Health
Title: Why are some people allergic to certain foods, like peanuts or milk?
Information: Food allergies occur when a person's body treats a substance as an invader, and the body's immune system produces antibodies to defend itself against the offending food. Food allergies are different from cases of "food intolerance," in which a person can eat small amounts of a food without developing any symptoms. Food intolerance is rarely dangerous; however, severe food allergies can cause life-threatening reactions that require emergency medical treatment. Heredity - whether your parents have allergies to specific foods can influence whether or not you are likely to develop food allergies. For more information on food allergies, I went to MedlinePlus http://medlineplus.gov/) for up-to-date resources from the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. In the search box, type the phrase: food allergy. By clicking on the first link, I retrieved NLM's page on the topic of "food allergies." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodallergy.html Many good articles are listed here. I've highlighted a few that provide general information, but you may want to explore many more. "When Food Becomes the Enemy" by Ray Formanek Jr. Article from the July-August 2001 Issue of the "FDA Consumer" produced by the Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/401_food.html "Food Allergies" Article on the topic written by Mayo Clinic staff, dated May 16, 2003. http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=1E0A2C7F-0EC5-4D61-89FFDF856F37C207&dsection=3 "Frequently Asked Questions" The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network provides answers to frequently asked questions about food allergies and discusses issues, such as what happens, symptoms and treatments. http://www.foodallergy.org/questions.html "What Are Food Allergies?" The KidsHealth website, produced by the Nemours Foundation, published this article written for "Teens." It describes what happens to the body when food allergies develop and how to deal with them. http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/food_allergies.html Also, check out the following piece from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology on the general topic of "allergies." "Patient/Public Education: Fast Facts: Allergies" A basic fact sheet on all kinds of allergies, which provides a table of common allergens, and distinguishes a "cold" from an "allergy." http://www.aaaai.org/patients/resources/fastfacts/allergies.stm Thank you asking this question on the topic of food allergies. If you would like more help, be sure to check with your health practitioner. The librarian at your school or public library is also a good resource. The AskNSDL staff
Category: Health