Analysis | The real reason(s) food allergies are on the rise
www.washingtonpost.com
Why is everyone suddenly allergic to everything? And how are hookworms involved? The Department of Data investigates.

archive.today

TL;DR: kids have to be exposed to allergens at an early age as that is a natural mechanism to build up resistance.

            • waffle@lemmy.cafeEnglish
              1·
              1 year ago

              • Food allergies have doubled among children from 2000 to 2018 according to CDC data, and have likely risen further since.

              • Women are more likely to report food allergies than men, especially in middle age.

              • About a third of people who report having food allergies have not been professionally diagnosed.

              • Most childhood food allergies fade in adulthood, except for shellfish allergies which are more common in adults.

              • Low-income families report higher rates of food allergies than high-income families.

              • Black Americans report higher rates of food allergies than white Americans except for wheat allergy.

              • Babies with eczema are more likely to develop food allergies, with severity of eczema correlating to likelihood.

              • Dust mites and shellfish share proteins, so dust mite allergies may lead to shellfish allergies.

              • Elimination of parasites like hookworms may have caused immune systems to over-focus on harmless allergens.

              • Early guidelines to avoid peanuts for young children may have exacerbated the allergy epidemic