Management of food allergy and intolerance

Please click on the links below to read our articles. If you are interested in research findings, click here for links to research reports.


The cost of being food sensitive. New research funded by the Food Standards Agency looks at the actual costs of living with a food sensitivity both in terms of food and of time lost/spent coping with it - and an estimate of how much people would pay to get rid of that sensitivity. January 2023

People with food allergies have a significantly higher rate of coeliac disease than the general population. New research reported in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition suggest that of those with food allergies 5-6% may also have coeliac disease - very similar to the levels seen in those with type 1 diabetes and many other autoimmune conditions. See here for the research report; see here for useful comment in Alex Gazzola's Allergy Insight blog.

Allergen related product recalls. A new research report logging food allergen recalls in the UK from 2016 to 2021 was published on a line few days ago revealing that nearly 60% of food products recalls are allergen related. Read more...

Food families relevant in allergy. A helpful post on the Allergy Insight blog listing plant and fish food families. If you are allergic to one member of a family there is a greater likelihood that you may react to any food in that family - although you also may not. However, if you are unable to trace the cause of a new reaction, looking at the food family of your main allergen/s may come up with a link. August 2020

The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) runs a UK allergy service finder listing NHS allergy clinics across the UK. You can only access these clinics thorugh your GP who will refer you/your child if you allergy is deemed to be sufficently serious or complex. However, having the details of possible clinics to hand when you visit your GP could be helpful. The BSACI pages include maps of where the clinics are to be found and details of what services they offer: a child/adult/child and adult service, children's clinics being very much more numerous than adult ones. BSACI Allergy Service Finder. September 2022

Changes to regulations on labelling 'pre-packaged foods for direct sales' – such as sandwiches. Alex Gazzola reports on the Food Standards Agency's response to the public consultation on food labelling precipitated by the tragic death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse in 2016. May 2019

The evolution of food allergy management – Dr Adam Fox and Julia Marriott at Food Matters Live November 2018

Free From Food Awards 2018 and why they’re so important! Nathalie Newman has been a judge at both the FreeFrom Food Awards and theFreefrom Eating Out awards for the last few years – and this year the FreeFrom Food awards have produced a crop of really amazing allergen free foods! February 2018

Natural Health Worldwide
Dr Sarah Myhill's portal to specialist practitioners, tests and 'experienced patients' working primarily with CFS/ME but also with wide range of other conditions. December 2017

Christmas with allergies. Nathalie has done everything in her power to ensure that Callum can take part in all the Christmas festivities. But as he gets older he has started to realise that being food allergic does mean that you may miss out. December 2017

Trick or Treat? Have a safe Halloween. Nathalie is determined that multi allergic Callum and his sister will still be able to enjoy Halloween – but will remain safe – so she has conjured up the 'Switch Witch'!! October 2017

Should we be banning nuts on planes? Nathalie Newman, mother of a multi allergic son, looks at both sides of the question. September 2017

The effects of food processing on allergens and allergeniticy – tow interesting pieces of research. Effects of daily food processing on allergenicity. and Food Processing: The Influence of the Maillard Reaction on Immunogenicity and Allergenicity of Food Proteins. August 2017

Gluten-free in Barcelona. In Catherine Rose's favourite city, she gives her picks for great gluten free meals. August 2017

Which are the best airlines for allergic travellers? Following on from her introductory article on travelling with allergies, Catherine Rose looks at the freefrom provisions offered by the airlines. August 2017

Travelling with allergies. Inveterate gluten-free traveller Catherine Rose gives her top five tips for safe but enjoyable travelling with allergies. July 2017

That Valentine's day kiss.... Not so simple, or so romantic, if you have a food allergy.... Kate Lawrence looks at some of the research around allergic reactions that have been triggered by a kiss. February 2017

Doctors talking about allergy. Dr Matt Doyle on the increased awareness of allergy in primary care and Dr Paul Turner on anaphylaxis to food, and its management. Decmeber 2016

Nathalie, mum of four-year-old Callum who has 13 major allergies, gives her top tips for a safe but fun Christmas. November 2016

Why does freefrom food cost so much? Catherine Rose investigates. July 2016

NAET and other alternative approaches to allergy management. Dr Janice Joneja. July 2016

New website, AllergenOnline.org provides access to a peer reviewed allergen list and sequence searchable database intended for the identification of proteins that may present a potential risk of allergenic cross-reactivity.

Plant cross reactivity and its fallout for allergy sufferers. Environmental biologist Sue Killian describes how so many of our plants are inter-related, not only with each other but with many of the foods that we eat. January 2016

US allergics – beware of 'natural flavours' – they could include 'your' allergen. December 2015

Provision of mental health care services, not just screenings, critically important for children with food allergies. October 2015

A Web site-based reporting system for monitoring home treatment during oral immunotherapy for food allergy. May 2015

Useful article on travelling with food allergies in the Australian LifeHacker. August 2015

How to diagnose and manage multiple food sensitivities - Dr Janice Joneja. As part of her Q&A series on histamine and salicylate intolerance, Dr Joneja received the following two questions - both of which called for a very similar response. July 2015

Australian research on how food allergy affects a sufferer's and their family's quality of life. June 2015

Precautionary allergen labelling – have we got the balance wrong? Michelle Berriedale-Johnson investigates. May 2015

Talking to other people about your allergies. Helpful suggestions from mental health counselor Johnanna Bond in the Huffington Post. April 2015

Dogs as probiotics. Researchers at the University of Arizona are recruiting for study of the threapeutic possibilities of the biological connection between humans and dogs that could be shared through saliva, skin, and even faeces. March 2015

Histamine, copper, hives and leaky gut. In our Q & A series on histamine intolerance Dr Janice Joneja was asked whether histamine and excess copper could be implicated in her severe and chronic hives. Dr Joneja's answer ranges over a number of food intolerance related conditions including the excessive intake of supplements without medical advice. March 2015

Interview with Dr. Ying Song, a professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai, a key player in researching Chinese herbal formulas for use in combatting allergy. February 2015

Optimizing Metabolism - White Spacing: a new approach to breaking the Allergen-Dysmetabolism Cycle. Ingrdi Kohlstadt in the Townsend Letter. November 2014

Food allergen labelling... All change in December. Alex Gazzola looks in detail at the new food allergen labeling regulations coming into force on December 13th 2014.

How to support the psychological needs of patients with food allergy and their families. Dr Rebecca Knibb. Part of an Anaphyl,axis Campaign conference. November 2014

ACAAI survey suggests that up to 40% general phsyicians alarmingly ignorant about allergy. November 2014

Do foods with precautionary labels really contain allergens? Frances Dale reports on the Foods Standards Agency's latest research. November 2014

Food allergen labelling in the USA – FDA report. October 2014

Allergen detection dogs for food allergens, gluten and much more. Octoebr 2014

Wiping out food allergies with fermentation. On Noogle.com October 2014

Cincinnati doctor develops innovative food allergy shot. September 2014

Food allergy in non-food items such as medication, chalk, cosmetics, vaccines and astham inhalers. September 2014

New US dating site for those with allergies. September 2014

Can allergy drugs affect sexual life? Comment from Dr Darius Paduch, director of sexual health and medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. April 2014

Six promising approaches to food allergy treatment from Dr Robert Wood of the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. March 2014

Travelling with a food allergy? Some useful advice on travel insurance if you have a nut allergy on the money.co.uk site. March 2014

Enzyme supplements for protein digestion reduce food allergenicity. March 2014

Primary prevention of food allergy in children and adults: systematic review. January 2014

Epicutaneous Immunotherapy for Food Allergy (EPIT). Dr Hugh Sampson discusses the concept of scarifying the skin in order to introduce an allergen for immunotherapy purposes. Download the pdf from here. December 2013.

Children raised from birth with household dogs may be protected against asthma and allergy.  December 2013

Blog post investigating the theory that microbes in soil may protect against allergies while microbe rich soil may deliver health benefits. December 2013

Food Allergy and Intolerance: Mechanisms and Management. Workshops for dietitians and other health care professionals - presentations by Dr Janice Joneja 2001-2013.

Consumer understanding of allergen risk: an update on Food Information for consumers (FIC) and thresholds. An Anaphylaxis Campaign Corporate conference, hosted by the Food Standard Agency – 12th November 2013.

Body temperature and the immune system. Janey read Jonny's story and, having gone through something similar herself, she found that she was able to significantly improve the functioning of her immune system by addressing her central hypothermia. For more on this see Janey's site www.normalbodytemperature.co.uk. November 2013

Review of current treatments for food allergy including oral immunotherapy, sublingual immunotherapy, epicutaneous immunotherapy, modified food protein vaccines, anti-IgE monoclonal antibody adjuvant therapy, Chinese herbs, and helminth therapy. September 2013

Food Standards Agency's comments on new allergen labelling.

Sue Hattersley, Head of Food Allergy at the FSA responds to Frances Dale's article and the FoodsMatter blog on the new regulations. September 2013

Problems with the new allergen labeling. Frances Dale investigates. September 2013

Researchers from Murdoch Childrens Research Institute believe that the beneficial non-specific effects of a TB vaccine could boost children's immunity and help protect against allergic disease and infections. August 2013

Dr Harry Morrow Brown – in his own words. Dr Harry Morrow Brown died on 22nd August 2013, aged 96. This is his 'pre-obituary' that he sent us a year ago. August 2013

A rave review for a truly allergy-friendly holiday in Cornwall (Higher Lank Farm) from the YesNoBananas blogger Alexa Baracaia whose little boy has multiple, anaphylactic allergies. July 2013

The Health Professional’s Guide to Food Allergies and Intolerances by Dr Janice Joneja – a review. July 2013

11% of parents quit their job when their child is diagnosed with an allergy, 85% avoid restauranta and 65% restrict thier child's activities. Research from Canada. June 2013

Could pre-chewing your baby's food (and sucking its pacifier to clean it) help guard against allergies? May 2013

Childhood food allergies: Current diagnosis, treatment and management strategies. Review from the Mayo Clinic. May 2013

Early intervention (at 9–36 months) with oral immunotherapy in peanut allergic children shows promise – on the basis that early intervention, when the allergy is less established, may make it more amenable to treatment’. However, long term outcomes for immunotherapy are disappointing. Long article in Family Practice News reporting on a recent meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. April 2013

Very long and detailed article in the NY Times about immunotherapy – specifically as practised by Dr Kari Nadeau, associate professor of allergies and immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine. March 2013

Dating with a food allergy. SinglesWithFoodAllergy is US dating agency just for people with food allergies! Plus a helpful article in Canada.com on how to plan dates if you have a food allergy and some tips for those dates may have food allergies from Fox News. February 2013

A new €9million world wide food allergy study is to be headed up by Professor Clare Mills of the Allergy and Respiratory Centre at the University of Manchester. The European Commission-sponsored research will produce a standardised management process for companies involved in food manufacturing. It will also develop tools for enforcement produce evidence-based knowledge advice on nutrition for pregnant women, babies and allergy sufferers. March 2013

Over 700 bacteria identified in breast milk, and, if these prove to be important for the development of the immune system, their addition to infant formula could potentially decrease the risk of food allergies. December 2012

Australian researcher and Nobel Laureate, Professor Barry Marshall who originally identified helicobacter pylori as the most common cause of stomach ulcers, is working to develop a benign strain of the bacterium which might have a beneficial effect on eczema, allergies and other immune disorders. January 2013

Smartphone app enables food samples to be tested for allergens 'down the wire'. December 2012

Allergy Relief: using acupressure to help relieve minor allergy symptoms – Heather Fraser describes her new book. February 2013

Immunotherapy - teaching the immune system new tricks. An in depth investigation by Linda Gamlin into immunotherapy – an allergy treatment which is scarcely either known or used in the UK. January 2013

Safe festivities for food allergics – advice from European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) December 2012

Advances in immunotherapy. An overview of current approaches to immunotherapy for food allergy from Professors Virkud and Vickery at Duke University and the Univeristy of North Carolina School of Medicine. Discovery Medicine. September 2012

Staying calm if you are having an allergic reaction. Helpful post from What Allergy? about dealing with an allergic reaction and how, if you reaction is dose related, sitting still and staying calm can help to minimise the effects. November 2012

Problems with allergen labelling – Regulations governing allergen/ingredient labelling on retail or pre-packed foods has been in place for some years but implementation is still far from perfect. New regulations are to be introduced for food sold loose or through the food service sector in 2014, but are unlikely to provide that much more security for the food allergic consumer. November 2012

Allergy Academy – Allergy for non health-care professionals. Study day covering food allergy, allergic rhinitis and eczema. October 2012

A Kosher Food Allergy Journey - blog describing the problems of combining a strict kosher diet with an allergen-free diet. August 2012

Brief review of some of the apps available for helping to manage food allergy. July 2012

Cloona Health Centre – a free-from, relaxing holiday overlooking the Atlantic.
July 2012

The Allergy+FreeFrom Show 2012 - Cressida Langlands reports. April 2012.

Low Dose Immunotherapy (LDA), a treatment based on Enzyme Potentiated Desensitisation (EPD), claims to be as successful as traditional immunotherapy but much lower risk. It is examined by one of the leading US practitioners in the April 2012 Townshend Letter.

The Food Clinic. Training practice nurses to evaluate food sensitivity
The allergy research charity, FAIR, has done some excellent work assessing the prevalence of food intolerance in the community and offering simple and cost-effective treatment. They are offering the programme, free of charge, to any group who can make use of it within their area. May 2012

Chiropractor uses spinal adjustments to treat allergies – interesting post suggesting that relieving pinched nerves in misaligned vertebrae can help boost immune function and thereby reduce allergies. February 2012

The Allergy Academy – education in allergy – at last! Michelle Berriedale-Johnson talks to Dr Adam Fox, Director of the King’s College London Allergy Academy. February 2012

Laughter is catching – and can improve your allergies! Michelle Berriedale-Johnson investigatse the work of Dr Hajime Kimata. September 2011

Water medicine – and water and allergies. Dr Batmanghelidj believes that dehydration lies at the root of most chronic and acute 21st century maladies – including allergy. June 2011

Eating out with confidence by Eve Menezes Cunningham. January 2011

Allergy within the NHS – and in the Houses of Parliament.The NASG tries to raise MP's awareness. Frances Dale explains. November 2010

How to prevent asthma and other allergies and sensitivities and how to treat them if you have them, by Margaret Moss. October 2010

More funding for allergy research. August 2010

If you are allergic, are you prepared for a natural disaster? An excellent blog with suggested emergency rations etc. June 2010

Children's allergy provision. Michelle Berriedale-Johnson gets an upbeat update on paediatric allergy services in the UK. May 2010

Acupuncture for allergy. April 2010

Food allergy 'deniers'. An interesting article on the alarming numbers of adults with potentially fatal food allergies who do not carry Epipens and either ignore or pay little attention to their allergies. 2008.

New year well-being for allergy sufferers – Nutritionist Micki Rose gives her top tips for 2010

Prevalence of Food Allergy and Potential Therapies  – a report from the thirteenth international food allergy conference held during the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. November 2009

Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT): What it is and how it works. December 2009

Wriggling out of food intolerance – John Scott describes how a dose of worms has dramatically improved his total food intolerance. November 2009

Furious reaction to balanced article on peanut allergy in Canadian journal... October 2009

A good overview of current research on immunotherapy for food allergies from The Washington Post. June 2009

Economising during the credit crunch: some suggestions for making the weekly budget go further, by Catherine Chisholm. 2009

Rotating cabbage and linseeds: managing food sensitivities with a rotation diet, by Nicki Greenham. 2009.

A food allergy/intolerance nurse in every GP practice? A report on recent research into installing regular allergy clinics into GPs' surgeries all around the country, by Michelle Berriedale-Johnson. 2008

Homeopathy and Allergy: Cressida Boyd reports on a conference run by the British Homeopathic Association on how homeopathy can be used to treat allergies. 2008

Breathing Lessons: Alex Gazzola explains how breathing can affect allergies and sensitivities, and how to ensure you are breathing properly. 2008

Bullying: Autistic and allergic children are easy targets for school bullies – find out how to help your child and how to educate teachers and pupils around them, from FAAN News and Nick Dubin.

Food allergy in the NHS: a rare article by NHS practitioner Sudip Ghosh discussing his approaches to allergy and indirectly those of the NHS. 2007

Children’s allergy service on the NHS: Michelle Berriedale-Johnson introduces the new state-of-the-art allergy clinic at the Evelina Children’s Hospital in London, UK.

Teen Troubles: Analysis of the teenage brain and ideas for the best way to help your teenager live stress-free when managing allergy and intolerance. By Anne Muñoz Furlong. 2006

Dowsing and allergy: introducing the use of dowsing to find the hidden allergies. By Chris Johnson. 2005

Using dowsing to manage allergy: how sufferer Nicky Greenham uses her dowsing skills to determine what she can tolerate from day to day 2005.

Teenagers and Anaphylaxis: Information for parents and children about workshops on awareness and confidence among teenagers with severe allergies, providing invaluable feedback for trainers themselves on current thinking among the age group. By Jennifer Percival. 2004

Programming out your intolerances and allergies: how neuro-linguistic programming can be used in the treatment of intolerance and allergy. By Rob Mesrie. 2004

Hypnosis and food intolerance: Peter Mabbutt explains how hypnosis can be used in the treatment of intolerance and allergy. 2003.

Enzyme potentiated desensitisation: Jennifer Worth explains EPD and how it works, including the successful combating of eczema and food allergy. 2002

Neutralisation: Michelle Berriedale-Johnson introduces Dr John Mansfield and the Burghwood Clinic, specialising in Intradermal Provocation Neutralisation, where patients are given a miniscule dose of their allergen that ‘neutralises’ their allergy. 2002.

Allergies and psychotherapy: how psychotherapy can be used to get to the bottom of traumas that may have caused allergies, and in doing so resolve the allergy and its symptoms. By Christopher Morgan Locke. 1999

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Research Reports

The Role of Nutritional Aspects in Food Allergy: Prevention and Management. August 2017
This review looks at the changing nature of our understanding of the role of nutrition in the prevention of food allergy: moving from advice of early avoidance of allergens to inclusion of a diverse range of foods early in life. The important roles that essential fatty acids, zinc and vitamin D and pre and pro-biotics may play are also considered.

Combining anti-IgE with oral immunotherapy. August 2017
This review study considers research where immunotherapy is combined with an anti-IgE (anti-allergy) agent. Immunotherapy can be highly effective in treating allergies but as it involves exposing individuals to the substance to which they are allergic, it can also result in adverse reactions. This review suggests that combining immunotherapy with omalizumab (which is an anti-IgE agent) decreases the frequency and severity of allergic reactions during the process. This, in turn, allows for an increase in the threshold of tolerance to food allergens.

Probiotics in Asthma and Allergy Prevention. July 2017

This review study outlines that probiotics are often used in an attempt to prevent the development of allergy but that there still a limited amount of evidence to back this up and much more research is required in this area.

Novel immunotherapy and treatment modality for severe food allergies. March 2017
Many patients with severe food allergy are unable to undergo regular immunotherapy, as the risk for a severe adverse reaction would be too great. Immunotherapy using very low doses may be safer for such patients and the authors suggest the need to consider patients allergy severity when determining they type of immunotherapy to try.

Yogurt consumption in infancy is inversely associated with atopic dermatitis and food sensitization at 5 years of age: a hospital-based birth cohort study. Jan 2017
This study looked at regular consumption of yoghurt in infancy in over 1,500 children. It was found that the children who regularly consumed yoghurt were less likely to develop food sensitivities or atopic dermatitis at 5 years of age. This shows a useful preventative step that can be taken to reduce the chances of developing food allergies. The Full text is article for free.

Lifetime Increased Risk of Adult Onset Atopic Dermatitis in Adolescent and Adult Patients with Food Allergy. December 2016
Patients with food allergies are more likely to go on to develop atopic dermatitis in adulthood than individuals without food allergies.

An Examination of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire Performance in a Countrywide American Sample of Children: Cross-Cultural Differences in Age and Impact in the United States and Europe. December 2016
Food allergy related quality of life rated worse by American than European children.

Immunomodulatory Effects of Different Lactic Acid Bacteria on Allergic Response and Its Relationship with In Vitro Properties. October 2016
This is an animal study, which looks at the effects of probiotics in mice. It was found that probiotics were able to reduce allergic airway inflammation in mice. Results such as these are exciting, as they suggest potential future treatments that may be able to be applied to humans.

Active treatment for food allergy.
Kobernick AK, Burks AW.
This article reviews current research into treatments for food allergy, largely focusing on immunotherapy. Methods reviewed include subcutaneous immunotherapy, oral immunotherapy and epicutaneous immunotherapy. There are promising results from trials for various foods; however, the most effective methods have a higher safety risk. Research into food allergy prevention is also reviewed. Full article available here for free…

Long-term follow-up of oral immunotherapy for multiple food allergies suggest that tolerance can be maintained when subjects continue to consume the allergens regularly. March 2016

A retrospective analysis of allergic reaction severities and minimal eliciting doses for peanut, milk, egg, and soy oral food challenges. June 2015

How normal diet establishes immune tolerance conditions in the small intestine. January 2016

Safety, clinical, and immunologic efficacy of a Chinese herbal medicine (Food Allergy Herbal Formula-2) for food allergy. October 2015

New approach for food allergy management using low-dose oral food challenges and low-dose oral immunotherapies. January 2016

Emotional and behavioral problems, particularly symptoms of depression, anxiety, and ADHD are common among adolescents with food allergy. December 2015

Atopic disease is associated with chronic inflammation, food allergen avoidance, and use of systemic immunosuppressant medications. All these factors have been shown to be associated with anemia. November 2015

Allergen Immunotherapy: History and Future Developments. October 2015

Novel Delivery Routes for Allergy Immunotherapy: Intralymphatic, Epicutaneous, and Intradermal. 2015

Advances in the Treatment of Food Allergy: Sublingual and Epicutaneous Immunotherapy. 2015

Oral Immunotherapy for Food Allergy - with reference to cow's milk, hen's egg, and peanut. 2015

A review of selection methods for immunomodulatory probiotic strains and the mechanism of action of probiotics in immune modulation. 2015

By acting on intestinal and systemic immune functions, a cocoa-enriched diet in rats exhibited a protective effect against food allergy and partially against anaphylaxis, making this a food of high interest to the fields of health and immunonutrition. October 2015

Improving the safety of oral immunotherapy for food allergy. November 2015

It may be important to consider the diversity of food allergy in order to fight against food allergy. 2015

Consumption of certain food and natural materials such as fenugreek, skullcap, chitin/chitosan, and cheonggukjang as anti-allergics have merits such as safety (no adverse side effects), multiple suppressive effects and ease of consumption when required. 2015

Managing allergic disease in the elderly. November 2015

Sublingual immunotherapy in children not only as a therapy but as a preventative measure for food and respiratory allergy. October 2015

Turmeric, including various components, may be useful to ameliorate Th2-mediated allergic disorders such as food allergy, atopic dermatitis, and asthma. April 2005

Recent studies on correlations between food allergies and intestinal barrier functions, and intestinal barrier function injury summarized to provide reference for laboratory researches and clinical treatment. April 2015

Swiss researchers suggest that it might be possible to control allergic reactions by creating T-regulatory (Treg) in the laboratory which could be injectd into the alelrgy sufferer. Comment here; original research here. September 2015

Patients with asthma are at risk for more severe reactions and are less likely to reach full desensitization during food oral immunotherapy. But most who achieve full desensitization continue to consume milk protein freely after treatment. March 2015

The rise in incidence in allergies may correlate with the widespread and liberal use of antibiotics. This study affirmed that one species of LAB ST218 significantly reduces allergic airway inflammation in antibiotics-treated mice model. June 2015

Supplementation of mice with Specific Nondigestible Oligosaccharides during pregnancy or lactation leads to diminished sensitization and allergy in the female offspring. April 2015

Human milk oligosaccharides (2' Fucosylactose or 6' Sialyllactose) may have therapeutic potential in allergic disease. May 2015

Pre-existing inflammation from allergic reactions may set the stage for cancer to spread from one area to another. April 2015

Allergies can, rarely, be passed thorugh blood transfusions. Research here and here. April 2015

The horse immune system can respond to midge bites in a way that prevents - rather than triggers - allergic reactions. Edinburgh researchers believe that this reaction could be adapted to prevent allergies in humans. April 2015

Omega 3 fatty acids may have a role in controlling intestinal allergies. June 2015

Dendritic cells which switch on inflammation againt parasitic wroms and allergies controlled by the protein Mbd2. This discovery may enable better targeting of medicine sot combat inflammation. April 2015

Humans, dogs, cats and horses suffer from similar environmental allergies and immunotherapy seemstot be equally successful in all species. April 2015

AAAAI 2015 conference – press releases covering the major presentations. February 2015

DHA-rich tuna oil effectively suppresses allergic symptoms in mice allergic to whey or peanut. October 2014

Despite reaching high percentages of desensitization using allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) in patients with food allergy, recent studies suggest only a low number of patients to reach persistent clinical tolerance. Review of strategies. December 2014

EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) sits on the fence as regards setting thresholds levels for allergy ingestion by allergic people across Europe. November 2014

Chinese Herbal Formula-3 inhibits food allergy in rats by stabilizing mast cells through modulating calcium mobilization. July 3013

Clostridium bacteria may protect against food allergies. August 2014

Children with food allergies twice as likely to be bullied at school as children without. July 2014

Downregulation of angiogenesis factors, VEGF and PDGF, after rapid IgE desensitization and oral immunotherapy in children with food allergy. Juen 2014

Strong immune stimulation in neonates influences immune system maturation and may reduce the risk of later food allergy development. September 2013

Orally administered Lactobacillus brevis HY7401 helpful as an immune modulator in a food allergy mouse model. November 2013

Exposing babies to a dust mite extract can significantly reduce their risk of developing allergies. June 2014

Multiple-allergen oral immunotherapy improves quality of life in caregivers of food-allergic pediatric subject. May 2014

Effectiveness and safety of orally administered immunotherapy for food allergies: a systematic review and meta-analysis. January 2014

Omega 3 fatty acids alleviate severity of food allergy in mice and may modulate immune response. November 2013

Probiotic bacteria continue to represent the most promising intervention for primary prevention of allergic disease. Septemebr 2013

Complex interactions between host and environment in allergic diseases and the roles of integrative management. Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. March 2014

Microbial Exposure and Onset of Allergic Diseases - Potential Prevention Strategies? Petra Ina Pfefferle and Harald Renz, Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Molecular Diagnostics Philipps University Marburg. December 2013

Eating food allergens in early pregancy may reduce risk of allergy in the child. April 2014

Intestinal permeability may be an intrinsic trait in a subset of food allergic children on specific elimination diets. September 2013

Combining Chinese herbs with oral immunotherapy improve thier efficacy in managing allergy. March 2014

Introducing solid foods while continuing to breast feed could reduce childhood allergies. November 2013

Oral and sublingual immunotherapy are promising treatments for food allergy. Literature review. September 2013

Immunotherapy during pregnancy may reduce chance of allergy in children. November 2013

Researchers have designed a molecule, called a heterobivalent inhibitor (HBI), which when introduced into a person's bloodstream can out-compete allergens like egg or peanut proteins in their race to attach to mast cell receptors and trigger and allergic reaction. October 2013

Characteristics and purchasing behaviours of food-allergic consumers and those who buy food for them in Great Britain. September 2013

Meta analysis of clinical trials finds that probiotic administration reduces the risk of atopic sensitization and decreases the total IgE level in children but may not reduce the risk of asthma/wheeze. August 2013

Identifying anti-allergic probiotic strains. May 2013

Approach to food allergy does U turn – from avoidance to exposure.  2012

Because high fat foods (such as chocolate at 35% fat) take longer to work through the digestive system than a chocolate dessert (at 8% fat) allergic reaction rates to, say, nuts in the food may also be slower. November 2012

Breakthroughs in the understanding of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) could lead to new insights on biological process, especially in relationship to H1 receptor protein which is crucial in the triggering of allergic reactions, and aid progress in drug discovery. April 2013

New evidence that exposure to pets and siblings may influence the early development of the gut microbiota, with potential implications for allergic disease. April 2013

Pigs, dogs and sheep investigated as possible models for the study of food allergy. March 2013 

Eating fish in infancy not only appears to reduce the risk of fish allergy but of food and seasonal allergies in later life. April 2013

Review of 63 published studies confirms that sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), widely used in Europe but not in the US, is a safe and effective alternative to allergy shots. March 2013

Mice with food allergy exhibit a specific gut microbiota signature capable of transmitting disease susceptibility and subject to reprogramming by enforced tolerance. Disease-associated microbiota may thus play a pathogenic role in food allergy. Januray 2013

Roughly 11% of allergic reactions in children with known food allergies are the result of caregivers intentionally exposing the child to the allergen. March 2013

Food allergens ingested via the allergic mother's milk appear to prevent the offspring developing the allergy, in mouse models. March 2013

Professor Bill Parker and colleagues highlights the mass of evidence from a range of different disciplines pointing clearly to industrialisation as the root cause of the modern pandemic of immnune disorders, particularly the resulting loss of our intestinal worms. The obvious solution, he suggests, is to correct this helminth depletion by replacing selected species of benign worm. June 2012

Oral immunotherapy for food allergy. Numerous clinical trials across the US, for peanut, milk and egg allergies, suggest that OIT could become a widely applicable food allergy treatment, once the remaining questions about such issues as optimal dosing and length of treatment have been resolved. October 2012

Stopping allergic reactions in their tracks. Researchers have discovered a man-made molecule that destroys complexes that induce allergic responses — a discovery that could lead to the development of highly potent, rapidly acting interventions for a host of acute allergic reactions. October 2012

New insights about how gut microbes influence the immune system may lead to appropriate treatment or prevention of allergic disease. November 2012

The dietary supplement, 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan – an amino acid sold over the counter as Cincofarm, Levothym, Levotonine, Oxyfan, Telesol, Tript-OH, Triptum etc) may inhibit allergic inflammation. July 2012

Mixing antihistamine with fruit juices may reduce their efficacy. June 2012

A study to examine the circumstances of allergic reactions in pre- school age children. June 2012

Nigella sativa (Black Cumin) seed extract alleviates allergic diarrhoea in mice – and maybe in humans too? June 2012

Sublingual immunotherapy safe for pregnant patients. June 2012

Review of successful alternative treaments for allergy suggest that they may become more widely used in clicnicalpractice. June 2012

Five reports on immunotherapy. 2012

Korean black raspberry prevents allergic reaction. February 2012

Changes coming to allergy immunotherapy. November 2011

Association of SCIT with autoimmune disease, heart disease and mortality. October 2011

The optimal diagnostic workup for children with suspected food allergy
. October 2011

New method of inhibiting allergic reactions developed, with no side-effects. October 2011

Vaccination for cat allergy. July 2010

Yeast thioredoxin-enriched extracts may mitigate the allergenicity of foods. October 2011

Anaphylaxis to insulin: desensitisation, a case study. January 2011

Study of timing and risk assessment associated with subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy. April 2011

Whey-based infant formula may not prevent allergies. July 2011

Histamine H1 receptor breakthrough heralds improved allergy treatments. June 2011

The psychological impact of food allergy. June 2011

How much are food-allergic diners worth? January 2011

Black rice bran may help soothe allergic inflammation. November 2010

Severe food allergies turned off in mice. October 2010

Antihistamine use could be a cause of obesity. August 2010

'May contain’ labels justified by allergen contamination. August 2010

The dangers of ‘old’ antihistamines. February 2010

Helping the boy who couldn't eat: the food challenge test and controlling allergies with tiny bites. April 2009

Negative ions for allergy relief and improved health. April 2009

A food-intolerance nurse in every GP practice? March 2009

Immunotherapy given directly to the lymph nodes may be less painful and work faster than traditional allergy shots. January 2009

The Europe-wide Food Allergy Specific Therapy (FAST) research project is a modified form of immunotherapy in which scientists will use modified variants of allergic proteins that are hypoallergenic and therefore safer. The proteins will be purified making them more effective and making it easier to control the dose. December 2008

Efficacy and dosage concerns unresolved on sublingual immunotherapy. November 2008

Allergen-free fertility management. October 2008

Desensitisation for major allergens proves successful. October 2008

Do antihistyamines make allergies worse? March 2008

Fermented milk may help prevent food allergies. September 2008

 

NB Information on this site is not a substitute for medical advice and no liability can be assumed for its use.

 

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