Nut allergy is a pathology that is defined as a hypersensitivity reaction by the patient’s immune system to the ingestion of certain foods, in this case, fruits of plant origin. We consider here almonds, hazelnuts, chestnuts and walnuts, among others.
Various sources specialized in the study of occupational hazards, such as Prevensystem, estimate that the prevalence of this type of allergy is 1% of the population in the United States. That is, 1 in 100 people suffers it. Furthermore, it is estimated that 50% of school-age children are sensitive to one or more allergens.
While in the United States or France the peanut is usually the biggest trigger of this pathology, other foods such as hazelnut are the most common allergenic nuts in Europe. If you want to know how to deal with this process effectively, read on.
What happens during the allergic reaction?
According to the World Allergy Organization and, contrary to what many may think, allergy is not about an excessive immune reaction. The defense system is acting normally, since the problem does not lie in the type of response or its intensity, but in the objective.
When an allergen – a harmless substance that is mistaken for a threat – enters the individual’s body, the release of immunoglobulin E (IgE) begins. This is a type of antibody that promotes the release of inflammatory substances, which produces the clinical picture.
On the other hand, it is essential to emphasize that there is a key difference between allergy and intolerance. The journal Ámbito Farmacéutico advises us that the former is of immune origin, while an intolerance finds its cause in metabolic disorders, such as the lack of production of enzymes that digest the product, for example.
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