Recently,
artist Guo Biting revealed the troubles of skin allergies in a variety show.
revealed that when allergies were severe in adolescence,
pimples would appear on the face and mouth would ulcerate.
Finally, when she went to the hospital for a checkup, she discovered that the allergen was actually rice. !
(Screenshot from the show)
topic became a hot search topic as soon as it came out.
caused many netizens to discuss:
Some people are allergic to rice?
Regarding this, some netizens came forward and said:
Rice allergy is not uncommon
In addition to rice,
"What allergens have you seen that are out of the ordinary?"
Netizen’s message is eye-opening:
Why does rice cause allergies?
Are food allergies and food intolerance the same thing?
Which foods are most likely to cause allergies?
How to determine and prevent food allergies?
Come and take a look ↓
Rice allergy is not an isolated case
Allergy to fish, shrimp, mango, eggs, etc.
is not a new thing,
but who would have thought that
rice is inseparable from almost every meal,
Possible sensitization?
Although rice is not a common allergen,
cases of rice allergy are not uncommon.
Rice allergy case report
Case 1: In 2022, the media reported that a 2-year-old girl in Jilin had a long-term cough after weaning off breast milk, and she did not recover even after seeing a doctor and taking medicine for more than half a year. "The child saw the fifth doctor before the allergens were detected. The first level of allergen classification includes rice, wheat, etc. .
Case 2: In 2023, media reported that Mr. Wu had been working in Shanghai for many years. I have been troubled by diarrhea for a long time. I have tried drugs to adjust intestinal flora and regulate immune function, but my symptoms have not improved. I did a "food allergen screening" on the advice of my doctor. After the examination, he and his family were stunned by the results - rice allergy!
Food allergy, is an overprotective immune response of the human immune system to certain foods that enter the body. is allergic to rice, which may be due to the eater. The body produces ige antibodies against specific proteins in rice. When these proteins are ingested again, it will cause mast cells to release histamine and other mediators, triggering allergic reactions.
In addition,
depending on the pathogenesis,
can also cause food allergies. Roughly divided into two categories,
symptoms are also different:
ige-mediated food allergy is generally immediate
that is, allergic symptoms appear within 1-2 hours after eating, and can involve multiple organ systems. Typical symptoms include skin wheals and edema. , vomiting, abdominal pain, wheezing, and even syncope and shock.
Non-ige-mediated food allergies are generally delayed-type
, which means allergic symptoms appear hours to days after eating. This type of allergic disease mostly occurs in infants and young children. The main clinical symptoms are concentrated in the gastrointestinal tract.
Food allergy ≠ Food intolerance
If you suspect you are allergic to a certain food,
the most reliable way is to go to the hospital and ask a doctor to diagnose it.
What are the symptoms?
You need to be suspicious or be highly vigilant. Is it an allergy?
You can refer to the following chart:
(Chart source: Department of Allergy, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University)
The diagnosis and severity of acute food allergy requires the patient’s symptoms, medical history and related laboratory tests, by a professional Ask a doctor to make a diagnosis, and use anti-allergic drugs as directed, such as antihistamines, mast cell stabilizers, oral or topical glucocorticoids, epinephrine, etc.
It is worth mentioning that people can easily associate food allergies with other allergies. Types of adverse food reactions are confused, so that bloating, abdominal pain, acid reflux, palpitation, headache and other symptoms after eating are often lumped together as food allergies. But in real life, a large part of them are not true food allergy.
Adverse food reactions that do not involve the immune system and are usually not caused by food proteins are medically called food intolerances .
Attention!
Food allergy and food intolerance
are not the same thing:
As mentioned earlier, food allergy is generally mediated by ige and is a type I allergic reaction.
It is characterized by rapid onset, which is usually not directly related to the intake of specific foods. Allergic symptoms can appear in a small amount, and the symptoms are relieved quickly after treatment with drugs.
and food intolerance is mediated by IgG and belongs to type III allergy.
It is characterized by delayed onset, which can appear hours or days after eating. It is quantity-dependent and cumulative with specific food intake. Generally, the more you eat, the more significant the symptoms will be. Food intolerances can be managed and symptoms relieved through food diaries, elimination diets, alternative choices, etc.
Chart source: The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Which foods are most likely to cause allergies?
When it comes to allergies, what foods do you think of first?
fruit? egg? Or seafood?
There are many more types of food allergens than you think!
As of April 2022, there are as many as 401 food allergens recognized by the official website of the Allergen Nomenclature Branch of the International Union of Immunology.
Among them, the common key food allergens in foreign countries are: Gluten-containing grains, crustaceans, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, soybeans and tree nuts.
What are the differences between the most common allergenic foods for Chinese residents?
In August 2022, the "Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Weekly (English)" published five research papers on food allergies.
One of the studies was a multi-center cross-sectional epidemiological survey carried out in Jiangxi Province in 2020. The 8 most common allergenic foods in descending order are shrimp, mango, shellfish, eggs, fish, beef, milk and For mutton, the prevalence rates were 1.95%, 1.22%, 1.07%, 0.68%, 0.49%, 0.35%, 0.34% and 0.25% respectively.
(Source: methods and applications: a methodology of epidemiologic study in the general population focusing on food allergy — china, 2020. Chart translation: Gu Zhongyi Studio)
Another data covers 2000 to 2021, based on multiple A meta-analysis of 24 cross-sectional studies on food allergy epidemiology in China in the database pointed out that according to different food categories, 27% of allergic people in my country are allergic to crab and egg , 22% are allergic to milk , 19 % are allergic to shellfish, 16% are allergic to shrimp, 16% are allergic to fruits (15% are mango), and 15% are allergic to fish.
The conclusions of the two studies are generally consistent. For comparison, are you one of the people with food allergies mentioned above?
Prevent food allergies
Do these five things
1
Avoid eating foods containing allergenic substances
Reasonable dietary avoidance is the most important method for treating food allergies. When buying food every day, we should pay special attention to food ingredients and labels.
According to my country's current standards, prepackaged food labels label 8 types of allergenic substances : gluten-containing cereals and their products, crustaceans and their products, fish and their products, eggs and their products, Peanuts and their products, soybeans and their products, milk and dairy products, nuts and nut products.
2
Pay attention to hidden allergens
The existence of some allergens is often difficult to detect, such as those that do not exist under normal circumstances and are introduced under cross-contamination conditions, causing allergies that are difficult to prevent.
In addition, the processing method can also affect the allergenicity of food. For example, peanuts will undergo various complex physical and chemical changes during different processing processes, which can change the content and structure of peanut allergens to varying degrees, increasing or reducing the allergenicity of peanuts. sensitivity.
3
Reasonably choose alternative foods
For children and adults, not eating foods containing allergenic substances may cause the dietary balance to be disrupted, so alternative foods should also be used.
① Similar food exchange. For example, people who are allergic to gluten-containing grains (such as wheat) should choose gluten-free foods from the same cereals and potatoes instead, such as rice, millet, corn, quinoa, potatoes, etc.
②Diversify alternative foods. Each food has different nutritional components. Only by diversifying the food can we achieve a balanced diet without eating certain foods.
For infants and young children whose main food is breast milk, appropriate alternative foods should be selected. When parents choose formula foods for special medical purposes, they should choose regular products approved by the state and use them under the advice and guidance of a clinician or clinical nutritionist.
4
Don’t blindly avoid food.
Some people have suspected allergy symptoms and judge that they are allergic to specific foods without seeking medical treatment. They then strictly avoid food, which will affect their dietary balance in the long run. recommends that you first obtain a diagnosis from a clinician to find out the allergenic substances, and then decide which foods need to be avoided.
5
Replenishing deficient nutrients
Not eating certain or multiple foods will cause the body to lack corresponding nutrients. You should eat more other foods that can supplement the nutrients, or use corresponding supplements under the guidance of a doctor.
For example, people who are allergic to milk may not drink milk for a long time, which may lead to insufficient calcium intake. They need to eat more eggs, tofu, dried shrimps and other calcium-rich foods.
Source: Guangzhou Daily Comprehensive Self-Health Appointment, Weibo Hot Search, Public Health Magazine, Healthy China, People's Daily Health Client, Official Account of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine Newspaper
