symptomsareusuallyconfined

tothemouth,in1.2%ofcases

peoplecandevelopanaphylaxis

• a severeandpotentially
  life-threateningreactiontoan
  allergytrigger.
  ‘Generally,we’refindingmore
  peoplegettingmultipleallergies


• it’snotaboutonethingany
  more,’saysAmena.Peoplewitha
  peanutallergy,forinstance,may
  alsobeaffectedbylupin,asthese

ALLERGIES

in adulthood

Why more of us are suffering

A

LLERGIC REACTIONS TO FOOD aren’t

new, but how and when they affect us

seems to be changing. In the past, food

allergies most commonly affected children

and teenagers, and most grew out of them. But

anecdotal evidence from doctors and

studiesarenowshowingotherwise.

‘Anincreasingnumberofchildren

arenotoutgrowingtheirallergiesas

theyusedto,’saysAmenaWarner,

headofclinicalservicesatcharityAllergyUK.

Whiletherearenoofficialfiguresforthenumbers

affectedintheUK,a USstudypublishedinJAMA

(JournalofAmericanMedicalAssociation)thisyear,

indicatesthat 28 millionUSadultshavefoodallergies,

withnearlyhalfofthemdevelopingaftertheageof18.

‘Adultsappeartobespontaneouslydeveloping

allergiesmoreoften,’saysDrJennaMacciochi,

lecturerinimmunologyattheUniversityofSussex.

Multiplefoodallergies

‘WE’RESEEINGA RISEinso-

called“superallergies”,too,’

saysAmena.‘Peoplewhohave

hayfevercausedbybirchpollen,

forexample,oftenreacttocertain

fruitssuchasapples,pearsand

cherries.’Thisis a condition

calledoralallergysyndrome

(seep28),whichcancausetingly

lips,a scratchythroatanditchy

mouth.Althoughoralallergy

seeds share similar proteins

with peanuts. Lupin is

often used in bread,

pasta and pastries

and in wheat-free

and gluten-free

foods. In the same

way, one in four of

those allergic to

peanuts may also be

affected by sesame seeds.

‘Cross-reactivity allergies

are getting more problematic,’

says Amena. ‘For example, in both

the US and UK, people who have

developed allergies to tick bites

from the Lone Star tick have

developed cross-reactivity with

red meat. This can cause allergy

symptoms such as itchy skin,

runny nose and headaches, but

can also result in anaphylaxis.’

Why the rise?

THERE ARE MANY THEORIES

about why allergies are on the

increase. Jenna lists one as the

‘hygiene hypothesis’, which

argues that as we tend to be very

clean these days our immune

system isn’t challenged enough

and fails to develop fully. So

should we be cleaning less? ‘It’s

about getting the right balance,’

says Dr Patrick Yong, consultant

Food allergies are making the headlines as a huge

rise in the number of cases among adults points to

a shift in our food culture. Jo Waters investigates

SPECIAL REPORT

CELERY

CRUSTACEANS

26 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE MAY 2019