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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.cafe
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      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