1. FOOD ALLERGIES & INTOLERANCES LIFETIME NUTRITION & WELLNESS

2. OBJECTIVES Describe the differences between food allergies and intolerances. Identify the eight most common food allergens.

3. THE IMMUNE SYSTEM The immune system is the part of the body that fights infection. One way the immune system fights infection is through antibodies. Antibodies: A protein in the body that reacts and attaches to specific substances. Antibodies attach to antigens (a protein or other substance) to make them unable to work and to signal to the immune system that an invasion is taking place.

4. THE IMMUNE SYSTEM The antibodies on basophils (immune system cells in the blood) and mast cells (immune system cells found in other types of body tissues) are called Immunoglobin E, or IgE. IgE bind to antigens, which signals the mast cell or basophil to release immune system chemicals to fight the infection.

5. FOOD ALLERGIES Food allergies occur when the body responds to an antigen in food by creating antibodies that attach themselves to this molecule. The binding of antibodies to the antigen causes the immune system to react, which causes the symptoms of a food allergy. When someone has a food allergy, it is sometimes called an IgE-mediated food allergy, because that is the type of antibody involved.

6. SYMPTOMS OF A FOOD ALLERGY An allergic reaction to a food can take from a few minutes to a few hours to show symptoms. Symptoms may include: ▪ Swelling of the mouth, lips, and/or tongue ▪ Itchiness in the mouth ▪ Rash and/or hives ▪ Runny nose ▪ Throat tightness ▪ Trouble breathing ▪ Vomiting, diarrhea, GI pain ▪ Anaphylaxis

7. SYMPTOMS OF A FOOD ALLERGY Anaphylaxis is the most dangerous food allergy reaction, because it can result in death if not treated quickly. Anaphylaxis Symptoms include: ▪ Drop in blood pressure ▪ Hives, itching, swelling of the mouth, lips, tongue ▪ Difficulty swallowing ▪ Constriction of the airway, which can cause wheezing, difficulty breathing ▪ Weak or rapid pulse ▪ Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea ▪ Dizziness or fainting ▪ EpiPen injections should be followed by a trip to the ER.

8. MOST COMMON FOOD ALLERGENS While an allergy can develop to almost any food or ingredient, these are the 8 most common food allergies: 1. Milk 2. Eggs 3. Peanuts 4. Tree nuts 5. Fish 6. Shellfish 7. Soy 8. Wheat

9. FOOD INTOLERANCE A food intolerance is a reaction to a food that is not IgE- mediated. Some food intolerances that you may encounter are: ▪ Celiac disease - is a reaction to gluten that results in the immune system attacking the lining of the gut. ▪ Treatment – remove gluten from the diet (wheat, rye, oats, & barley) ▪ Lactose intolerance - when a person makes little or no lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose. ▪ Treatment - avoid foods with lactose (dairy products)

10. Cross-Reactivity People allergic to a specific food may also potentially have a reaction to related foods. A person allergic to one tree nut may be cross-reactive to others. Those allergic to shrimp may react to crab and lobster. Someone allergic to peanuts - which actually are legumes (beans), not nuts - may have problems with tree nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, almonds and cashews; in very rare circumstances they may have problems with other legumes (excluding soy).

11. Food Allergy Investigation Directions: In groups of 2 or 3, complete a web search on the top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish, soy, & wheat. Compile the information into a chart or table with the following information: 1.What percent of the population has this food allergy? 2.What are the symptoms of this food allergy? 3.What are the common and uncommon food sources of this allergy? 4.What are some alternate foods instead of ingesting this source of food allergy? 5.Cite your sources (do NOT use Wikipedia).