From peanuts to shellfish... Why are so many adults suddenly getting allergies?

DailyMail.uk ^ | 15th May 2009 | Lucy Elkins

[yankeedame]

From peanuts to shellfish... Why are so many adults suddenly getting allergies?

"...Over the past decade there has been a huge rise in the number of Britons suffering from hay-fever and eczema as a result of allergies.

As many as one in four people is affected, and ...

... it's not just children who are affected.... increasingly, middle-aged and older people are developing allergies for the first time....they suddenly suffer a reaction to something that for decades did them no harm.

'In the case of food allergies and anaphylaxis, I now see more adults than children - we are inundated with cases,' says Andrew Williams, a consultant nurse... 'Allergic rhinitis and asthma are also becoming more common among adults.'

Many women suddenly develop an allergy during the menopause...

'Another common time seems to be after having been in hospital.'

Often the allergies involve foods such as nuts or shellfish. 'The reactions tend to come on quickly and ...can be very surprising and very frightening - and potentially fatal.'

An allergy occurs when the body over-reacts to the presence of something harmless and produces antibodies and chemicals such as histamine in response. It is the body's way of trying to get rid of the perceived invader as rapidly as possible....

[raybbr]

1) Children's clothes are no longer being dried in the open (ex. on clotheslines), where they became imbedded with small amounts of pollen etc., which de-sensitized people as they wore the clothing.

My wife refuses to allow a clothesline for the very reasons you mentioned. Well, that and she thinks it's low class. (I am just the messenger)

2) Homes are now air-conditioned, with filters, and children spend less time outside. Again, they are not being exposed to small amounts of environmental allergens early in life.

I agree. We open our windows whenever we can. But, when we built the house we have to pretty much prove it was air tight to the building inspector to get the permit.

[N3WBI3]

You make a good point. Although a bit hippy

I know it hurts me to do so but at least my reasons are a little more 'non hippy'... Its not about 'the planets sacred maaannnnnnnn' Its more about For Christians) God probablly gave us the right foods for our body For Atheist) We evolved with this set of food proteins why muck it up.. Whatever the case remember when margarine was sooooooo much better for us than butter? -- The one I noticed the most is keeping fresh cut, locally grown lavender in the house Hmm My wife has some allergies Ill have to look into the lavender.

[geege]

Mmmmmmmmm I sitting here eating reduced fat chunky peanut butter out of the jar....yum.

[bert]

there is money to be made convincing city women they are allergic to life. The campaign has been successful

[bert]

......children spend less time outside.....

Many girls beyond the age of 12 virtually never go outside.

[usshadley]

flouride, Mandrake

[Ditter]

Unusually when the fat is removed from food the manufacturers put flavor enhancers into it to make it taste better. Maltodestrin, MSG, disodium insonate disodium guyanalate etc. so your taste buds are fooled.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Too many people are now growing up in artificial urban environments. They just don’t develop normal immune systems.

[geege]

Yep your right....I’m looking at the jar and they’re all in there but boy is it good!!!!!

[Judith Anne]

Yes, and surprisingly, I can’t use hair color at all. There is metal in almost every hair coloring, it’s a fixative for the colorant. Could be lead, iron, nickel, or other metals, but they are there, as I found to my painful surprise.

All my jewelry is yellow gold, at least 12K. And still, some of that will break out my skin. It doesn’t help to use gold-filled jewelry, either, I can tell almost immediately.

[Grammy]

I developed an allergy to shellfish after I had 2 cat scans. I used to eat shrimp (and all shellfish) all the time, then, after the cat scans I started reacting to them.

I believe that when they injected the iodine into me for the scan, they made me sensitive to the shellfish. I pout very loudly about it.

[Ditter]

Your taste buds are lying to you! LOL

[EggsAckley]

I have been allergic to curry all my life. I’ve tried it three times, and each time it resulted in violent hurling, immediately. I do like the flavor, but within about 30 seconds I’m gone.

Curry has a bunch of ingredients, but I’m suspecting that the ingredient that gets me is corriander. Corriander is the seed form of the leafy cilantro, which sort of makes me sick as well.

[geege]

Not really.....I love to cook and eat so a little less fat in my peanut butter won’t spoil my appetite...Hey I knocked off about 15lbs since February on SB Diet, so this is “cheating” for me!!!

[neverdem]

Thanks for the ping.

[Ditter]

I meant that the flavor enhancers make the peanut butter taste good, without them being added, it would NOT taste as good. Fat adds flavor.

[Dutch Boy]

Getting the same way. Only about 13 years left... that is if it lasts that long.

[LZ_Bayonet]

"Unusually when the fat is removed from food the manufacturers put flavor enhancers into it..."

And note the differences in Sodium content among the peanut butter products on the shelf. Some have zero (Krema). My preference, Krema, is more liquid and needs to be stirred, so I think it might have to do with the Sodium being used as a thickener.