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An increasing number of children are allergic to healthy fruits and vegetablesThe number of children being diagnosed with an allergy to popular fruits and vegetables has reached unprecedented levels. Pamela Ewan, an allergy consultant at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, concludes that: "In term of numbers, fruit and vegetables are the new form of peanut allergy".
In some parts of the country there has been an estimated five-fold increase in the incidence of oral allergy syndrome (OAS). In the Cardiff and South Wales area, for example, the rate of clinically diagnosed cases has risen from about one in every 100,000 of the population to five in the past six years.
A food allergy occurs when an individual's immune system mistakes a food protein for a foreign substance. Typically, an allergic response is not triggered the first time the body encounters the allergen; as exposure continues the body's white blood cells develop immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to the allergens. Once sensitized, the antibodies quickly detect and bind to the allergens when they enter the body; these antibodies trigger the release of chemicals (like histamine) that cause allergic symptoms.
Typically in OAS the immune system produces antibodies that are capable of binding to both pollen proteins and structurally similar food proteins. The most common ORS reaction is an itching or burning sensation in the lips, mouth, and/or throat. Some sufferers experience a swelling of the lips and tongue and a sensation of tightness in the throat. In rare cases consuming the offending food can trigger a very severe reaction known as anaphylaxis, which is life threatening and must be treated immediately with adrenaline. Interestingly many ORS sufferers are able to eat the offending food if it is sufficiently cooked as the cooking process can denature the offending protein.
So what would explain this increase in reactions to fruit and vegetables? There are two main subdivision of helper T-cells: Th1 and Th2. Many researchers regard allergy as a Th2 weighted imbalance. Babies are born with Th2 biased immune responses; this imbalance is rapidly shifted postnatally under the influence of bacterial exposure. Although the situation is likely to be far more complex the theory does help explain the apparent efficacy of probiotic supplements, and the "hygiene hypothesis". Experts also note that the chance of cross-reactions with fruits and vegetables increases as we eat from an ever wider range of fresh produce.
The best advice currently available to reduce the risk of a child developing an allergic condition is to take probiotic supplements during pregnancy and administer an appropriate probiotic supplement directly to young infants; breast feeding, weaning at the appropriate age as advised using suitable foods and allowing children to play and eat naturally without being overly concerned about exposure to infectious agents may all help.
This story apperars on the BBC website (www.news.bbc.co.uk ) and the website of the Daily Mail newspaper (www.dailymail.co.uk ). |