Description

Which Foods Cause Allergies?

Any food that causes an allergic reaction in your child should be eliminated from their diet. Ask your doctor to perform a comprehensive allergy test so you don’t unnecessarily remove items like cow’s milk or eggs from your child’s meals.

Allergies are often triggered by the following:

• Cow’s milk, eggs, and soy in infants

• Cow’s milk, eggs, fish, soy, nuts such as peanuts, and grains like wheat in children

• Vegetables, fruits, spices, nuts, eggs, cow’s milk, and fish in adults

The most common food allergies include:

• Celiac disease (an allergy to gluten found in wheat, oats, and barley)

• Lactose intolerance (an allergy to lactose found in milk)

Food allergies that appear in infants and young children often disappear by the time the child reaches school age, provided that the allergenic foods are avoided during early childhood. This is because such foods are not absorbed into the body for a prolonged period.

Testing and Diagnosis:
Diagnosis involves medical examinations and tests such as blood tests, skin tests, or food challenge tests.

Treatment:
The only proven treatment for food allergies is to avoid the suspected allergenic food.

Identifying Problematic Foods:
Carefully read the ingredient list on every packaged product. The ingredients list helps you identify allergens in processed foods.

Ingredients that commonly cause allergies or intolerance—even in small amounts—are clearly indicated on the packaging, as they may have been introduced through other products processed on the same production line.

Alternatives to Problematic Foods:

• Lactose intolerance: Milks such as soy milk or almond milk can be substitutes for those allergic to cow’s milk. Some dairy products like yogurt may also be tolerated. Foods like soy, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, commercial lactose-free milk, or small amounts of milk mixed with non-dairy foods may be consumed under medical supervision, depending on the severity of intolerance.

• Celiac disease: Wheat and oats should be replaced with rice, soy, corn, and potatoes. Food labels must be read carefully. Baked goods such as cakes, bread, and biscuits often contain wheat. It is best to consult a pediatric specialist when selecting suitable foods.