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