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Explore The Science Behind The Breakthroughs In Food Allergy Prevention And Reversal
It’s true: food allergies may soon become a thing of the past!
Thanks to our increasingly advanced knowledge and understanding of these conditions, science is closer than ever to finding ways to prevent and reverse them.
Take, for instance, the groundbreaking hypothesis that emerged thanks to a researcher who was simply trying a baby snack.
Or how food allergies are actually on the rise due to an unexpected cause – and how some counterintuitive approaches might be the key in putting an end to them.
These are extraordinary times for those suffering from food allergies – or those at risk of developing them – and it’s always important to remember not to make any changes in your diet without first consulting your doctor.
But this we can say with confidence: we’re beginning to understand how science could help us put an end these health problems once and for all.
Allergist Gideon Lack Revolutionized The Conventional Wisdom On Food Allergies When He Explained How Early Exposure To Peanuts Can Help Lower Susceptibility To Peanut Allergies
Gideon Lack, a pediatric allergist from King’s College London, was alarmed at the dramatic rise of peanut allergies in the UK.
He couldn’t understand why more British parents were adhering to the traditional advice – not feeding their babies peanuts – yet still experiencing a doubling of peanut allergies anyways.
This confusion led him to Tel Aviv and a series of events that changed his life, and the world’s understanding of food allergies, forever.
At a talk he gave in Israel on peanut allergies, he found out that only a couple people had seen cases in the past year, compared to nearly all the hands going up when given this same question back in the UK.
Then, while having lunch with some Israeli friends shortly after his talk, Gideon tasted what they were eating – it turned out to be something akin to peanut butter!
Further research soon revealed that by nine months old, Israeli babies ingested food containing peanuts seven times more often than British ones (at 69% versus 10%).
This was his eureka moment.
Could early exposure to peanuts be helping children build immunity against developing peanut allergies? Could conventional wisdom about food allergy avoidance actually be misguided? Could this theory also apply for other common food allergens? All these questions prompted Gideon Lack to hypothesize that the solution may lie in introducing potential allergens earlier rather than later.
From there, further research would eventually confirm his revolutionary hypothesis and change how we view food allergies for good.
The Global Food Allergen Crisis: Exploring A Growing Problem Around The World
Food allergies have become an increasingly common issue around the world.
It’s been reported that up to 8% of children and 11% of adults have food allergies – a troubling statistic for sure.
It’s clear that no country is immune to this problem – from Canada and Australia, to China and Colombia, to Ghana, Tanzania, Japan, Taiwan, Poland and Bulgaria.
In the US alone, the percentage of children with one or more food allergies has gone up by 8.5% in the period between 1997-2011; similarly, in China there was a 7.7% rise in infants with food allergies between 1999-2009.
In addition to statistics concerning children, over 10% of adults in countries like the UK and US are reported to have one or more food allergies; furthermore 44% of them having developed these in adulthood shows that this is not just a problem for youngsters; adults can be affected too!
It’s clear from all these figures that Food Allergies is a major global concern which affects both young and old alike; researchers worldwide are working hard to combat this growing epidemic.
No Simple Explanation For The Rise In Food Allergies: It’s A Complex Array Of Interconnected Factors
Food allergies have a long history, with the ancient Greek philosopher Hypocrites observing people suffering from cheese allergies over two thousand years ago.
Despite this long history, and the many advances in food allergy science in recent decades, we still don’t fully understand why some people suffer from them.
The general facts of food allergies are fairly straightforward: when the body’s immune system mistakes particular proteins in food for foreign substances, it triggers physical responses designed to repel this believed attack.
The resulting allergic reaction may be anything from itching to low blood pressure.
What makes one person develop a food allergy and not another? Medical scientists have suggested many theories – for example genetic theory which centers on Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies – but none of them can explain the phenomenon on their own.
Instead, it seems food allergies are caused by an interconnected web of factors, such as genes interacting with environment, dietary choices and even gut bacteria.
All these come together to create a complex array that is ultimately responsible for triggering allergic reactions.
Simply put, there is no one single explanation explaining why people suffer from food allergies.
A variety of factors are at play, making it difficult to create any definitive answer as to why someone develops such a sensitivity and another does not.
The Key To Unveiling Peanut Allergy Risk Factors: Using Data To Eliminate Other Possibilities
Gideon Lack had a hunch that the answer to why fewer Israeli babies suffered from peanut allergies than those from the UK was yes, but he needed to rule out some other possible explanations before he could have enough confidence in his hypothesis.
He ruled out genetics and other medical conditions, like asthma, by collecting data on 8,826 Jewish children that shared the same genetic profile and had similar rates of asthma in both Israel and the UK.
When it all came down to crunching the numbers they were able to positively conclude that the prevalence of peanut allergies can’t be explained by genetics or other medical conditions.
This includedmilk, egg, sesame, tree nut allergies, hay fever and even eczema – a condition characterized red and itchy skin that has been linked with greater risk of developing peanut allergies as it can weaken one’s immune system.
How Eczema And Skin Exposure May Increase The Risk Of Food Allergies
The Dual-Allergen Exposure Theory postulates that our skin might be the main route of developing food allergies.
To explain this connection between eczema and food allergies, you have to remember what the purpose of our skin is in the first place: it’s a protective barrier between our internal organs and the outside world.
It’s designed to keep foreign substances like microbes at bay.
However, when we have conditions like eczema, it can weaken the skin’s strength and make it easier for these foreign substances to push their way through.
But how does this relate to food allergies specifically? Well, according to the theory, peanut proteins can get into our bodies through our skin as well as in more traditional ways like eating foods containing peanuts.
What happens if some peanut residue does manage to enter your body through your skin? Your immune system won’t recognize these proteins as beneficial nutrients – instead, it will see them as harmful foreign invaders which must be defended against.
As a result, an allergic reaction may be triggered.
This same process could occur with any other type of food allergen – explaining why the dual-allergen theory proposes that our skin could be one of the major routes of developing food allergies!
The Dual-Allergen Exposure Theory: How Could Eating Allergenic Foods Help Prevent Food Allergies?
Gideon Lack proposed the idea that some exposure to allergens through diet in babies and infants could help prevent food allergies.
This theorized dual-allergen exposure could be beneficial as it is believed that the immune system would learn how to detect the allergens as harmless.
This would therefore create a shield against allergic reactions, which has been culprit in many cases of severe food allergies.
Interestingly, one study found evidence to suggest this theory was correct; infants with peanut allergies were exposed to residue containing allergens ten times more often than those who didn’t suffer from an allergy.
Another study similarly revealed that a small amount of skin contact with peanut oil could increase the risk of developing an allergy by age five.
Combining the practice of avoiding potentially allergenic foods with actual exposure in moderation may be a better solution for those seeking to avoid future food allergies, opposed to avoiding such items entirely.
If this is accurate, then Lack’s theory has profound implications for medical authorities worldwide and their advice regarding food intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The Leap Study Shows That Early Exposure To Peanuts Prevents Peanut Allergy Development
After nearly 10 years of careful study, The LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) Study has confirmed the hypothesis that early exposure to peanut-containing food reduces the chances of a child developing peanut allergies.
Six hundred and forty babies, who were all at risk for developing a peanut allergy due to having eczema and/or an egg allergy, were split into two groups: one that completely avoided peanuts and one that ate them regularly, in a carefully monitored manner.
Five years later, the results showed that babies who ate peanuts had an 86% reduction in their chance of developing peanut allergies compared to those who had avoided them.
Even children who already had existing peanut allergies saw a 70% reduction when consuming peanuts!
The LEAP studying not only confirms what Lack’s original hypothesis suggested but also shows that introducing children to foods at an early age can help reduce their chances of becoming allergic to them.
It is a major breakthrough in food allergy science and provides valuable insight into how we can help protect ourselves from severe food allergies.
The Leap Study: The Foundation For A Messy Reality Of Food Allergy Science
Many parents worry about exposing their babies to allergenic foods, such as peanuts, milk, eggs, and wheat.
Studies indicate that introducing these food in the first six months of life may decrease a baby’s risk of developing food allergies.
This is great news for parents!
However, before you rush out and feed your baby the allergenic food, it is crucial to remember that there are some important caveats to consider.
The results from follow-up studies have been mixed and have indicated a slight benefit at best when giving babies allergenic food.
One analysis even failed to establish if there was any real benefit at all – this could be due to the amount of food given.
It also should be noted that multiple children had to be hospitalized due to allergic reactions in some studies.
Therefore, introducing babies to allergenic food is generally thought to be a good idea by experts; however, it is still important for parents to consult with a doctor before doing so.
It’s better safe than sorry!
Reversing Food Allergies: The Science Behind Oral Immunotherapy
It is a fact that oral immunotherapy can reverse already existing food allergies.
It begins as a small amount of the allergenic food and slowly increases over a long period of time to desensitize the patient to the allergen.
This helps to create an environment where the patient’s immune system can tolerate larger amounts of the food in question.
Depending on the level of tolerance desired by the patient, it could be enough for them to eat trace amounts without fear of reaction, or even more if required.
The key element behind this form of treatment comes from teaching the immune system about what is “friendly” and harmless in terms of food entering one’s body, versus what it should consider “hostile” and attack.
With successful immunotherapy, many individuals are finding they no longer have to live in fear around certain foods they once had reactions too!
Oit: Becoming Quicker, Safer, And More Effective For Those With Food Allergies
For those with food allergies, there is hope on the horizon.
Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) is an increasingly promising treatment that has been proven highly effective in multiple clinical trials and studies.
Not only does it work, but it’s also becoming less and less demanding, dangerous, and time-consuming as researchers make improvements to OIT’s efficacy.
The time needed to complete OIT changes depending on the patient’s goal; accidental exposure protection can take around 6 months, while full desensitization can take up to two years, Both of these goals require a commitment of several hours per session over the course of many weeks – something that used to be extremely risky as reactions were often intense.
Fortunately, this is less frequently seen as OIT advances: drug therapies such as omalizumab are helping clinicians bring about milder reactions and shortening treatment length for patients.
Aesthetic drugs like mepolizumab, reslizumab and benralizumab are also being tested in order to try and provide additional benefit for opportunities undergoing OIT.
Even more excitingly undoubtedly is the broad range of alternative treatments currently in development, from food allergy vaccines to gene therapies which could offer further avenues for those looking for secure allergy management solutions.
In conclusion, there is much good news ahead for those who suffer from food allergies: OIT is quickly becoming more accessible than ever before – it’s safer, requires less time commitment and greater accessibility!
Wrap Up
The End of Food Allergy is a game-changer for anyone who suffers from food allergies.
Recent advances in science and medicine mean that food allergies could soon be a thing of the past!
At an early age, introducing babies to allergenic foods can help prevent them from ever developing allergies.
For those who already have food allergies, careful exposure through oral immunotherapy (OIT) is key to successfully overcoming them.
It’s important to talk to your doctor, as they may be able to refer you to one of several clinical trials happening around the world.
OIT should only take place in a medical facility with a trained clinician and should never be attempted on your own for safety reasons.
This book provides useful information and actionable advice for dealing with food allergy, so if you or someone you know suffers from it, this book may be worth checking out.
