What are allergies?

My brother came home from the doctor sometime this week with a reddened, pimpling rash from the tops of his shoulders down to the backs of his knees. They’d gone through the second round of allergy testing, and they’d found about 15 new reactions. This included eggs, rice (again), broccoli, avocado, lamb, five different types of tree nuts (excluding peanuts), a whole host of spices and two different types of beans.

Now, a little information about my brother. At less than two years old, we’d figured out through trial and error that he was diary- and gluten-intolerant. At four, he had the first round of allergy testing, which confirmed the gluten intolerance, eliminated the diary allergy, but tacked on rice, corn, bananas, and a few others. Around six, bananas, rice and corn had all but been phased out and written off as childhood allergies that he’d just grown out of. He’s eight now, and as of yesterday, cannot eat the major stables in the rest of his siblings' diets.

Imagine having to cut your diet in half overnight. Now, imagine you’re still a growing kid who wants to eat birthday cupcakes with his classmates, or have pizza on special school days. Imagine looking up at your mom, in tears, after being poked and prodded all afternoon in a doctor’s office, only wanting a cookie, and watching his face fall when she tells you that you can’t.

Where did these allergens come from?

On the phone with my mom that afternoon, the question kept reappearing: How did he develop all these allergens?

According to WebMD, a food allergy occurs "when the body’s immune system overreacts to substances in food you have eaten, triggering an allergic reaction.” To explain the process in its simplest form, most food allergies occur when your immune system mistakes a specific substance -- in this case, food -- and perceives it to be harmful. After which it will trigger your cells to release antibodies (immunoglobulin) to go after and neutralize the allergen. After which, even a small amount of the allergen can trigger the immune system to release histamine and other chemicals into your bloodstream.

It’s these chemicals that create the symptoms associated with allergic reactions, including nausea, itchy eyes, rashes and hives, labored breathing and, at its most serious, anaphylactic shock. The two exceptions to this allergy process are lactose intolerance, which occurs due to the absence of the enzyme that allows individuals to fully digest the sugar in milk, and celiac disease, which occurs due to gluten ingestion damaging the small intestine.

It’s suspected that more than 50 million Americans have an allergy of some kind and are estimated to affect anywhere from 4 to 6 percent of the general population. Of these individuals, 90 percent have reactions to one or more of the eight most common allergies. These include:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Peanuts
• Tree Nuts
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Wheat
• Soy

Of these, eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, and wheat are most common in children. Unfortunately, the scientific community has not found a definitive cause for why certain individuals are more susceptible to food allergies while others have none.

However, some scientists suspect that certain genes, along with the condition of the stomach and gut, might be contributing factors that eventually cause allergies. In terms of genes, it could be possible that some genes responsible for coding molecules either in the immune system or in the process of food breakdown in the gut could be responsible. If this were the case, it could explain whether allergies are genetically linked traits. Another possibility is that those with allergies may have an issue breaking down foods. Because of this, infants may be more likely to have allergic reactions since their gut has not fully matured by the time they start to digest food.

The two other main theories are both heavily dependent on the workings of the gut. Some scientists have suggested that it might be due to how the immune cells in our gut identify foods as harmless versus harmful, but little research has been done to suggest how this process happens. Finally, the microorganisms in the gut may be at least partially responsible, as well. As fetuses, we have a sterile gut. After which bacteria and microorganisms collect in an infant’s gut. There is research that has cited microorganisms as a contributing member that teaches the immune system within the gut to identify whether certain substances are harmless or harmful. Therefore, if the good bacteria and microorganisms within the gut are not fully developed or develop incorrectly, it is possible that these could be responsible for the creation of food allergies.

What can be done to cope with intense food allergies?

When it first became clear that my brother was probably going to be gluten-intolerant or celiac for the rest of his life, my mom made a beeline for the pantry. Checking all the labels, baking muffins with some obscure flour mix, and looking through the grocery store for the gluten-free aisle. Substitutions became an extremely important thing in our house, and will continue to be so.

While it may seem like foods such as gluten, eggs and rice may all but eliminate the ability to have appetizing baked goods, breads and other starches, after a little bit of trial and error (there have been a few pretty gross cookies, but we all survived), even those are totally possible (and actually delicious). White flour and whole wheat flour can be replaced simply with a gluten-free baking mix, or other flours like corn and coconut flour. Eggs can be subbed out for a commercial egg replacement made of potato and tapioca starch, silken tofu, flax seeds, or even pureed fruits like applesauce. The important thing to remember is to do some research and find out which replacement will work best for a specific type of food.

Learning to improvise and simply go with it is a huge part of enjoying food while still avoiding allergens. For Luke, my brother, this meant being way more patient than your average eight-year-old. He’s been a trooper through it all, and has never been afraid to ask if something was gluten free (even before he could fully pronounce the word ‘gluten’). He’s found what types of treats work for him, and how deal with eating at school or in restaurants with a little bit of help.

Luckily, the number of resources, substitutes, recipes and items for those with food allergies are growing every day. There are dozens of websites dedicated to helping parents find kid-friendly foods that are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and more. Entire cookbooks have been created to help out with food sensitivities and provide recipes that can take the guessing out of the equation. And more and more grocery stores are filling up their shelves with gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free options for those with severe food allergies. Hopefully we will see this trend continue in restaurants, and more research will be done to ensure a foodie future for those with allergies.