Tree Nut Allergies
by Shereen Jegtvig
If you look at the list of allergens on our FoodEssentials tool, you’ll see tree nuts on the list. So which nuts are tree nuts? Peanuts are not on the list because they don’t grow on trees (actually they’re members of the legume family). Common tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts (or hazelnuts), macademia nuts, pecan, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. Less common tree nuts include beechnuts, ginkgo, shea nuts, butternuts, and lychee nuts. Coconuts are also consided as tree nuts and must be labels that way, however coconut allergies appear to be very rare.
What if you are allergic to any tree nuts? You’ll have to avoid them, and it isn’t always as easy as staying way from cans of nuts. You might find them hiding as ingredients in other foods like cereals, cookies, crackers, candy, snacks and desserts. Although allergies involve reactions to the proteins found in the nuts, there may be traces of the proteins in oils made from the nuts, so if you are allergic to tree nuts, you’ll need to avoid the oils too. Read more
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Are Food Allergies On The Rise?
Twenty years ago, as a child with an allergy to cow’s milk and a vegetarian, gluten-intolerant mother, I saw some strange school lunches in my time. While other kids feasted on all the things I wasn’t allowed to eat (White bread! Soda! Weird, processed cheese that comes in a tube!), I cowered in the corner with my nutmeat sandwiches on rye bread with soy butter, cursing my over-excitable histamines.
Yes, I was THAT kid at school – that is, until Peanut Allergy Boy arrived and stole my thunder. At the time, we felt like the odd ones out. Now, it seems as though many more people have (or are aware of) food intolerance and allergies. Some countries are encouraging peanut-free school environments, and more and more restaurants are offering allergen-free options on their menus.
These days, do more people actually have food allergies, or does it just seem that way? If so, is this increase due to our environment, changes in diet and lifestyle or our genes? Although population data for allergy prevalence are difficult to collect, a recent scientific study (Branum & Lukacs, 2008) indicates that incidences of food allergy are most likely increasing, although an explanation for this trend has yet to emerge.
What are allergies? Who has them, and why don’t we know more? Read more
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An Introduction Into Peanut Allergies
by Shereen Jegtvig
The most common food allergen in the United States is the peanut allergy. At least one percent of children are allergic to peanuts (This is at least double what it was a couple of decades ago). One percent may not sound like a lot, but that is one child out of every 100, so there are going to be several children with peanut allergies at just about every school in the country! And it tends to be permanent – most kids don’t outgrow peanut allergies like they do with other foods.
It wouldn’t be a big deal if it just meant a rash or a tummy ache, but peanut allergies can (although rarely) be life-threatening. And it doesn’t matter if earlier exposes caused mild reactions, it can become dangerous at any time. It doesn’t take much exposure to cause a reaction so people with peanut allergies have to be extra cautious at home, school and in restaurants where peanuts may be used in any of the foods, even foods they don’t eat. Read more
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The Myths Surrounding Soy: Part 2
by Shereen Jegtvig
With my last post, I was able to *burst the bubble* surrounding a couple of myths regarding the humble soyabean. While a few people may be allergic or sensitive to soy, the vast majority of people enjoy some terrific health benefits associated with eating soyfoods. It is well documented that soy based foods are a terrific source of protein that’s low in fat – and of the fat that it does contain, most of it is considered good for you!! So let’s take a look at a couple more myths surrounding soy and soyfoods.
Some of the soy myths revolve around protein inhibitors found in soy and other legumes. Some claim that eating soy will damage your pancreas and make it larger. Apparently the fear is that the protein inhibitors prevent your body from breaking down and digesting proteins, so the pancreas has to work overtime to make enough enzymes to digest proteins. There aren’t any studies that back up this claim. For one thing, if the protein inhibitors prevented you from digesting protein, you’d think it would be difficult to digest the protein in soy, but that’s just not the case, soy protein is very easy to digest. Also, any kind of cooking or preparation of soy destroys almost all of those protein inhibitors long before you even eat the soy. Read more
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