Britain is experiencing a rapid increase in both fruit and vegetable allergies in children. These allergies include common food items, such as celery, apples and pears. Allergies to fruits and veggies are becoming as prevalent as peanut allergy, which was previously one of the major food-related allergens.
While fruit and veggie allergy is on the rise in Australia as well, the problem is not as significant as it is in the UK.
In most countries, the top 8 food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, fish and shellfish, soy, sesame and wheat (or gluten).
The main age group affected by this new trend in allergies are the young. This can be extremely difficult for parents, who then must carefully monitor a young child’s diet.
Dr Pamela Ewan, a consultant with Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, indicated that most children have suffered severe reactions, up to and including anaphylaxis. She compared the current challenges in Britain to the peanut allergy increase of the 1990′s. Dr Ewan is a busy clinician who sees over 8000 patients a year and in her estimation, the fruit and vegetable allergies seemed to be much more serious than ever before.
Some UK allergy specialists are pointing the finger at cross-reactivity. Many people with pollen allergies can experience something called oral allergy syndrome, where an individual can cross-react to foods with a protein structure similar to a particular pollen. For instance, it is possible for patients with birch tree allergies to cross react to tree fruits such as apple or pear.
Scientists are looking for the reasons why Britain could be having a more severe problem with produce allergies than other countries. One hypothesis is that higher pollution levels contribute to greater sensitization. Dr Jonathan North, a Birmingham physician, indicated that particulate matter from diesel engine exhaust actually increases the allergenic qualities of pollen.
Experts remain baffled why certain allergies would increase in certain locations. For instance, fish and shellfish remain the top food allergens in Scandinavia, while sesame allergies are big in Australia. In Asia, buckwheat is a bigger problem for allergists than peanuts.
Source: WAToday.com.au
