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The exploding segment of the population suffering from certain food ailments is skyrocketing, and experts are stumped on the reasons why. A study from the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at New York's Mount Sinai hospital found that from 1997 to 2008, peanut allergies tripled from 1-in-250 children to 1-in-70.
"It really is almost an epidemic," Dr. Scott Sicherer, the institute's director, told CNBC's "On the Money."
I thought that the prevailing theories as to why allergies had gotten much more common centered on the Hygiene Hypothesis and/or the fact that foods that are common allergens (like tree nuts) are being introduced to children too late in life.
My understanding of the Hygiene Hypothesis is that we now keep our environment too sterile and clean, potentially interfering with proper development of the immune system. Maybe all the hand sanitizers, hand washing and kids not playing outside as much as they used to have factored into this. It's a fine line, though, because sanitation, specifically hand washing, is probably the single most important factor in helping prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
As far as introducing potential allergens, it seems like the prevailing advice from physicians to wait until a child was 1-2 years old to expose them to certain foods that are common allergens has been replaced by the suggestion that these foods now be introduced much earlier, but in a controlled and safe manner.
Sicherer, who is author of "Food Allergies: A Complete Guide for Eating When Your Life Depends on It," said that one possible cause is "the cleanliness theory," which suggests kids aren't being exposed to the germs that help build up immunity.
"The thought is we just have such clean living now" that kids are on computers and not in playgrounds, he said.
This theory doesn’t make much sense in terms of food allergies considering food allergies show up in babies. Babies are not avoiding playgrounds in favor of staying indoors, on their computer. They’re babies.
The hygiene theory is just a wild guess. There are so many others things that have changed in the environment.
As was just mentioned, it could be GMOs, agricultural poisons, antibiotics, those things we aren't allowed to mention, etc. It could also be the greatly increasing wireless radiation.
The idea that this radiation could be a health hazard has been denied for decades, but now there is research showing it could be harmful. It's sort of like cigarettes in the 1970s -- almost everyone smoked them and wanted to believe they were safe, and the tobacco industry swore up and down that they were.
There is so much that is unnatural now. It isn't just peanut allergies. Almost half of all children now have a chronic or autoimmune disorder!!
It's crazy. And they just keep saying it's because we're too clean!
The hygiene theory is just a wild guess. There are so many others things that have changed in the environment.
As was just mentioned, it could be GMOs, agricultural poisons, antibiotics, those things we aren't allowed to mention, etc. It could also be the greatly increasing wireless radiation.
The idea that this radiation could be a health hazard has been denied for decades, but now there is research showing it could be harmful. It's sort of like cigarettes in the 1970s -- almost everyone smoked them and wanted to believe they were safe, and the tobacco industry swore up and down that they were.
There is so much that is unnatural now. It isn't just peanut allergies. Almost half of all children now have a chronic or autoimmune disorder!!
It's crazy. And they just keep saying it's because we're too clean!
Provide a reference for this wild and unsubstantiated claim.....
My theory is there are more allergies due to additives, or crops being sprayed with poisons. Also, GMO's.
I agree. I think there is also a correlation between the increase in food allergies and the increase in Autism rates. I think the food supply itself is to blame.
I will also say that I DON'T think either is related to vaccines, but I do think the pesticides sprayed freely on EVERYTHING and engineering crops to resist them is causing huge issues. This would also explain why we don't see the same levels of food allergies (or Autism) in countries that have much "cleaner" food supplies.
I think we need to be careful here. I don't have what I would consider an allergic reaction to anything.
Yet, I can no longer eat wheat, dairy, legumes (including peanuts), chocolate, stone fruits/nuts, or pome fruits.
To me an allergic reaction is something that can lead to anaphylactic shock, and nothing I experience could conceivably do that.
But I do agree that food sensitivities, including allergic reactions, seem to be on the rise. I'm 71, and we NEVER heard about people having GI symptoms from anything but tainted food. And while I did hear about kids who couldn't drink milk or eat peanuts when I was growing up, it was really rare.
I think we need to be careful here. I don't have what I would consider an allergic reaction to anything.
Yet, I can no longer eat wheat, dairy, legumes (including peanuts), chocolate, stone fruits/nuts, or pome fruits.
To me an allergic reaction is something that can lead to anaphylactic shock, and nothing I experience could conceivably do that.
But I do agree that food sensitivities, including allergic reactions, seem to be on the rise. I'm 71, and we NEVER heard about people having GI symptoms from anything but tainted food. And while I did hear about kids who couldn't drink milk or eat peanuts when I was growing up, it was really rare.
I know anecdata is not evidence, but still...
I don't think anyone is talking about food sensitivities. Food allergy rates, severe allergy rates that can lead to anaphylactic shock, have skyrocketed. Of course sensitivities have too, but I think we are all talking about actual allergies, which can lead to severe reactions.
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