Food Allergies

By Richard Ager on Monday, July 14, 2008.

150 children die from food allergies each year, tens of thousands need life saving treatment, and some are so reactive to these foods that a simple touch of someone else who has touched the food will cause severe symptoms. Scientists are trying to figure out why there’s been a sudden rise in childhood food allergies, while many schools are trying to control or eliminate certain foods from their halls. We’ll look at the rise in food allergies and what some are doing to control them.

Guests

  • Dr. Dean Metcalfe, Chief of the Laboratory of Allergic Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health
  • Tamara Leibowitz, Director of the Seacoast Food Allergy Group in Portsmouth

We'll also hear from

  • Dr. Robert Hickey , allergist and pediatrician with Allergy Associates of New Hampshire
  • Renee Vannata, parent of a child with food allergies
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food allergies
cluppins - Mon, 07/14/2008 - 15:41

I have suffered from food allergies all my life. Processed food makes people sick. Processed food is a bunch of chemicals that destroys the human digestive system. Farmers manipulate gluten content to make the bread products tastier. Evolving humans still have difficulty digesting gluten. Gluten acts like an opiate, it is very addictive. The food giants know this; processed food is a trillion dollar business at the expense of human health. Too many vitamins in the processed food cause health problems. People overdose on vitamins unknowingly. Packaged food and sport drinks are loaded with vitamins. One person could easily consume more than 1000% of the DV for vitamins each day. Even healthy nuts, commercially roasted at high temperatures, result in the formation of free radicals and can injure your artery walls if eaten. You can no longer trust package food to be safe to eat. Americans needs to go back to preparing and eating whole foods. We don't need any study to tell us why we are sick. Look around, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, it's all dirty!

Recommended books:
The World's Healthiest Foods, George Matlejan
(2007 national book award)
Gluten Free Girl

Food Allergies
Valerie - Tue, 07/15/2008 - 07:21

I'm glad to hear a show on food allergies, but more than children have been affected. Ten years ago my husband and teenage step children developed allergies to the same fruits and vegetables while they were living in different locations.

My husband had since discovered that if he peels fruit he can eat it without his throat closing.

Has anyone done research into pesticides or pollution where these crops are grown?

food allergies
cluppins - Tue, 07/15/2008 - 08:19

I too wonder if pesticides and other pollutants compromise our immune system and make us more senitive to common food allergies.