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Wheat Allergy
This article explains a few things about Wheat Allergy, and if
you're interested, then this is worth reading, because you can
never tell what you don't know.
We see stories in the news, magazines, and on TV everyday telling
us about some of the horrific allergies that result from eating
certain types of food. One such food targeted by these stories
is wheat. However, while there is indeed such a thing as wheat
allergy, this is not a license for you to skip wheat all together
when you find yourself showing even the remotest signs of an
allergy.
For one thing, true wheat allergy is extremely rare. And other
adverse reactions to wheat are also uncommon (0.1%, excluding
coelic disease). A number of people today believe that food intolerance
to wheat is rising. However, it should be noted that wheat based
food often contains a mixture of ingredients, any of which could
cause the adverse reactions.
Secondly, there are two terms related with wheat allergy that
are clearly misused. These are “food allergy” and “food
intolerance.” People often think that the two are interchangeable
and mean the same thing, when the truth couldn’t be any
farther. The differences between these two conditions are vast.
Food intolerance is rarely life-threatening. It will not trigger
the immune system to overreact quite in the same way as in food
wheat allergy. However, it may cause symptoms like migraines,
bloating or skin rashes, and in some cases, worsen the effects
of conditions such as asthma, eczema, or migraines.
You can see that there\'s practical value in learning more about
Wheat Allergy. Can you think of ways to apply what\'s been covered
so far?
On the other hand, a food wheat allergy is largely immunological.
It is an abnormal response to a food that is triggered by the
immune system and is far more serious in nature. According to
the Food Standards Agency, the food allergen is seen as ‘foreign”
by the immune system and initiates an immune response and the
production of immunoglobulin E (IgE). IgE binds to mast cells
in the mouth, nose, and gut and causes the release of histamine
which is responsible for inflammation and other symptoms of allergic
reactions.
Food allergy, like wheat allergy, may produce violent reactions,
from swelling of the lips and tongue (oedema) or a red rash to,
in extreme cases, fatal anaphylaxis. Additional symptoms of wheat
allergy may also include asthma and urticaria, or what is commonly
known as hives.
A vast majority of people claiming they have wheat allergy may
at worst have only food intolerance. Often, the case is that
a person has, at one time, tried to remove a food from his diet,
say for example, cheese. And the next time they eat it, they
develop a headache, prompting them to believe that they are allergic
to it.
The Flour Advisory Bureau commissioned a survey in 2001 showing
that more than 40% of women have eliminated specific foods from
their diet over the last five years. Health professionals are
concerned that fashionable fads like cutting out foods, such
as wheat, could put women at risk. Most of the women who admitted
eliminating wheat from their diet because of fear that they have
wheat allergy had taken no dietary advice whatsoever about making
such whole-scale changes to their diet or received no information
on how to replace the nutrients they were losing.
The lesson, therefore, is not to immediately jump to conclusions
when you have a bad experience with food. When you get a reaction
from certain kinds of food, like wheat, be sure to write it down,
or keep a food diary.
Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn
may help you determine what actions to take. |
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