A hidden food allergy is not the same as a regular food allergy. In the case of a hidden food allergy, allergic reactions can be caused by many allergens, which makes it difficult to diagnose and exclude allergenic products. Treating a latent food allergy is primarily about introducing an elimination diet. What are the symptoms of a hidden food allergy?

Contents:

  1. Hidden food allergy - symptoms
  2. Hidden food allergy - causes
  3. Hidden food allergy - watch out for hidden allergens
  4. Hidden food allergy - diagnosis
  5. Hidden food allergy - treatment
  6. Hidden food allergy - make up for deficiencies

Hidden food allergyis much more difficult to diagnose than food allergy or food intolerance. All because the reaction to the allergen is significantly delayed in time. It can occur up to 96 hours after eating a potential allergen. Therefore, an allergic reaction may lead to erroneous associations or suspicions as to the cause of its occurrence.

Hidden food allergy - symptoms

The list of substances that may be potential food allergens is very long. Most often, however, a small group of products is responsible for the occurrence of undesirable symptoms. These include: milk, eggs, fish, cereal products containing gluten, soy, nuts, citrus fruits, strawberries.

It happens that allergy sufferers unknowingly consume prohibited ingredients. For example, people who are allergic to milk can eat milk-based foods such as caseinates or whey proteins (often found in sports nutrition).

If a person with a hidden allergy happens to eat a product to which they are allergic, symptoms such as:

  • hives
  • swelling
  • rash
  • diarrhea
  • vomiting
  • flatulence
  • feeling unwell

Hidden food allergy - causes

An allergy is an unusual reaction of the immune system to ingredients that are well tolerated by most people. The mechanisms of allergic reactions vary. In some of them, the tissue hormone histamine plays an important role. When released in large amounts during an allergic reaction, it leads to small expansionblood vessels, increasing their permeability and the formation of hives, swelling, rashes.

It also happens that the cause of a hidden food allergy is a leaky gut. This results in the entry of potentially toxic substances into the body, such as gluten, proteins, antigens, toxins and undigested food residues. The result is an autoimmune response in the body that causes inflammation.

However, adverse food reactions are not always the result of an allergy. Some of them occur without the immune system. Their symptoms can be very similar to a typical allergy and occur both after consuming ingredients naturally occurring in food and those added in the technological process.

The reason for such reactions may be the consumption of products containing significant amounts of histamine, such as pickled cucumbers, strawberries, sausages, smoked fish, some cheese. The histamine they contain causes similar symptoms to that released in the body in the allergic process.

Foods rich in tyramine (chocolate, herring, Parmesan, red wine) or containing serotonin (bananas) may cause adverse reactions. Allergy sufferers sometimes need to exclude them in order not to aggravate the symptoms of allergy.

Various additives are used in the production process - dyes, preservatives, antioxidants, stabilizers, flavor enhancers, which can also cause discomfort.

One of the dyes that often cause side effects is tartrazine (E 102), which is used to make carbonated drinks. It stimulates the release of histamine in the body.

Monosodium glutamate (E 621) - the most popular flavor and aroma enhancer - consumed in excess may in turn cause the so-called Chinese restaurant syndrome, which is manifested by a drop in pressure, headaches, increased heart rate, sweating.

Monosodium glutamate is found in certain products (tomatoes, parmesan, mushrooms) as their natural ingredient and in hypersensitive people, similarly to the synthetic one, also causes ailments.

Hidden food allergy - watch out for hidden allergens

The composition of many products is very complex, so it is difficult to determine what causes allergies. Even when we know exactly what ingredients to avoid, they may appear on our plate hidden in food products. Therefore, the allergy sufferer must carefully read the labels. Food labeling regulations make it much easier to identify allergens.

  • Check the ingredients of cured meats carefully - they may contain allergens from soybeans, eggs and cereals. If the product is soldby weight, ask the seller for a label.
  • Some bars, cookies and chocolates contain the addition of milk, eggs, nuts, and cereal proteins.
  • Do not buy ready-made dips, sauces, mayonnaises, flavor pastes - they contain many artificial additives, they can contain egg whites, milk, soy or corn protein residues.
  • Wheat and corn proteins may be present in beer, and sulfites in wine.
  • BHA and BHT are antioxidants that are often a component of confectionery fats, oils, margarines, with which they get into many products.
  • Dried fruit may contain sulphites or benzoates.
  • In some types of bread, apart from wheat or rye proteins, there are also soy, egg and milk proteins.
Important

It is dangerous to eat in restaurants where the exact ingredients are not provided. You should then ask about the method of preparing the dishes that you plan to order. It is worth being vigilant when the name of a multi-ingredient preparation used in production appears on the packaging, without specifying its exact composition, e.g. a mixture of natural spices, chocolate mass.

Allergy sufferers should also be cautious about news. If you are not sure whether the ingredient on the label is completely safe for us, it is better to give up buying it. We should also not fall into a routine, because it happens that the manufacturer changes the recipe of the product from time to time. Even if we buy something regularly, check the label.

Hidden food allergy - diagnosis

A medical history is the basis for the diagnosis of food allergy. However, allergy testing is essential to identify the exact products a person is allergic to. The methods of diagnosing food allergy include:

  • allergic blood tests
  • allergy tests
  • determination of specific IgE in the blood serum
  • skin tests
  • provocation tests

Hidden food allergy - treatment

The basis of food allergy treatment is to determine its cause, i.e. identify the allergen, which is often not an easy task. Usually, an elimination diet is used, i.e. excluding harmful products for a certain period or permanently.

An allergy sufferer should eat as little processed food as possible. Introducing ready-made chilled or frozen meals, soup concentrates, sauces, and quick snacks to the menu involves the risk of eating hidden allergens.

People who eat food must also be careful about highly processed productsthere are undesirable reactions that do not have an allergic cause. Long-term storage and ease of preparation are almost always associated with the use of shelf-life-extending and flavor-enhancing substances.

Hidden food allergy - make up for deficiencies

A diet based on natural products and simple dishes cannot, however, mean a deficiency diet! Remember to introduce other products in place of the forbidden products, providing all the necessary ingredients in the right amounts. Here are examples:

  • Eliminating fish from the diet limits the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, which are very important for he alth. You can replenish them by adding more walnuts, flaxseeds or linseed oil.
  • An allergy to milk proteins can cause a calcium deficiency, so eat foods rich in this element: fish with the skeleton (e.g. sardines), kale, eggs and calcium-enriched products - milk or soy yogurt.
  • To avoid the reduced intake of B vitamins, fiber and complex carbohydrates in a gluten-free diet, it is worth introducing buckwheat, millet, special gluten-free pasta and bread.

Read also: IgG-dependent allergy, i.e. food intolerance type III

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Allergies