Consumer

Should I stop eating a food if I think I’m allergic or have an intolerance to it?

At present, there is no medical cure for any of the food allergies or intolerances including coeliac condition.  For those who suffer from a food allergy or intolerance, the key to managing their condition is to avoid exposure to the offending food. This doesn’t just mean eating the food; some allergic people are highly sensitive and can experience symptoms even when they smell the offending food.  However, going on an avoidance diet, where you eliminate the suspect food from your diet, is risky and may cause other health problems.

Back to top

What are the risks of an avoidance diet?

If the avoidance diet is specified under professional medical or nutritional guidance, there should be no risk to the nutritional intake and health of the person.  The risks to health arise due to self-diagnosis and the ad-hoc individual adoption of avoidance diets in the absence of any professional guidance or advice.  Eliminating suspect foods can adversely affect a person’s nutrition as essential nutrients may be omitted from the diet and not replaced from another source.  More obvious is the possibility of misdiagnosis and the removal of otherwise perfectly harmless and nutritious foods from the diet, not to mention the impact on the person’s quality of life. 

Back to top

What is the procedure for adopting an avoidance diet?

For those diagnosed with a food allergy or intolerance, the offending food has been identified and steps must then be taken to eliminate this from the diet.  The success of an avoidance diet depends on a number of factors including how rigorously it is adhered to and how prevalent the causative food is on the market.  Modern food processing technology means that certain allergenic foods can end up in food products where they would not necessarily be an obvious component. For example would you expect to find peanuts or peanut oil in soups, battered foods like fried fish or egg rolls?  These hidden ingredients are quite difficult to avoid.  Indeed, studies have shown that avoidance diets are generally not 100% effective and must be viewed as a part of the overall risk management strategy.  Accurate and intelligible information is the key to the success of an avoidance diet. 

Back to top

At what stage can the avoidance diet be abandoned?

Very simply, when you can eat the offending food without reacting to it.  Again, it is important that coming off an avoidance diet is done under professional supervision.  You should not take chances with your health.  Some food allergies can be outgrown.  This seems to depend on both the person who is affected and on the particular type of food to which they are allergic or intolerant.  For instance milk allergy is one of the more common childhood food allergies but most children will outgrow their allergy by age eight.  Other food allergies, such as those to peanuts or shellfish, tend not to resolve and are lifelong.

Back to top