A new study published in The American Journal of Pediatrics states that food allergies affect 1 in 13 children- making them more common than ever. The most common food allergies were listed to be peanuts, milk and shellfish. Even more alarming is that a recent study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that visits to the emergency room at Children’s Hospital Boston for allergic reactions more than doubled from 2001 to 2006. Why are these food allergies in children on the rise? Scientists are scrambling to find the answer, but many questions have been posed; Are they not getting exposed to enough bacteria early-on in their immune system development?
One theory is that the typical ‘Western’ diet is contributing to decreased richness of gut bacteria, which promotes healthy digestion and immune function. Cultures and communities in other parts of the world generally subsist on foods that are only produced locally, and whose diets are more vegetarian. This is much more similar to how humans ate 10,000 years ago.
In Western society, our children consume much more sugar, animal fat and calorie-dense foods. Researchers are suggesting that the result may be a decrease in biodiversity in the organisms/ gut bacteria of American kids. It’s important to remember that if you suspect that you or your child may have a food allergy to get tested by a certified allergist and be extra vigilant to read the ingredients for the foods you eat, or to alter your diet to a more traditional, vegetarian approach.