Putting It All Together

Here is a summary of the important facts and information related to Food Allergies And Intolerance.

• People have adverse reactions to foods for many reasons other than allergies.

• Food allergy is much less common than most people think; less than 2 percent of U.S. adults have genuine food allergies.

• The following foods account for about 90 percent of food allergies: eggs, peanuts, milk, wheat, soy, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.

• People often blame chocolate and corn for allergies, but these foods rarely cause allergic reactions. Sugar does not produce an allergic reaction.

• Allergic reactions to food most commonly affect the skin and the digestive tract.

• Anaphylactic reactions to food are rare but can be fatal.

• Allergy skin tests detect only the presence of antibodies. They cannot make an accurate determination that an allergy exists.

• The most reliable test for food allergy is the double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge, it is the gold-standard for food allergy diagnosis and is crucial in research studies.

• The best approach to managing food allergy is to stop eating the offending food.

• Vaccine treatments for food allergy are being developed.