What Is a Food Allergy and What Causes It?

A food allergy is the body's immunological response (a response through the immune system) to a protein in a food. The body perceives this protein as foreign, and its reaction to it causes unwanted effects. Food allergies can be diagnosed with blood and skin tests, but the most important factor is the patient's history. Symptoms that recur each time the same food is eaten, and improvement once the food is stopped, point the doctor toward the diagnosis.

Which Foods Carry a High Risk of Allergy?

• Cow's milk
• Eggs (especially the whites)
• Peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts
• Fish and shellfish
• Meats
• Wheat
• Peas, beans
• Tomatoes, potatoes, onions, eggplant, celery
• Stone fruits and other fruits (strawberries, apples, peaches, cherries, apricots)
• Soy
• Mustard, sesame
• Honey
• Food additives

In children, the most common allergens are cow's milk, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds, wheat and fruit; in adults, they are shellfish, fish, peanuts and tree nuts. Allergies seen in childhood may resolve in adulthood.

What Are the Symptoms of a Food Allergy?

• Itching, burning or tingling of the skin, red patches, pimples, blistering
• Shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, mucus production
• Blurred vision, swollen, watery or twitching eyes
• Postnasal drip, itchy nose, itchy palate, difficulty swallowing, sneezing, dry and sore throat
• Rapid pulse, fainting, fever, chills and shivering, paleness
• Indigestion, cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, swelling of the tongue, a burning tongue, increased saliva, dry mouth
• Frequent and painful urination
• Fatigue, muscle pain, chest and back pain, headache, constant sleepiness, dizziness

Starting Complementary Foods in Children at Risk of Allergy

• Complementary foods should start with low-allergy-risk foods (banana, chicken, egg yolk, etc.) before high-risk foods (fish, egg white, strawberries, etc.).
• Only one food should be tried at a time. When several foods are tried together, it becomes harder to identify which one is causing the allergy.
• Only one new food should be tried per week, in reasonable amounts at least once a day, as reactions to some foods can take a long time to appear.
• When a new food is started, make sure the child does not have symptoms from another cause (such as teething, a feverish illness or diarrhea).
• When trying new foods, priority should be given to highly nutritious foods (such as eggs, meat and yogurt).
• A food the child cannot tolerate should be tried again after 6 months under a doctor's supervision.
• A food that still cannot be tolerated after repeated trials and that causes life-threatening reactions should be removed from the child's diet.

To prevent food allergies, babies should be fed only breast milk for at least 6 months, and early introduction of complementary foods should be avoided. Mothers of at-risk babies should avoid eating allergenic foods and, if necessary, remove them from their diet. High-risk babies should not be given milk and dairy products until age 1, eggs until age 2, or nuts and seeds until age 3.

READING LABELS IS VERY IMPORTANT WITH FOOD ALLERGIES!

ALLERGENS CONTAINED IN FOODS MUST BE DECLARED ON THE LABEL.

Milk Allergy

Because milk and dairy products are removed from the diet, additional calcium and vitamin D may be needed.

What Should Be Avoided With a Milk Allergy?

• All types of milk
• All foods and drinks made with milk and dairy products
• Coffee whiteners, coffee creamers, milk powders
• Kefir, yogurt, ayran (yogurt drink), all types of cheese
• Butter and foods containing butter (cookies, rice pilaf, soups, etc.)
• Milk-based desserts (ice cream, cream desserts, milkshakes, puddings, etc.)
• Soups (yayla soup, cream soups, milk-based soups, tarhana soup)
• Bakery and store-bought products that may contain milk (simit, bread, waffles, biscuits, chocolate, etc.)

Wheat Allergy

A wheat-free diet is very difficult to follow. When wheat is removed from the diet, B vitamin deficiencies can occur.

What Should Be Avoided With a Wheat Allergy

• Wheat, rye, barley, oats
• Flour-based foods (soups thickened with flour, meatballs, bread, börek, cake, crackers, etc.)
• Bouillon cubes
• Processed meat products (salami, sucuk, sausages)
• Vegetables and meats coated in flour before cooking
• Milk-based desserts, ice cream
• Beer, wine, whiskey (malted drinks)

Egg Allergy

What Should Be Avoided With an Egg Allergy

• Eggs
• Any product made with added egg (soups, noodles, mayonnaise, Caesar dressing, cake cream, etc.)
• All bakery products (cakes, layer cakes, soufflés, etc.)
• Foods dipped in egg before frying (kadınbudu köfte, nuggets, etc.)
• Foods brushed with egg for browning (pide, börek, etc.)

Fish and Shellfish Allergy

In seafood allergies, the immune system usually reacts severely.

Which Fish Commonly Cause Allergies?

• Tuna
• Sea bass
• Trout
• Salmon
• Sardines

Which Shellfish Commonly Cause Allergies?

• Shrimp
• Crab
• Crayfish
• Mussels
• Lobster

Nut and Seed Allergy

What Should Be Avoided

• Nuts and seeds (peanuts, cashews, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.)
• Oils made from nuts and seeds (peanut, hazelnut, almond, sunflower oil, etc.)
• Sesame, tahini, tahini halva
• Coconut, coconut oil
• Desserts with added hazelnuts, peanuts or pistachios