Food alergies

Immune system is designed to protect body from harmful invaders, such as bacteria. Sometimes, however, the system responds to substances normally considered harmless. The substance that provokes the attack is called an allergen; the substances that attack the allergen are called antibodies.

A food allergy can provoke such a response as your body releases antibodies to attack specific proteins in food. 

Body reacts to an allergen in one of two ways:
• immediate reactions are more dangerous because they involve a fast swelling of tissue, sometimes within seconds after contact with the offending food.
• delayed reactions, which may occur as long as 24 to 48 hours after you’ve been exposed to the offending food, are usually much milder, perhaps a slight cough or nasal congestion caused by swollen tissues.

A tendency toward allergies is inherited. If one of your parents has a food allergy, your risk of having the same problem is two times higher than if neither of your parents were allergic to foods. If both parents have food allergies, your risk is four times higher.

More than 90 % of all allergic reactions to foods are caused by just eight foods: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soybean-based foods, wheat, fish, shellfish.