Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Food Allergies and Sensitivities

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Nutrition, Weight, and Digestive Health

  • 738 Accesses

Abstract

Food allergies are adverse immune responses to the ingestion of specific foods. This contrasts with food sensitivities, which refer to non-immune reactions. Food allergies are categorized based on their pathophysiology into IgE-mediated, non-IgE-mediated, and mixed immune reactions. Symptoms can range in severity from mild to severe, life-threatening anaphylaxis. Careful history-taking with the aid of a food diary can identify culprit allergens. Additional serum and skin diagnostic testing can further help elucidate etiology. The mainstay of therapy is allergen avoidance; however, pharmacotherapy can suppress inflammatory response and modulate symptoms. Management of food sensitivities similarly includes identifying culprit foods and avoiding them, though testing modalities are less well-defined, and the diagnosis and management differ based on the type of reaction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Boyce JA, Assa'ad A, Burks AW, Jones SM, Sampson HA, Wood RA, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of food allergy in the United States: report of the NIAID-sponsored expert panel. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010;126(6 Suppl):S1–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2010.10.007.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Food Intolerance. In: Information for patients, consumers and carers. Australian society of clinical immunology and allergy. 2019.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, Jiang J, Blumenstock JA, Davis MM, et al. Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(1):e185630. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Berin MC, Sampson HA. Mucosal immunology of food allergy. Curr Biol. 2013;23(9):R389–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.02.043.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Anvari S, Miller J, Yeh CY, Davis CM. IgE-mediated food allergy. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2019;57(2):244–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-018-8710-3.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Atkins D, Bock SA. Fatal anaphylaxis to foods: epidemiology, recognition, and prevention. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2009;9(3):179–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-009-0027-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Feuille E, Nowak-Węgrzyn A. Definition, etiology, and diagnosis of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;14(3):222–8. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACI.0000000000000055.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Katz Y, Goldberg MR, Rajuan N, Cohen A, Leshno M. The prevalence and natural course of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome to cow's milk: a large-scale, prospective population-based study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;127(3):647–53.e1-3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2010.12.1105.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lake AM. Food-induced eosinophilic proctocolitis. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2000;30(Suppl):S58–60. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005176-200001001-00009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Fasano A, Sapone A, Zevallos V, Schuppan D. Nonceliac gluten sensitivity. Gastroenterology. 2015;148(6):1195–204. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2014.12.049.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Leonard MM, Sapone A, Catassi C, Fasano A. Celiac disease and nonceliac gluten sensitivity: a review. JAMA. 2017;318(7):647–56. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.9730.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Jensen ET, Martin CF, Kappelman MD, Dellon ES. Prevalence of eosinophilic gastritis, gastroenteritis, and colitis: estimates from a National Administrative Database. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2016;62(1):36–42. https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000000865.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Hill DA, Spergel JM. The immunologic mechanisms of eosinophilic esophagitis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2016;16(2):9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-015-0592-3.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Kinoshita Y, Oouchi S, Fujisawa T. Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases – pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. Allergol Int. 2019;68(4):420–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alit.2019.03.003.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Zopf Y, Baenkler HW, Silbermann A, Hahn EG, Raithel M. The differential diagnosis of food intolerance. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2009;106(21):359–69; quiz 69–70; 4 p following 70. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2009.0359.

  16. Storhaug CL, Fosse SK, Fadnes LT. Country, regional, and global estimates for lactose malabsorption in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017;2(10):738–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(17)30154-1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Misselwitz B, Butter M, Verbeke K, Fox MR. Update on lactose malabsorption and intolerance: pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical management. Gut. 2019;68(11):2080–91. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318404.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Cohen SA. The clinical consequences of sucrase-isomaltase deficiency. Mol Cell Pediatr. 2016;3(1):5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40348-015-0028-0.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Maintz L, Novak N. Histamine and histamine intolerance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(5):1185–96. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/85.5.1185.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Marcobal A, De las Rivas B, Landete JM, Tabera L, Munoz R. Tyramine and phenylethylamine biosynthesis by food bacteria. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2012;52(5):448–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2010.500545.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Feng C, Teuber S, Gershwin ME. Histamine (Scombroid) fish poisoning: a comprehensive review. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2016;50(1):64–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-015-8467-x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Staudacher HM, Whelan K. The low FODMAP diet: recent advances in understanding its mechanisms and efficacy in IBS. Gut. 2017;66(8):1517–27. https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2017-313750.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Gibson PR. Use of the low-FODMAP diet in inflammatory bowel disease. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017;32(Suppl 1):40–2. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgh.13695.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Spiller R, Garsed K. Postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology. 2009;136(6):1979–88. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2009.02.074.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Temple University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Neil Nadpara

  2. Robert Wood Johnson, Department of Gastroenterology, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Arnon Matan & Keerthana Kesavarapu

Authors
  1. Neil Nadpara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Arnon Matan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Keerthana Kesavarapu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Keerthana Kesavarapu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Carolyn Newberry

  2. Gastroenterology, Obesity Medicine Nutrition and Bariatric Endoscopist Gut Theory Total Digestive Care, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    Janese Laster

  3. GI Nutrition, Celiac Disease and Obesity Program, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Octavia Pickett-Blakely

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Nadpara, N., Matan, A., Kesavarapu, K. (2022). Food Allergies and Sensitivities. In: Newberry, C., Laster, J., Pickett-Blakely, O. (eds) Nutrition, Weight, and Digestive Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94953-2_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94953-2_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-94952-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-94953-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation