Western diet connected to allergies and asthma?

[Clarity]

Anyone see this? http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/new...x?docID=641751.
As a mother of a child with food allergies and eczema I find this study interesting. Since dd2 was diagnosed with food allergies about a year ago, I've wondered about the incredible rise of children with food allergies - most especially to egg, dairy and nuts. Many of the kids in our allergy support group have this allergy trifecta.
Funny that there is no history of FA in either dh's or my families. Now I can wonder if my carb-craving pregnancy had anything to do with it.

[maestramommy]

Hmmm, interesting. I thought I had heard that kids in Asian countries also have fewer food allergies, esp. peanuts, but perhaps that's just speculation and anecdotal? I bring it up because in those countries feed your baby just about everything they can eat from the get go instead of waiting till 1 or 2 or 3 years of age.

Another theory that Dh read and loves to mention is how our society is so CLEAN that kids don't ingest necessary bacteria that keeps allergies at bay. Bacteria that comes from eating sand and dirt. He really did read this somewhere, I wish he could find the article again. Probably NYT

[lablover]

Another theory that Dh read and loves to mention is how our society is so CLEAN that kids don't ingest necessary bacteria that keeps allergies at bay. Bacteria that comes from eating sand and dirt. He really did read this somewhere, I wish he could find the article again. Probably NYT

This is the hygeine hypothesis, which researchers deem as a possible reason for the rise in allergies. Basically, the thinking is that we have clean drinking water, we aren't battling parasites, vaccinations mean that we aren't fighting as many diseases these days, etc. and since the immune system isn't challenged by these things as much it instead shifts to attacking harmless environmental/food substances.

[Dream]

I didn't read the artical yet, will read it when I get home.

I know for sure that Asian kids don't have as much food allergies as the western world. I'm Asian and so is DH and there's no allergies is our families but DD's allergic to peanuts, egg whites and wheat. In the US I know lot of kids who have food allergies. And among all the friends and family back home no one I know has food allergies.

I also know that over there the rate of chemical use is less than western countries. Although its changing now. Most food used to come from the backyard and cow poo is the most popular fertiliser. Where I'm from they don't just feed anything to kids. Like peanuts aren't introduced till much later, peanut butter is not even available and we hardly use peanut oil for anything. But the reason that we don't feed these to kids early is not because there's a reason for it, mostly because your mother would advice you not to since her mother avoided it till such and such a time. But eggs are introduced in the first year, only the york etc.

You see, when you're in the last stage of preg you go to your mothers and is cared for by your mom till you have the baby and till eventually you're ready to go back home. And even then most of the time kids are cared for my their grandparents and they would follow what their mother did for them. I know things are changing now but most families still follow this.

[dogmom]

IgE is the immune regulator for most allergic reactions, vs bacteria or viral infections. It is also the one used to fight parasites. It is long been felt that the the lack of exposure to parasites may very well effect autoimmune and allergic reactions. I know vets who think that the reasons dogs have arthritis and other immune disease now are because we do a better job preventing parasites. The clean theory has several aspects to it, like the research that suggested having dogs, especially more than one dog, in early life decreases the chance of asthma later in life.

It's not a clear cut thing, however. Some parasitic infections may increase allergic responses. A lot of the response appears to depend on timing. Here's and example of research about one parasite infection in youth and allergic/autoimmune reactions which show variable responses:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2680069/

The other thing about peanut allergies. People are often allergic to a compound in peanuts that exist if you roast them, which is how most peanuts are prepared in the West. In the east they are most often boiled, which does not produces the same antigen.

[chottumommy]

The other thing about peanut allergies. People are often allergic to a compound in peanuts that exist if you roast them, which is how most peanuts are prepared in the West. In the east they are most often boiled, which does not produces the same antigen.

Not entirely true. I'm from India and we use peanuts quite often in our food and most of the time it is roasted. However I had never encountered anyone with a peanut or any other allergy among all my classmates/acquaintances/relatives till I came to the US. The only form of peanut that is not used in India is peanut butter.

And we also feed anything and everything to babies - no age restriction whatsoever including whole milk. Even when the infant is breastfeed they routinely are given whole milk starting 8-10 months.

[dogmom]

Not entirely true. I'm from India and we use peanuts quite often in our food and most of the time it is roasted. However I had never encountered anyone with a peanut or any other allergy among all my classmates/acquaintances/relatives till I came to the US. The only form of peanut that is not used in India is peanut butter.

Good point, was thinking of some Asian cooking, and not others. And we also feed anything and everything to babies - no age restriction whatsoever including whole milk. Even when the infant is breastfeed they routinely are given whole milk starting 8-10 months.

There is some interesting early research comparing UK babies to Israeli babies that suggest infants exposed to peanut products actually have a lower incidence of allergies. I don't think there is one answer to the increase of peanut allergies. But I found it interesting that when I went to find the research supporting the suggestions that you wait until 3 years instead of 1 to introduce peanuts there really wasn't anything. It was all sort of "common sense" approach. I get very concerned about that since for years it made pediatricians tell parents to put their babies to sleep on the side or stomach to prevent aspiration, which we assumed based on experience with adults. Took one really good study to prove that as a disasterous assumption.

[HIU8]

This is not based on anything. However, I had a peanut craving with DS. I age peanuts in any and all forms. I lived on PBJ (I mean like 3 times a day at least). DS is totally allergy free.

Now, DD had severe excema and some contact irritation to certain foods (as well as vomiting to other foods). She has been tested 2x and is not allergic to anything at all food or otherwise.

[Clarity]

This is not based on anything. However, I had a peanut craving with DS. I age peanuts in any and all forms. I lived on PBJ (I mean like 3 times a day at least). DS is totally allergy free.

Now, DD had severe excema and some contact irritation to certain foods (as well as vomiting to other foods). She has been tested 2x and is not allergic to anything at all food or otherwise.

Hmm, I'm by no means a physician, but I think this would indicate that she IS allergic to something despite the negative tests. Our pediatrician has an allergic child (as do I) and she has said several times that it's not the number, but the reaction that indicates an allergy. Her son tested at 0 for a nut allergy but has had an anaphalactic response when introduced to nuts. He's allergic, despite the test. There was another thread on allergies in the last day or two where I saw other mother's agreeing with this premise so I think our pediatrician can't be too far off base.

[lablover]

Hmm, I'm by no means a physician, but I think this would indicate that she IS allergic to something despite the negative tests. Our pediatrician has an allergic child (as do I) and she has said several times that it's not the number, but the reaction that indicates an allergy. Her son tested at 0 for a nut allergy but has had an anaphalactic response when introduced to nuts. He's allergic, despite the test. There was another thread on allergies in the last day or two where I saw other mother's agreeing with this premise so I think our pediatrician can't be too far off base.

A phrase you'll hear repeated over and over in the allergy world is "reactions trump test results"

Also, I have friends that wonder if they caused their child's peanut allergy because they ate so much peanut butter while they were pregnant. I always try to ease their mind by mentioning that I avoided peanuts while pregnant and nursing and DD still has a peanut allergy.