Ninety percent of all food allergies are caused by about 10 foods. That’s the word from the Institute of Food Research, Great Britain.

Among the most common allergy-causing foods are fish and fruit. And the culprits within the foods, the “things” that cause allergic reactions are proteins. In fish allergy the protein responsible is parvalbumin and in fruit it is lipid transfer protein (LTP).

The most allergy-causing foods are:

1. Milk
2. Eggs
3. Peanuts
4. Tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, etc)
5. Fish
6. Shellfish
7. Soy
8. Wheat
9. Tomatoes
10. Corn

In highly allergic people, even minuscule amounts of a food allergen (for example, 1/44,000 of a peanut kernel) can evoke an allergic reaction. Less sensitive people, however, may be able to tolerate small amounts of a food to which they are allergic.1

“The allergens in food are those components that are responsible for inciting an allergic reaction. They are proteins that usually resist the heat of cooking, the acid in the stomach, and the intestinal digestive enzymes. As a result, the allergens survive to cross the gastrointestinal lining, enter the bloodstream, and go to target organs, causing allergic reactions throughout the body. The mechanism of food allergy involves the immune system and heredity.”1

Sources:

1. Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Food Allergy, medicinenet.com, Feb 09
2. Institute of Food Research, Scientists developing food allergy treatment, Feb 09