleviate its course by reducing the number of mast cells.

Allergies can occur to absolutely any food, but there are categories of foods whose consumption should be treated with special caution. They can cause not only rashes or itchy skin, but also dangerous swelling of the airways, which can sometimes be fatal. Therefore, it is important for every person to know what foods they have allergic reactions to.

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House dust allergens

The main components of house dust allergens are house dust mites Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae. These microscopic mites (up to 0.3 mm in size) feed on particles of desquamated epidermis and are found almost everywhere in house dust, especially in mattresses, as well as in feather pillows, bed linen, upholstered furniture and carpets.


In Europe, the mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus predominates, and in North America - D. farinae, however, patients are often sensitized to both species: both due to the possible presence of both species in the apartment, and due to cross-allergy.
The number of ticks depends on the temperature and humidity of the air: ticks die at low humidity and low temperature. In Russia, their peak concentration occurs from September to November. The main allergen of house dust mites is Der p 1 (* all IgE to mites is directed against this allergen). It is contained in the body of the tick and its feces. The threshold concentration of this allergen is considered to be 10 mcg per 1 g of dust: when it is exceeded, allergic symptoms (rhinitis or bronchial asthma) usually appear. This concentration of Der p 1 corresponds to the content of 200 mites in 1 g of dust. Allergy to house dust mites is of great importance: the vast majority of patients with bronchial asthma and year-round allergic rhinitis are sensitized to them. Measures that reduce the content of mites and their allergens can significantly improve the condition of patients.

Pollen allergens

Allergy to pollen leads to the development of symptoms of hay fever (hay fever): symptoms of rhinitis, conjunctivitis; In patients with bronchial asthma who are sensitive to pollen, asthma attacks become more frequent. Allergies are caused by pollen of predominantly wind-pollinated plants, which is found in the air in high concentrations and has a sensitizing ability. Most plants with beautiful flowers are pollinated by insects, and their pollen rarely causes allergies. On the other hand, even a high concentration of pollen of some species does not lead to sensitization: for example, pine pollen is not capable of causing IgE synthesis.


The list of allergenic plants is quite large and varies from place to place. In Russia, there are 3 main groups of allergenic plants: deciduous trees, cereal grasses and weeds. Among deciduous trees, the main producers of allergenic pollen are birch, poplar, hazel, oak, alder, elm, ash, maple, and linden. These trees usually bloom in April-May, although sometimes they begin to bloom as early as March. Accordingly, allergic manifestations in patients occur during this period. Of particular note is an allergy to poplar: patients often talk about it, meaning June, when poplar fluff (poplar seeds) flies. In fact, the symptoms at this time are associated with an allergy not to poplar, but to the cereal grasses blooming at the same time.

Of the more than 1,000 species of cereal grasses, only a few cause sensitization, but people are allergic to them

great importance due to the high content of their pollen near populated areas (many cereals are cultivated). The most important sources of allergenic pollen among grasses: bluegrass, cocksfoot, foxtail, timothy, fescue, ryegrass. In central Russia, cereals bloom in June-July. The next important group is the so-called weeds. These are mainly annual wild plants from the families Asteraceae, Chamomile, Chenopodiaceae, etc. Perhaps the most famous representative of allergenic weeds is ragweed. Ambrosia came to Russia from the USA and began to actively spread after


Great Patriotic War. In addition to the Krasnodar Territory, the area of ​​ambrosia has captured the Caucasus, Astrakhan, Volgograd, and Saratov regions and continues to move north. There are 3 types of ragweed growing in Russia (tripartite, wormwood and perennial). All of them produce large amounts of highly allergenic pollen from August to October. Other important allergens are pollen from the widespread quinoa, wormwood, nettle, and white goosefoot. Weeds bloom from July to September-October (an exception is plantain, which causes allergy symptoms in May-June, which can be confused with grain allergies). Depending on the time of onset of symptoms of hay fever for central Russia, the following periods can be distinguished:

  • April - end of May - allergy to pollen of deciduous trees (birch, poplar, oak, hazel, etc.) is possible.
  • end of May - end of July - allergy to pollen of cereal grasses (timothy, fescue, hedgehog, bluegrass, ryegrass, foxtail, etc.) is possible.
  • end of July - September-October - allergy to weed pollen (quinoa, wormwood, ragweed, nettle) is possible.
  • April - September - a combined pollen allergy or fungal allergy is possible (a high concentration of Cladosporium and Alternaria fungal spores remains in the air from spring to autumn).

In different climatic zones, the flowering periods of plants differ, as does the composition of the flora of a particular area. Below are the flowering calendars of the main allergenic plants for Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar.

Flowering calendar of the main allergenic plants

Designations:

  • Krasnodar
  • Moscow
  • Saint Petersburg

Fungal allergens

Sensitization to microscopic fungi is widespread, occurring, for example, in a quarter of patients with bronchial asthma. Allergies are mainly caused by fungal spores. They are found in high concentrations in the air: even during the flowering season, the air contains many times more fungal spores than pollen particles. A person is constantly in contact with many species of fungi (more than 100), but four genera are of greatest clinical importance: Cladosporium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium. Allergenic fungi are divided into non-domestic - living in the soil and on rotting parts of plants (Cladosporium, Alternaria, Fusarium), and domestic - living indoors (Aspergillus, Penicillium. Rhizopus). Spores of non-domestic fungi Cladosporium and Alternaria are in the air in fairly stable concentrations from early spring to late autumn, disappearing with frost.


Aspergillus and Penicillium are often found indoors, especially in poorly ventilated places and basements. These types of fungi, sometimes called storage fungi, cause rotting of grains, fruits and vegetables. Sensitization to fungi can be suspected if the severity of symptoms in patients increases in damp weather, when the concentration of fungal spores increases (it should be borne in mind that humidity also contributes to the proliferation of house dust mites). Contrary to popular belief, growing indoor flowers only slightly increases the content of fungal spores in the indoor air.

Animal allergens

Animal allergens include dander, fur, saliva, urine and feathers. These allergens are part of house dust and are airborne, causing respiratory symptoms in sensitive patients. One of the important sources of allergens is dandruff, which is formed due to the constant desquamation of the epidermis. An allergy to saliva can result in hives on the skin at the site of contact with it. Animal fur itself does not have allergenic properties, but proteins of the epidermis and saliva are fixed on it. Cat allergens usually cause severe symptoms in patients. Cat allergenic particles are small in size, which allows them to remain suspended in the air for a long time and penetrate deeply into the respiratory tract (down to the bronchioles and alveoli). The main cat allergen is Fel d 1, which is excreted in saliva. In cats, but not in cats, this allergen is also found in the urine. In general, cats produce significantly more allergens than cats. Although the reaction of patients to different cats may differ significantly, removing the cat from the atopic’s apartment is a prerequisite.


It should be taken into account that even after removing the cat from the apartment, the level of the Fel d 1 allergen remains at a high level for at least 6 months. Dog allergens are also of great clinical importance, although dogs are somewhat less allergenic than cats. Dog allergens are found in dander, saliva and urine, the main allergen is Can f 1. Allergens are caused by all breeds of dogs, and the results of skin tests with allergens of different breeds do not correspond to the true sensitivity of the patient.

Allergies to rats and mice often occur through professional or household contact with them. Their allergens are contained in urine and have a high sensitizing ability. It is also possible to be allergic to other small rodents (hamsters, guinea pigs). Allergies to dander from cows, goats, sheep, and horses usually occur through professional contact. If you are allergic to horse dander, the administration of horse antisera (antitetanus and antirabies) is contraindicated.

Other inhalant allergens

Allergies to many other inhalant allergens are possible, although they are less common. Among them are insect allergens (cockroaches, moths, silkworms). Many insects cause allergies through professional contact: beekeepers to bee body components, aquarists to some insect larvae (fish food). There are allergies to cotton seeds, flax seeds, castor beans, coffee and soybeans. Allergy to latex, which is found in many rubber products, including medical gloves, is of great importance. The list of occupational allergens is quite large: chromium salts, nickel salts, rosin, wood dust, and other chemical and biological materials.

Food allergens

Food allergies themselves, that is, adverse reactions to foods based on immune mechanisms, should be distinguished from food intolerance in general, which includes any adverse reactions to food. Non-allergic food intolerance can be caused by a deficiency of digestive enzymes (lactase, sucrase), pseudo-allergic reactions, or be psychogenic in nature. Pseudoallergic reactions are usually associated with the release of histamine from mast cells by histamine-releasing foods: strawberries, fish, citrus fruits, raw cabbage, radishes. Pseudoallergic reactions usually develop after ingesting a sufficient amount of a certain food, in contrast to a true allergy, when a severe reaction can occur from a minimal dose of the allergen (for example, an anaphylactic reaction from the smell of cooked fish).

With a true allergy, the patient usually cannot eat a certain product at all. Food allergies can be IgE-mediated or develop without the participation of IgE. IgE-mediated conditions include various skin manifestations (acute urticaria and angioedema, atopic dermatitis), gastrointestinal lesions (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain), attacks of bronchial asthma and anaphylactic reactions.


Without the participation of IgE, allergic colitis, enterocolitis, malabsorption syndromes in children associated with allergies to cow's milk or soy, celiac disease, and dermatitis herpetiformis develop. The prevalence of food allergies is 0.3-7.5%. Although complaints of food allergies are very common, they are confirmed by objective tests only in a small proportion of cases. Food allergies are more common in children (up to 8% of the population), and in adults its frequency does not exceed 1-2%. Although most foods are antigenic, only a few cause food allergies. More than 90% of all food allergies are caused by just 8 foods (listed in descending order of importance): eggs, peanuts, milk, soy, tree nuts, fish and crustaceans, and wheat. Food allergies can manifest as anaphylactic shock, in some cases leading to death. Life-threatening anaphylactic reactions are caused by peanuts, tree nuts, crustaceans and fish. Hypersensitivity to egg, milk, soy and wheat allergens is more common in children. When following a strict elimination diet for several years, allergies to these foods usually disappear due to the formation of tolerance. Allergies to peanuts, crustaceans, tree nuts, and fish usually last a lifetime, occurring in both children and adults.


General nonspecific hypoallergenic diet

Drug allergy

Drug allergies are only a small part of the possible unwanted adverse reactions to medications, most of which occur without the participation of the immune system. Adverse reactions to medications occur in a significant number of cases (from 2 to 30%), of which only 6-10% are allergic. The risk of sensitization for most drugs is 1-3%.

Drug allergies are detected in 5% of adults, and another 10% of people are mistakenly classified as suffering from it. The range of allergic reactions to drugs is wide: skin changes (urticaria, Quincke's edema, measles-like rash, etc.), anaphylactic reactions (including shock), bronchospasm, serum sickness, fever, hepatitis, nephritis, etc. About 80% of all allergic and pseudoallergic reactions are caused by β-lactam antibiotics (penicillins and cephalosporins), acetylsalicylic acid and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Anaphylactic reactions are most often caused by drugs of biological origin: β-lactam antibiotics, allergen extracts, heterogeneous serums, vaccines (grown on chicken embryos), streptokinase. Anaphylactoid reactions (occurring with the same clinical picture, but without the participation of IgE) are most often caused by radiocontrast agents, NSAIDs, dextrans, anesthetics, muscle relaxants, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin. The most common manifestations of drug allergies are skin changes, ranging from measles-like rashes and urticaria to severe bullous lesions. Among the main causes are β-lactam antibiotics (especially ampicillin), sulfonamides, NSAIDs, and anticonvulsants. Isolated angioedema is often caused by ACE inhibitors.

When diagnosing the allergic genesis of a side effect, it must be taken into account that if the patient has not previously been in contact with this medicine, then an allergic reaction may develop no earlier than the second week of treatment. With repeated exposure (even after several years), symptoms can develop very quickly. If the drug is well tolerated for several months, then the likelihood of an allergy to it is low (this is important when determining the cause of the reaction in a patient taking several drugs at the same time). The drug that caused the allergic reaction should be discontinued immediately. There are no sufficiently reliable and at the same time safe tests to prove allergies to drugs (with the exception of penicillin).

Such diagnostics can be carried out only in cases where the drug is vital and cannot be replaced by a drug of another chemical structure (for this, a dosed provocative test is used). In other situations, testing to confirm drug allergies should not be carried out.

Information for this publication was kindly provided by the author, Ph.D. honey. Sciences Voznesensky Nikolai Arnoldovich, head. laboratory of non-invasive diagnostic methods of the Research Institute of Pulmonology of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation, with the consent of Atmosfera Publishing House LLC.

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Causes

Intolerance to certain components is often genetic, for example, an allergy to gluten. In severe cases of the disease, the child’s body reacts violently not only to eating oatmeal or cookies, but also to foods that contain only traces of gluten. Even breaded cutlets or waffle bars are dangerous for allergy sufferers with this form of the disease.

Children who are intolerant to cow's milk need lactose-free, hypoallergenic formulas. Allergy sufferers should not consume not only whole milk, but also cream, sour cream, and any products containing lactose.

Factors that increase the risk of allergic reactions to food:

  • dysbacteriosis;
  • decreased immunity after a serious illness, frequent stress, or taking antibiotics;
  • poor nutrition, excess of highly allergenic foods in the diet;
  • introducing complementary foods ahead of schedule;
  • during pregnancy, the expectant mother consumed highly allergenic foods;
  • disruption of the digestive tract.

Main allergens

Each person reacts in his own way to the consumption of certain products: even highly allergenic items in the absence of hypersensitivity of the body do not cause negative reactions. In patients with a hereditary predisposition to food allergies under the influence of provoking factors, on the contrary, the body’s response to even a couple of orange slices or one egg is acute, with pronounced symptoms.

Find out the instructions for using Eden tablets to relieve allergy symptoms.

Read about the symptoms and signs of atopic bronchial asthma in children at this address.

Potential allergens:

  • Nuts (especially peanuts, hazelnuts).
  • Dairy products: whole milk.
  • Honey and bee products: propolis, pollen.
  • Cocoa, chocolate, candies, cakes, pastries containing cocoa butter.
  • Citrus fruits: orange, grapefruit, tangerine, clementine, lemon.
  • Cereals with gluten: oats, rye, wheat.
  • Cheeses. Hard and semi-hard varieties are not suitable for allergy sufferers; processed cheese also causes a negative reaction in the body.
  • Meat. Fatty pork, strong meat broth, beef is less dangerous for allergy sufferers.
  • Seafood: clams, mussels, lobsters, lobsters, squids.
  • Products in original packaging: concentrates, semi-finished products, canned food, ready-made mayonnaise, packaged sauces.
  • Items with synthetic components: products with artificial flavors, dyes, harmful emulsifiers, sweeteners.
  • Caviar of sea and river fish.
  • Vegetables: tomatoes, beets, carrots, red salad peppers.
  • Fruits: red apples, less often apricots.
  • Exotic fruits: kiwi, persimmon, banana, pomegranate.
  • Berries: raspberries, strawberries, strawberries, black currants.
  • Eggs. The components of chicken eggs exhibit the greatest allergenicity. Goose, quail and duck eggs are less likely to provoke a negative reaction.
  • Melons: melons.
  • Other names: mushrooms of all kinds, mustard.

First group

Products that are easy to avoid without harming your health. The absence of melon, nuts, mushrooms, chocolate, and seafood in children’s diets does not cause dangerous complications or developmental delays. The beneficial components contained in highly allergenic products can be easily obtained by using safe brands.

Second

High nutritional value, a rich set of useful vitamins and microelements does not allow removing the product from the diet. Eggs and milk fall into this group.

If you are intolerant to cow's milk protein, you will have to completely stop using all products containing a dangerous component. For mild to moderate reactions, doctors allow the consumption of a minimum amount of milk, but before drinking it must be boiled for 10-15 minutes.

The same situation with eggs:

  • Cooking for half an hour is required;
  • replacing chicken eggs with a quail product, with a lower risk of allergic reactions;
  • eating only the yolk: the protein containing albumin, after entering the body, causes increased production of immunoglobulin, which leads to a negative response, acute skin reactions.

Diagnostics

Identifying a food allergen is quite difficult. With a proper diet, including dozens of items, it is not always easy to understand which products caused skin rashes, swelling and itching.

On a note:

  • in some cases, with high sensitization of the body, the reaction is acute, negative signs appear half an hour to an hour after eating chocolate, citrus fruits, honey or other types of food;
  • in other cases, the allergen accumulates over two to three days, a delayed-type reaction puzzles patients who do not understand why blisters appear on the skin, the tissues are slightly swollen, and the body itches.

To identify unsuitable products, you will need the help of an allergist. The doctor will conduct skin tests and, based on the reaction to small doses of the irritant, will find out which types of food cause a negative response in the body. It is not advisable to take antihistamines before skin tests, so as not to blur the picture. Skin tests are not performed on children under 3 years of age. To accurately diagnose the type of irritant, another, more progressive and safer method is used. It will be discussed in the next section.

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And again about allergies or True allergens

Every day we are faced with incomprehensible reactions of the body to unknown “enemies”: either the nose is stuffy and running from it, then there is some kind of rash, then itching, then the eyes are red. "Allergy!" “knowledgeable” people confidently say, and antiallergic drugs will soon overtake painkillers and enzymes in sales volume. And now “allergies” to the sun, to vodka (yes, I’ve “met” this too!), and tobacco smoke appear, and only the laziest pediatricians do not scare expectant and new mothers with allergies to strawberries and red fruits.

In fact, all such manifestations can be caused by different reasons, and in medicine there are several concepts:

- true allergy

- pseudo-allergic reaction

— individual (including food) food intolerance.

True allergy(sensitization; increased sensitivity; “allos, ergon” - another way of responding; “sensibilis” - sensitive) - increased reactivity of the body to the action of foreign substances. To put it simply, this is an unusual reaction of the body to an ordinary substance.

The type of reaction primarily depends on the route the allergen enters the body. If it is food - manifestations from the skin (rash) and gastrointestinal tract (vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain). If it is a volatile substance (pollen, dust), the reaction manifests itself in the eyes, nose, and bronchi. The severity of the reaction may also differ - from strong (even shock) to weak (mild itching or sneezing). But what's important is If a person has a true allergy, the occurrence of a reaction does not depend on the dose of the substance!

And it’s worth remembering that a true allergy is the body’s reaction to a foreign PROTEIN! Therefore, there cannot be a true allergy to the sun, vodka or tobacco smoke!

Doctors identify 8 true allergens. More than 90% of all cases of food allergies are caused by these foods (listed in descending order of importance):

Eggs

Peanut

Milk

Hazelnut

Fish

Seafood (mostly crustaceans)

Wheat

True allergies, which are based on immune mechanisms, should be distinguished from food intolerance in general, which includes
any adverse reactions to food. Non-allergic food intolerance can be caused by a deficiency of digestive enzymes (lactase, sucrase), pseudo-allergic reactions, or be psychogenic in nature. Pseudoallergic reactions are usually associated with the release of histamine from mast cells by histamine-releasing foods: strawberries, fish, citrus fruits, raw cabbage, radishes. Pseudoallergic reactions usually develop after ingesting a sufficient amount of a certain food, in contrast to a true allergy, when a severe reaction can occur from a minimal dose of the allergen (for example, an anaphylactic reaction from the smell of cooked fish).

With a true allergy, the patient usually cannot eat a certain product at all.

The prevalence of food allergies is 0.3-7.5%. Although complaints of food allergies are very common, they are confirmed by objective tests only in a small proportion of cases. Food allergies are more common in children (up to 8% of the population), and in adults its frequency does not exceed 1-2%.

Below is a list of foods that most often cause pseudo-allergic reactions. As you can see, it is quite large; it is also worth noting that the same product (for example, fish, egg) can act as both an allergen and a pseudo-allergen.

Product groups

Products

Products that provoke histamine-liberatory reactions

Tomatoes, protein, eggs, spinach, strawberries, chocolate, shellfish, soy, fish, chicken, pineapple, spices, cocoa, alcohol, wheat, pork, liver

Nuts, tomatoes (g), eggs, spinach (g), eggplant (g), strawberries, bananas (g), chocolate, shellfish, fish (g) (mackerel, tuna (g), herring (g, t), cod , cheese (g,t), rhubarb, avocado (g,t), peppers, sauerkraut, red wine (g), beer (g,t), canned food (g), ham (g), citrus fruits (g, T)

Broths, fried and stewed meat and fish dishes; brain, kidneys, liver, spinach, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, mature peas, beans, lentils, coffee, cocoa, black tea

It is no coincidence that the highest prevalence of food allergies is in children under 3 years of age. It is they who have immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract, and with age the problems go away (“the child outgrows allergies”). But such a favorable outcome is typical, first of all, for children with pseudo-allergy. If a child has an allergy associated with IgE, then with age (5-7 years) an allergy to household and pollen allergens may develop and other allergic diseases (asthma, rhinitis) may develop. This phenomenon is called " atopic march».

The antigenic properties of foods may change during cooking. Thus, the allergenicity of some milk proteins is lost when boiled, while others even increase. The peanut allergen is practically not destroyed during any processing, which must be taken into account due to the widespread use of peanuts in the food industry. The allergenic properties of fish can also change during processing, so some patients with intolerance to freshly prepared fish may eat canned fish. Another consequence of this is the possibility of false-negative tests with fish allergens that are prepared by freeze-drying. Patients usually cannot tolerate any type of fish, although they may occasionally eat some types. Allergy to fish is often very severe, when severe reactions (Quincke's edema, bronchospasm, anaphylactic shock) occur even from the smell of cooked fish. Allergies to crustaceans are also usually cross-linked: if you are intolerant, for example, to shrimp, you should also exclude crayfish, crabs and lobsters from your diet. Attacks of bronchial asthma are usually not associated with food allergies (sometimes such a connection can be traced in children). Bronchospasm can occur together with other manifestations of an anaphylactic reaction to a food product (urticaria, Quincke's edema, hypotension, shock), but not in isolation.

Attacks of bronchial asthma can be caused by inhalation of food allergens (usually in people who come into professional contact with these products - food industry workers). In addition to fish, these include crabs, wheat flour, coffee, eggs, garlic, mushrooms, papain, etc. Allergies to chocolate are very rarely detected. The role of food additives (dyes, stabilizers, etc.) is also exaggerated; however, patients with allergies are not recommended to use a number of food additives with codes E220-227, 249-252, 210-219, B550-553 and others.

When diagnosing food allergies, it should be taken into account that polyvalent food allergies are very rare, and complaints of intolerance to a large number of foods often indicate the psychogenic nature of the disorder. A special type of problem is cross-allergy - reactions to food products in people with pollen or fungal allergies. With hay fever, its symptoms can occur when eating fruits or other parts of allergenic plants, as well as other foods containing common antigenic determinants (see table). For any hay fever, honey is contraindicated, as it may contain a wide variety of pollen allergens. In patients with fungal allergies, allergy symptoms may occur when consuming foods that have undergone fungal fermentation during preparation. For pollen and fungal allergies, it is recommended to exclude the corresponding products from the diet.

Foods that may cause cross-allergic reactions between pollen and fungal allergies

Allergy to pollen

Fungal allergy

trees

cereal herbs

weeds

bread, bakery and flour products

sunflower oil

yeast dough

fruits and berries

bread kvass

sauerkraut

parsley

beer, kvass

celery

sausage, sausages

coffee, cocoa

other fermented foods

eggplant

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Genetically modified food products are like food allergens.

Genetically modified foods are of utmost importance to patients and the public. However, such changes are not necessarily accompanied by increased allergenic potential. Immediate danger can arise when known allergens are transplanted into other plants that do not cause allergy problems. Such products have not yet reached the market because a specific hazard was discovered in time (for example, the transplantation of allergy-related genetic information into Brazil nuts). On the other hand, it is possible to ensure that no more allergens are transferred through genetic manipulation, and then the product can be safely tolerated by sensitized consumers.

Importance of food allergen labeling

It is very important to indicate on the packaging the contents of the complete composition of the components of the food product, regardless of the quantity or its concentration.

Unfortunately, the issue of mandatory labeling of contaminating proteins in processed foods remains unresolved by law. Many manufacturers still simply make do with the term “may contain traces of…” on their product labels. This is unacceptable from the point of view of people with allergies, since common allergens (eg milk or nuts) can lead to significant restrictions in food choice. Food products without allergenic ingredients listed must by default contain no more than 10 mg/kg of allergenic food protein from the point of view of allergenic associations in order to be considered suitable for sale. This should be taken into account when revising regulations that require mandatory labeling of food content on packaging.

List of food allergens required to be indicated on food products:

· eggs and derivative products,

· peanuts and derivative products,

· fish and fish products,

· cereals and products made from cereals containing gluten,

crustaceans and products made from them,

milk and dairy products (including lactose),

· nuts (nuts): almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, and products containing nuts,

shellfish (clams, squid),

· celery and products containing it,

· mustard and mustard products,

· sesame seeds and products containing it,

soybeans and products containing soybeans,

· . sulfur dioxide and sulfites specified in concentrations greater than mg/kg or mg/l, such as SO2

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Allergens products can be either independent or included in various sauces, spices, seasonings, and cookies. Allergies are caused not only by the products themselves, but also by the dyes and preservatives they contain. According to statistics, more and more people are allergic to any food products. Children are most often affected; this is the most common type, however, it also occurs quite often in adults.

Allergenic products

Food allergens that cause allergic reactions of various kinds are usually divided into three types according to the degree of activity - high, medium and weak:

  • The following products have a high degree of allergenicity: cocoa and chocolate, cow's milk, eggs, red and yellow berries and fruits (raspberries, strawberries, citrus fruits), honey, coffee, grapes, mustard, mushrooms, nuts, carrots, tomatoes, celery, pineapple;
  • Moderate allergenicity is inherent in rice, apricots, peaches, green peppers, turkey meat, pork, blueberries, beets, legumes;
  • The list of products with a low degree of allergenicity includes zucchini, lettuce, prunes, bananas, squash, lamb and horse meat, watermelon, white currants, herbs (parsley, dill), white and yellow varieties of cherries and plums.

A fairly large number of food poisoning in children is caused by cow's milk, the protein of which is a provocateur of allergies. A lot of infant formulas are made precisely on its basis, for this reason a child’s fragile body may simply not perceive this or that nutrition. This is especially true for children with a very high tendency to allergic reactions, while in others this product usually does not cause allergies.

Recently, baby food manufacturers have been trying to replace cow's milk with safer ingredients that do not cause allergies. But still, if it is possible to feed your baby breast milk, it is recommended to do this for as long as possible, since breast milk perfectly strengthens the baby’s immunity and will never cause an allergic reaction. However, breastfeeding mothers must also adhere to a special diet and, throughout the entire period of breastfeeding, be careful when introducing new foods, since everything that the mother eats goes to the baby.

As already mentioned, food allergies are most common in children. Its main manifestations are the following:

  • skin rashes, which are often accompanied by itching, peeling and redness;
  • colic and regurgitation in infants;
  • stool disorders (diarrhea, in some cases constipation);
  • often all of the above symptoms are accompanied by severe abdominal pain, the same as with food poisoning;
  • the appearance of various types of edema;
  • Respiratory system disorders may occur, ranging from allergic rhinitis to bronchial asthma;
  • in some cases, a runny nose may appear;
  • inflammatory process in the mouth and pharynx.

In children who are prone to allergies, there is an insufficient amount of protective antibodies in the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. In order to avoid an allergic reaction to any product, you should exclude it from the children's diet. If the child is in infancy, then each new product should be introduced with extreme caution and the baby’s reaction should be carefully monitored. In case of rashes or changes in stool, you should immediately discard the product - you can give it again only after a month. No more than one type of new product should be introduced into a child’s diet per week, and it is necessary to start with small portions.

In order to correctly diagnose and prescribe the necessary treatment, an allergist needs to accurately determine the allergen, for this he must take into account a number of factors: hereditary predisposition, the baby’s diet and regimen.

For six months, the mother must keep a so-called child’s food diary, in which she should indicate how the baby reacts to a particular product.

If skin rashes or other symptoms appear, you must describe everything in great detail, not forgetting to set the date and time. A number of additional analyzes are also carried out. For the youngest children, an allergist must select a special medicinal mixture that will eliminate the possibility of a recurrence of an allergic reaction.

Recently, a mixed type of allergy has become increasingly common, when there is not only food allergy, but also an allergy to pollen, wool or dust. This is due to the fact that there is a lack of immunoglobulin in the body, which supports the child’s immunity.