Have Food Allergies risen this year?
It is estimated that 1 in 10 adults have some sort of food allergy. From the year 1960 to 2018, the percentage of the population that had food allergies increased from 3% to 7%. Studies have shown that this percentage could be increasing.
An author, Ralph Jones, explains the change in food allergy statistics over the years. He mentions that not only have food allergies in the population increased, but the range of foods that some may be allergic to have as well. Specialists have a tough time pinpointing what the cause of this increase in allergies is or even the amount in which its increased.
There are theories to why allergies could have expanded in the general population. One theory suggests that there isn’t actually a rise in allergies, but that our researchers and population is more aware of those allergies and symptoms that come with consuming these foods. The severity of food allergies has caused many more people to go to hospitals, with a severe allergenic reaction called anaphylaxis. This reaction can cause symptoms like wheezing, dizziness, and vomiting.
Another source of question is the accuracy of the people themselves. It is estimated that 3 to 4 times more people believe that they have a food allergy. This can mess up the data conducted, especially in self reported surveys. Many that think they have a food allergy may not have one at all or just confuse the allergy with a food intolerance.
The final speculation for why allergies have increased involve family structure. A contradicting theory, made by David Strachan, would suggest the reason involved a “Hygiene Hypothesis”. This hypothesis would suggest that the cleaner we are, the less allergies that we will develop. This is false. The theory also included some family factors that were suspected to be preventive of allergies. These included declining family sizes, household amenity improvements, and the main one-cleanliness. Although good hygiene is never a bad thing for preventing undesirable issues, many scientists have disagreed with Strachan’s theory with evidential research.
Whether the rise in food allergies comes from more knowledge of it or the lack of preventable environmental factors of it, allergies can be serious issues. It is very important to be aware of what others may be going through when it comes to avoiding specific nutrition. Many theories could work together to produce this effect on the statistics of food allergies.
If you have a food allergy yourself or suspect that you have one, ask yourself this:
• How has your allergy affected your physical and social life?
• Which theory seems the most accurate/reasonable to describe the change in food allergy increases?
Reference Article Link: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201023-food-allergies-why-nut-dairy-and-food-allergy-are-rising
Very interesting topic.
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