Having a food allergy is more common than you might think. This condition affects between 6% and 8% of children under 3 years of age, and up to about 3% of adults. Although there are more than 170 foods related to allergic reactions, if we narrow down the list of the most common, we will be left with less than ten.
We tell you which are the foods that cause the most allergies, and which can you substitute them for. Because eliminating allergenic foods from the diet can cause long-term protein deficiencies. The nutritionist will be the one who best advises you in these cases.
Foods with a high probability of causing allergies
At first any food can cause an allergic reaction, even if you have taken it before without any problem. Unlike a food intolerance, a food allergy is a reaction of the immune system. It happens shortly after eating the food.
Between the foods most allergic to children are cow's milk, eggs and fish. While peach, apricot, apple, melon and kiwi fruits and some nuts affect the adult population more.
Many products are easy to identify in everyday menus, but there are others that go unnoticed on processed food labels, in the form of thickening, emulsifying, stabilizing or flavoring additives. The same happens with dishes cooked in restaurants or in those of family members, so you always have to notify the waiters, and remind the family about the foods that cause allergies.
Eggs and milk above the table
Eggs can cause allergies, It is a reaction to the protein that is more in the white, but also in the yolk. It occurs most often in children, and the reaction usually disappears in adolescence. The more cooked it is, the safer the egg is. Symptoms caused by this allergy are usually mild and include hives, nasal congestion, vomiting, or digestive problems.
Be Allergy to milk is also more common in children than adults. It usually disappears in children around the age of 5. The milk that usually causes the most allergy is cow's milk, but it can also be that of goat, sheep, etc. Symptoms vary from person to person and can be mild or severe. A milk allergy is different from an intolerance to milk proteins or lactose.
If your son or daughter is allergic to eggs, you can substitute their nutritional value for meats, legumes, fish, green leafy vegetables, pumpkin or carrots. In the case of those allergic to milk, there are other foods rich in calcium, like dark leafy vegetables, pasta, legumes, nuts. And there are also vitamin drinks, such as those made with soy and almonds.
Nuts and soy, two highly allergenic foods
The nuts, and especially peanuts cause severe allergy attacks. It is a reaction to the proteins that these fruits contain. You can be allergic to certain nuts, like peanuts, but not to others. The most common reaction is skin. In very serious cases, even very small amounts or indirect contact can cause anaphylaxis. Some people with minor allergies to certain nuts outgrow it, but it can recur at any time.
La soy allergy usually appears in the first years of life and the vast majority of children outgrow it. In the case of being allergic to this food, you have to be especially careful with the labels, many processed products contain a percentage of soy. The most common reaction is hives, itching around the mouth, red skin, abdominal pain, and swelling.
There are people who, although they are not allergic, do not include soy or nuts in their diet. But, the truth is that they provide protein, soluble fiber, potassium, unsaturated fatty acids, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin E and calcium. A way to replace them is to consume meat, fish, egg, legumes, chickpea, olive oil, olives, avocado.