Speak your mind

LETTER of the MONTH

ASK ABOUT ALLERGIES

Dear HIW,

My friend is severely allergic to nuts, and it sounds like a really common allergy. Why has this allergy become so common? Eoghan Dillon

This question is an interesting one, and scientists are currently looking for answers. In the West in particular, allergies have generally been on the rise in the last few decades, with two per cent of adults in Europe reported as having food allergies. In 2016, there were five times as many people in the UK with peanut allergies in particular compared to 1995. Because allergies are more likely in western, urban countries, some of the possible contributors include pollution, less encounters with microbes and the significant evolution of diets.

Allergies in general may be increasing because with less pathogenic infections to fight against, the body is more likely to begin fighting usually harmless substances such as nuts. Nuts – and peanuts, which are technically legumes – are common allergies due to their protein content. Their proteins bind more easily to the immune system’s antibodies than the contents of other foods, triggering higher numbers of allergic reactions. In many countries, diets have included more fats and oils from foods like nuts in recent years. As the prevalence of these foods increases, so do incidences of allergic reactions.