What Causes Adult Onset Food Allergies?

You bite into an apple and suddenly your mouth starts tingling. Or you eat shrimp for dinner and get hives. You've never reacted to any food ever, and you've eaten these foods your whole life, so what's going on? Sudden reaction to a food could be adult-onset allergy.

According to Dr. Ruchi Gupta, director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma, about 10% of adults have food allergies. Some allergies carried over from childhood, but nearly half of those began during adulthood. Among adults, shellfish allergy is the most common, affecting almost 3%, said Gupta.

Researchers don't know for sure why some people become allergic to certain foods after adulthood, but there are several theories about triggers. The following are some of them:

1️⃣ A change in environment: Maybe you've moved and are being exposed to different allergens, which trigger your immune system.

2️⃣ A viral or bacterial infection could also flip that switch.

3️⃣ Hormones could be a catalyst too, especially in women. It’s not uncommon to develop food allergies during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.

4️⃣ Certain medications or alcohol can change gut acidity, so the body stops breaking down certain foods the way it once did.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-sudden-reaction-food-adult-onset-allergy.html