What causes food allergies?
Food allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly identifies a food protein as harmful and launches an attack against it. This immune response can lead to various symptoms ranging from mild to severe, including hives, itching, swelling, difficulty breathing, and anaphylaxis.
The exact cause of food allergies is not fully understood, but research suggests that it may be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Here are some possible causes of food allergies:
- Genetics: People with a family history of allergies are more likely to develop food allergies.
- Immune system dysfunction: The immune system may become overly sensitive to certain food proteins, triggering an allergic reaction.
- Early exposure: Introducing certain foods to infants too early or too late in life may increase the risk of developing food allergies.
- Environmental factors: Exposure to pollution or other environmental factors may increase the risk of developing food allergies.
- Gut microbiota: The composition of gut bacteria may influence the development of food allergies.
- Food processing: Certain food processing methods may cause the proteins in the food to become more allergenic, increasing the risk of an allergic reaction.
It's important to note that food intolerances, which are different from food allergies, are not caused by the immune system and do not involve an allergic response. Instead, food intolerances are caused by a digestive system inability to properly process certain foods.