Junk food may be fuelling rise in food allergies, say experts

A ballooning diet of junk food might be one of the factors fuelling a rise in food allergies, researchers have suggested.

Experts say they have seen a rise in food allergies in western countries, including the UK. While true prevalence can be tricky to determine, data published by NHS Digital shows episodes of anaphylactic shock in England due to adverse food reactions rose steadily from 1,362 in 2011-12 to 1,922 in 2016-17.

The culprit, some scientists have suggested, could be substances known as advanced glycation endproducts, or AGEs.

AGEs occur naturally in the body, but they are found in high levels in highly processed foods, as well as other sources such as cooked meats. They form when sugars react with proteins or lipids. High levels of AGEs in the body, which it has been suggested can result from consuming AGE-rich foods, have previously been linked to a number of conditions including diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/08/junk-food-rise-food-allergies-children

phildidge wrote:A ballooning diet of junk food might be one of the factors fuelling a rise in food allergies, researchers have suggested.

Experts say they have seen a rise in food allergies in western countries, including the UK. While true prevalence can be tricky to determine, data published by NHS Digital shows episodes of anaphylactic shock in England due to adverse food reactions rose steadily from 1,362 in 2011-12 to 1,922 in 2016-17.

The culprit, some scientists have suggested, could be substances known as advanced glycation endproducts, or AGEs.

AGEs occur naturally in the body, but they are found in high levels in highly processed foods, as well as other sources such as cooked meats. They form when sugars react with proteins or lipids. High levels of AGEs in the body, which it has been suggested can result from consuming AGE-rich foods, have previously been linked to a number of conditions including diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/08/junk-food-rise-food-allergies-children

it may be, but I wouldn't rule out parents obsession with keeping the little darlings away from any form of germ in their formative years. Kids need to be exposes to bugs to build up immunity. It may be coincidence that the rise in allergies has been in line with the rise in bleaching everything in sight

Are they now claiming that diabetes and RA are allergic reactions?

oh but they are Ragga, or at least "immune mediated"

Ra is only one in a long list of "allergic arthritis conditions" and in the same list as lupus , psoriasis and a number of others

type 2 diabetes is mediated with the immune systems response to insulin and the insulin producing cells in the pancreas........

Rising consumption of junk food, and other poor diets,  is a form of "malnutrition",  though many people will fail to make the connection...

While malnutrition will undoubtedly be an important factor, it is still only one of several in what is a 'multi-causal' health problem..

Other contributing factors could include :

* "Germaphobic" parents,  (as in TDYK's comment, above..);

*  Kids not spending enough time outside (as well as not being exposed to as many allergens and toxins in early life,  that's also likely to be exacerbated by vitamin deficits, particularly Vit. D from sunlight..);

*  in addition to malnutrition, such things as a lack of physical activity, a lack of sunshine, and any pressures and worries simply from modern lifestyles, can all act as 'stressors' on how the body operates and develops;

*  another major 'stressor' on the development of the body's auto-immune system will also be the ever-increasing levels of pollutants in the background environment --  e.g.  plastics, heavy metals, hormones and antibiotics, pesticides and fertilizers, tobacco, asbestos dust.

Victorismyhero wrote:oh but they are Ragga, or at least "immune mediated"

Ra is only one in a long list of "allergic arthritis conditions" and in the same list as lupus , psoriasis and a number of others

type 2 diabetes is mediated with the immune systems response to insulin and the insulin producing cells in the pancreas........

Hmmm. RA and those other conditions you mentioned are supposed to be the result of the immune system attacking the body's own tissues, which is different to an allergic reaction to something from outside or to something which shouldn't be there. If it turns out that the immune system is attacking something which shouldn't be there, that's a whole new thing. In gout, for example, the immune system attacks uric acid crystals. Uric acid is produced naturally in the body but it's not supposed to be in the joints.

In diabetes 2, it's often a case of insulin resistance rather than a case of lack of insulin - at first anyway. There is plenty of insulin being produced but it is ineffective so that glucose can't get into cells. That's different to an allergic reaction.

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

Rising consumption of junk food, and other poor diets,  is a form of "malnutrition",  though many people will fail to make the connection...

While malnutrition will undoubtedly be an important factor, it is still only one of several in what is a 'multi-causal' health problem..

Other contributing factors could include :

* "Germaphobic" parents,  (as in TDYK's comment, above..);

*  Kids not spending enough time outside (as well as not being exposed to as many allergens and toxins in early life,  that's also likely to be exacerbated by vitamin deficits, particularly Vit. D from sunlight..);

*  in addition to malnutrition, such things as a lack of physical activity, a lack of sunshine, and any pressures and worries simply from modern lifestyles, can all act as 'stressors' on how the body operates and develops;

*  another major 'stressor' on the development of the body's auto-immune system will also be the ever-increasing levels of pollutants in the background environment --  e.g.  plastics, heavy metals, hormones and antibiotics, pesticides and fertilizers, tobacco, asbestos dust.

it is probably a range of self inflicted causes as you point out

Lots of factors contribute to allergies. I’d say junk food was assaulting people’s bodies and making them weaker and more likely to get allergies perhaps and in general, just suffer ill-health.
Doesn’t take a genius to work that out.