Faculty Opinions recommendation of Exposure to food allergens through inflamed skin promotes intestinal food allergy through the thymic stromal lymphopoietin-basophil axis.

Food allergens are the substances present in food that cause food allergy. Human body reactions to food allergens range from mild to severe life threatening anaphylactic shock. At least seventy different foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions and several other foods have been identified which have the potential to provoke allergic reactions. Majority of the identified food allergens are proteins. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) identifies eight major food groups i.e. milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans as major allergy causing foods. These eight foods are believed to account for 90 per cent of food allergies and are responsible for most serious reactions to foods. Several studies have been done which identify the major allergens in various foods. The present paper attempts to review the major allergens present in various food.

Download Full-text

Common food allergens and cross-reactivity

Journal of Food Allergy ◽

10.2500/jfa.2020.2.200020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 17-21

Author(s):

Olivia L. Francis ◽

Kathleen Y. Wang ◽

Edwin H. Kim ◽

Timothy P. Moran

Keyword(s):

Food Allergy ◽

Protein Stability ◽

Cross Reactivity ◽

Molecular Characteristics ◽

Food Allergens ◽

Tree Nuts ◽

Heat Stable ◽

Systemic Reactions ◽

Hen’S Egg ◽

Fish And Shellfish

The most clinically relevant food allergens are cow’s milk, hen’s egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, and seeds. Heat-stable food allergens have molecular characteristics that enhance protein stability and gastrointestinal absorption and thus are more likely to cause systemic reactions on ingestion. In contrast, heat-labile food allergens lack these characteristics and do not typically elicit reactions if sufficiently altered by heat or acid. Immunologic cross-sensitization between food allergens is more common than clinical cross-reactivity. However, certain groups of food allergens, such as tree nuts, fish, and shellfish, are associated with high rates of clinical cross-reactivity. Knowing the rates of clinical cross-reactivity is important when providing guidance to patients with food allergy and families on what foods can be safely added to the diet and what foods should be avoided.

Download Full-text

Determination of allergenicity of different food allergens in a rat model of food allergy

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology ◽

10.1016/s0091-6749(03)80893-x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 111 (2) ◽

pp. S251

Author(s):

B. Ahrens ◽

D. Quarcoo ◽

A. Meeuw ◽

J. Zagon ◽

G. Reese ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Allergy ◽

Rat Model ◽

Food Allergens

Download Full-text

A Web-based Survey for the Association Between Food Allergy and Depression/psychological Distress in 11,876 Japanese (P18-019-19)

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz039.p18-019-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Shinsuke Hidese ◽

Shun Nogawa ◽

Kenji Saito ◽

Hiroshi Kunugi

Keyword(s):

Food Allergy ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Control Group ◽

Food Allergens ◽

Kiwi Fruit ◽

Web Based ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Depression Group ◽

Japanese Sample ◽

History Of

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study is to examine whether food allergy (FA) is associated with depression/psychological distress in a large Japanese sample. Methods This web-based survey was conducted on a platform of “Yahoo! JAPAN -HealthData Lab” and the Genequest Inc. (Tokyo, Japan). Participants were 1000 individuals with self-reported history of depression (mean age: 41.4 years, 501 men and 499 women) and the remaining 10,876 controls (mean age: 45.1 years, 5691 men and 5185 women). Six-item Kessler scale (K6) test cut-off score ≥13 was used to estimate severe psychological distress. We gained self-reported information on FA and 27 specific food allergens. Results The proportion of individuals with FA, 2 or more, 3 or more, and 4 or more allergens was higher in the depression group compared to the control group (odds ratio [OR] = 1.64, 1.75, 2.02, and 2.27, respectively; P < 0.001). Allergen analyses revealed that allergies for shrimp, egg, mackerel, crab, kiwi fruit, milk, banana, and squid were more common in the depression group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Individuals who had severe psychological distress was more common in the FA group than in the non-FA group, in the total participants (OR = 1.32, 1.62, 2.04 and 2.51; 1, 2, 3, and 4 or more allergens, respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusions We suggest that FA is likely to be a risk factor for depression and severe psychological distress, which is dependent on the number of food allergens. Funding Sources This work was supported by an Intramural Research Grant for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders of National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry.

Download Full-text