Have you fallen for these food allergy myths?

Food allergies are common among adults and children. Unfortunately, myths about food allergies are also popular – and frequently shared. New research and consistent clinical results disprove the following food allergy myths.

Dr. Titus C. Chang, an allergist and pediatrician with Advocate Health Care, helped set the record straight.

Myth: Babies shouldn’t eat foods that commonly cause allergic reactions.

It used to be believed that you should delay offering potentially allergenic foods to babies. Research found that introducing foods such as peanuts around 4 to 6 months actually lowers the risk of developing allergies to those foods.

In recent years, the incidence of food allergies has declined dramatically in young kids due to this change in understanding and practice.

Myth: Food additives and artificial flavors cause more allergic reactions than the foods themselves.

Foods cause the majority of allergic reactions, not additives. The nine foods most responsible for allergic reactions are:

• Peanuts
• Milk
• Eggs
• Wheat
• Soybeans
• Tree nuts
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Sesame seeds

Myth: Peanuts are the most dangerous food allergens.

Peanut allergies can be extreme for some people. And peanuts are frequently found in many foods, including flavoring and cooking oil. However, foods such as eggs, cashews and pistachios can also cause dangerous allergic reactions.

People have different levels of allergic reactions. The most dangerous food for any person can be different for each individual.

Myth: Smelling a food you’re allergic to can trigger anaphylaxis.

An allergic reaction happens when you’re exposed to the allergenic proteins in that food. But food proteins don’t float around in the air – they’re simply too heavy. For the most part, proteins can’t be inhaled.

In some circumstances, fish and shellfish are exceptions to this rule. If people with this allergy are in an enclosed space while fish or shellfish is being actively cooked, they may have a reaction. Fortunately, such reactions are usually less extreme than if the fish or shellfish had been eaten.

Myth: Food intolerance is the same as food allergy.

While the symptoms of food allergies and food intolerances can be similar, the reactions themselves are different. A food allergy reaction happens when your immune system thinks an allergen is dangerous. Food intolerances don’t involve the immune system.

If you have questions about food allergies, ask a board-certified allergist for the most up-to-date information.

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