Allergies on the Rise page

[Katt]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/08/03...ex.html?hpt=C2

"One theory is that the Western diet has made people more susceptible to developing allergies and other illnesses."

Well, yes. Not only do we fill our guts with autoimmune causing non-foods, or inappropriate foods, but we no longer prepare these substances in a traditional manner.

"The decrease in richness of gut bacteria in Westerners may have something to do with the rise in allergies in industrialized countries, said Dr. Paolo Lionetti of the department of pediatrics at Meyer Children Hospital at the University of Florence. Sanitation measures and vaccines in the West may have controlled infectious disease, but they decreased exposure to a variety of bacteria may have opened the door to these other ailments."

Not to mention, the vaccines and antibiotics we are given at the drop of a hat at every visit to the doctor's office are killing off our gut flora...

[mcallit]

I recently saw this article on CNN as well and was about to post it when I saw you had already done so.

It's not surprising that food allergens are increasing. After all, scientists have linked "super" clean homes with an increased risk for asthma. Of course, I'm sure, in some ways, that pasteurization is not helping the issue. We seem to becoming more and more concerned with cleanliness (not that we shouldn't be clean, mind you), but there is limit on how far we should go.

But, like some others on here I'm sure, I too found out that I may have a food allergy. After giving up bread for a long while, I finally caved to some naan when my wife and I went to eat Indian. I felt awful! Every time I've eaten just a bit of bread after that, I've felt sick, so I'm not sure if it is an allergy or just that my body is refusing it. Either way, it's no big loss.

[MJinLV]

My food allergies appeared on November 1, 2008 after I had just completed two rounds of Cipro for an upper respiratory infection. I'm convinced that the antibiotics were the catalyst.

[Nick "the Caveman" M.]

read the same article on CNN this morning. The rise in food allergies have always baffled me. It's hard to swallow (pun intended) that we as a developed nation cannot wrap our brains around the over the top extremism that we take on things. As someone posted today about a calcium study, we hear something is bad and want to destroy it first, and then later realize that it was needed in small doses, or to some varying degree.

I've read a few studies about introducing nuts etc on a microbial level to ween people away from these extreme allergies. I believe Duke was conducting a few with peanuts and is having some real success.

[sahmIam]

I was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease in the intestines that creates antibodies to attack the gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barely, oats, etc. I have been reading everything I can on this disease and why it is increasing in the United States and Europe. That 'healthy' wheat bread we buy in the stores is manufactured so quickly that the protein (gluten) isn't allowed time to break down, forcing our bodies to do that job. And slowly our bodies are saying 'uh, no!' and are totally rejecting it, causing damage to the intestines. It would be interesting to see if going back to the old way of baking would let us that are forced to eat a gluten free diet forever actually be able to consume bread one day! Although I have learned so much about alternative grains like amaranth, rice flour, etc that has much more healthy benefits than wheat flour.

[elwyne]

Our western mania for cleanliness will kill us. Bleach is the most vile thing ever invented, and I refuse to keep it or use it. Antibiotics are nasty; if you have to take them, best follow up with some good fermented foods.

I am intrigued by the whole discussion of parasites keeping immune systems strong. Ew.

[Chefgerry]

Not to mention that someone with high blood sugar, which is most of the western hemisphere, will have compromised immune systems with sugar competing with Vitamin C for cellular space, with sugar winning out. It doesn't take much sugar for for immune system to slow down to a snails pace.

[Darrin]

At least the mainstream is finally catching wind of this. Just another reason to let your kids play in the mud.