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Food allergy myths

Paula Goodyer

"This food makes me feel bloated I must be allergic"

A headache after eating chocolate, or bloating after a bowl of pasta are reactions often blamed on allergy, but not all reactions to food are allergic – other causes include food intolerances, food poisoning or irritation from skin contact with some foods. Typical food allergy symptoms include hives, swelling around the mouth or vomiting, usually within 30 minutes of eating a food. Acute abdominal pain or diarrhoea can be other signs. Severe allergic reactions include noisy breathing, swelling of the tongue, swelling or tightness in throat, difficulty talking, wheezing, a persistent cough or dizziness.

Coeliac disease is an allergy

It's not – although, like allergy, it involves an immune system response to foods containing gluten, the protein in some cereals such as wheat, barley or rye. If you have coeliac disease, eating gluten triggers inflammation of the gut, making it hard to properly absorb nutrients from food. Symptoms include an upset gut, fatigue, anaemia or weight loss. The problem affects around one in 70 Australians, according to Coeliac Australia – but about 80 per cent are undiagnosed. A newly recognised problem with gluten – but not an allergy – is non-coeliac gluten intolerance. This is a reaction to gluten causing abdominal symptoms such as bloating and, sometimes, fatigue and feeling unwell.

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Vega testing, iridology and kinesiology can diagnose food allergy

Not according to ASCIA, which stresses that these tests, along with cytotoxic food testing, allergy elimination techniques, pulse testing, Alcat testing, Rinkel's intradermal skin testing, reflexology, hair analysis and IgG food antibody have not been shown to be reliable. No Medicare rebate is available for them.

Instead, skin prick allergy tests or allergy blood tests help confirm or exclude potential triggers, although sometimes an elimination diet supervised by a doctor or dietitian is needed. This involves avoiding all suspect foods followed by introducing the food – again under supervision – to see if there's a reaction.

Sources: Australasian Society for Clinical Immunology and Allergy; Coeliac Australia.

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