Food Allergies: Who's Faking It?

There's definitely a difference between a food allergy and an intolerance. Intolerances aren't lethal, but some allergies are. I have an aunt who is so allergic to strawberries that she had a reaction when one of her kids kissed her after eating one. Intolerances aren't as dangerous, but they can be JUST as uncomfortable as an allergy if you indeed have one. I think a lot of people are hypochondriacs about it though...if you are allergic to a food or intolerant to one, you will know it pretty quickly...there isn't much of a gray area, especially with an allergy.

"Japan has a lot of soy allergy (where soy milks are used more than cows milk)."

While soy milk is available in Japan, it's not commonly consumed, judging by the amount of shelf space devoted to it. In some markets it's not available, and convenience stores don't usually sell it. Less processed soy it the form of soy sauce, miso, tofu, and edamame are extremely widespread. In particular, soy sauce and miso are the fundamental seasonings in Japan, along with bonito flakes.

I'm surprised to see the claim that there are a lot of soy allergies. I've never met anyone who claimed to have one, and I'd think you'd stand out like a sore thumb (or "unhammered nail," as we say here), given that virtually all Japanese food has soy of some sort or another in it. You end up eating meals with large numbers of other people because of the nature of business socializing, so I'd think it would be hard to hide. I also have never seen anything on soy allergies on the news or other TV shows or in the papers. However, I admittedly haven't looked for published research on it.

As an example of how food avoidance would be hard to conceal in Japan, "allergies" to alcohol are commonly claimed, since alcohol, like soy, is part of every business meal. Nondrinkers must claim an allergy to avoid drinking -- it's the socially acceptable way avoiding alcohol. So everyone you work with or do business with knows about your "allergy."

On the other hand, milk is extremely widespread and takes up a huge amount of space in markets, and is also sold in the ubiquitous convenience stores. It has been a part of school lunches since the MacArthur days, so it's firmly entrenched as a universal part of the Japanese diet. Yogurt and cheese are also widely consumed, as well as ice cream, which often is "milk" flavored (i.e., without vanilla). Milk tends to be unpasteurized, so it can have a funny smell to expats.

In summation, I think your claim may be a sort of urban legend passed around by anti-soy activists, sort of like the "vegetables today don't have nutrients because of artificial fertilizers" meme that is common on natural food activist and supplement marketing sites (had a really frustrating time trying to track the source of that one down in the echo chamber before giving up).

Mark, you are absolutely correct. I have even gone as far as removing that statement. A number of medical doctors and authors have made that very statement (about Japan and soy allergy and the West and Milk allergy) - but after researching (e.g. here is one source) - it just doesn't ring true. The Japanese diet changed post-WWII and they have as much dairy problems as everyone else.

Another article to look at is this one by Dr Robert Eitches, MD.

One of the hardest things to do when trying to lose or control weight is to avoid food pushers. If you claim allergy or some digestive problem they back off. If you say you're on a diet they push harder. The best thing to do is lie and say you have an allergy. I am a faker.

I avoid soy even though I'm not allergic, and I know a ton more people who do, because they interfere with thyroid hormones. They bind with the replacement hormone hypothyroid people(or hyperthyroid people who have already had RAI or a thyroidectomy) need to take, changing your dosage needs. So what this means is if I choose to add tofu to my diet, I need to have the same exact amount everyday and adjust my medication accordingly. So the majority of people on thyroid replacement who are aware of this avoid soy altogether.

And Frances has a good point on fakers who are doing it to stick to a diet. I don't fake allergies, but my husband, who absolutely hates seafood, fakes being allergic to it to be able to stop people from going "oh but I have this special shrimp recipe and if you try it, I'm sure you'll start liking seafood!"

I have no food allergies, but a ton of contact allergies to food. If I eat a banana, I have to wash my lips immediately and they still burn and get a rash. I can't have my hands touch the banana either, or the same thing happens. I also have this with mangos, peppermint, yellow plums, and a whole lot more stuff.

Frances, I am guilty of being a faker in some situations as well. I don't eat processed meats (sausage, bologna, etc) and when they are served, I say I can't eat them. It's a very handy way of getting people off your back food-wise. Some people just don't take "no, I don't want to eat that" as a valid excuse for why you aren't eating their delicious bratwurst casserole (ick!)

My in laws use whole milk and full fat products. They understand and respect that I am trying to live a healthier lifestyle but don't see the big deal with whole milk. I got "luccky" with this problem though....I have a sensitivity to milk fat. That sounds weird but the higher the milk fat content in the food the sicker I get, and since my in laws don't want to sentence me to a night or two in the loo the don't push the rich stuff on me! :)

Jan, my husband had the same reaction to fruit -- not as acute as yours, but he always said fruit made his mouth feel itchy. I started buying organic bananas, plums, etc. and the problem has gone away. I wonder if it might be a sensitivity to pesticide or some other chemical applied to conventionally-grown fruit.

Eleanor, organic or even grown in my own backyard, with no pesticides, and it is the same thing. Now, the riper the bananas are, the worse it gets, so I try to eat them while they are still hard (ripe, but not mushy), and use a fork to minimize contact with lips.

Years ago, most nailpolish used to be made with banana oil as an ingredient, and I was allergic to nailpolish too - the parts where it touched my finger made my skin itch and peel. Now almost no brands use banana oil so I'm ok as long as I check the labels.

Mangos and yellow plums have a bit of terpentine in their peel, so that is what causes allergies. I try to peel them thick to minimize the allergies. Peppermint, like bananas, has an oil in it too. But there are other fruits and herbs that give me allergies that I haven't figured out why.

I am allergic to caffeine. Even coming in a low concentration like Cocoa Pebbles, I would get heart palpatations, numbness of my hands and feet, and other really neat symptoms. This was discovered during my first year of graduate school, in a Statistics lecture. My "doctor" tried to tell me it was panic attacks and prescibed some neurological drug. I never took one (have a funny reaction to muscle relaxants, and she was too flippant for me to think she'd considered my whole medical history) and researched it on my own to figure out the allergy. Since, I've had no chocolate, no coffee, no caffeine what-so-ever, and I haven't had those "panic attacks" since. Believe me, the reaction is pretty severe for me to have given up chocolate for the past five years.

In spite of this, my mother-in-law still tries to feed me chocolate/coffee laden desserts. I think she finally got the message last summer when I told her that she must have forgotten my allergy in front of her husband's aunt (what will the neighbors think?). But, I can see the temptation of claiming allergies to other foods. How many times have you heard the following, in response to "No thank you, I don't like XYZ?"

1. "Have you even tried XYZ?"
2. "Oh, you've never had XYZ the way I make XYZ."
3. "____ didn't like XYZ either, until he had it this way, now he loves it."
4. "You don't like XYZ at ALL?"
5. "You need to have fresh XYZ from the garden, then you'll like it."

Of course, I don't want you to think I walk into people's houses and say "Ew, I don't want to eat that, I don't like it." I have a pretty well-rounded palette (no pun intended), I just don't like a couple vegetables. And, I usually just pass on the side dish that has them, or push them aside on my plate. I don't say "no thank you, I don't like XYZ" until I hear "Oh, are you sure you don't want some? Come on, it's good. You'll really like it." about three times.

Makes the whole dining experience so much fun, doesn't it? Perhaps faking allergies is the way to go....

-Danielle

Way to go Danielle! Stick up for your right. I am also someone who cannot have any form of caffine. My does relate back to panic attacks but I will say this. If one more person offers me some form of caffinated product that "isn't really caffine" I will scream. It is amazing how many products contain it. But it can be avoided. And I feel way better for it. I am glad I am not the only one who encountered this ongoing frustrating problem.

Many of you have said that you have a problem with peppermint. Has anybody ever had trouble with their breathing on consuming peppermint tea?? I have only recently made the connection.

My daughter got a rash and started swelling up after eating yellow plumbs. She was given antihistamines and was OK. We were told it's the stuff the fruit is sprayed with. Or maybe it's an allergy to turpentine, as suggested above. I'd like to hear more people's theories or experiences. Again, it's not hard to avoid such a specific food.

I would just like to say that I have food intolerances and food allergies. Although I know the difference, it is just easier and generally more understandable to state that they are all food allergies. After all, who wants to suffer the consequences of food intolerances, it you can avoid them.

Jan, are you allergic to latex that you know of? It sounds like you have latex-food syndrome (also called latex-fruit syndrome) manifested as “oral allergy syndrome”. People with latex allergies are 50% more likely to be sensitive to certain foods. All the items you mention are on the list. The number one problem food is bananas. It appears common to be sensitive to several of these foods but not all. There are different proteins that can be the culprit but it is not well researched yet. However there are some studies you can find on the net. Unfortunately, I have read (and experienced) that over time repeated exposures worsens the symptoms and spreads to include foods that did not bother you before. Cooking, for some people, inactivates the allergen so tomato sauce may be ok but raw will not. Do a net search for latex syndrome and oral allergy syndrome - you should find lots of interesting info.

Different symptoms can manifest in different people. For me, it is severe itch all over, worst around the genitalia and dandruff like flakes in eyebrows / mustache if I really overeat the no-no stuff (wheat, bananas, peppermint). Others get “oral allergy syndrome” or non-resolving psoriasis or non-resolving foot odor or….There does not seem to be a set pattern.

High risk of cross intolerance: Banana, avocado, chestnuts, Kiwi. Moderate risk: Apple, carrot, celery, Melons (cantaloupe, cherimoya, watermelon), papaya, potato, tomato. Low risk: Apricot, Buckwheat, castor bean, cayenne pepper, cherry, chick pea, citrus fruits, coconut, dill, fig, grape, hazelnut, lychee, mango, nectarine, oregano, passion fruit, peach, peanut, pear, persimmon, pineapple, plum, rye, sage, shellfish, strawberry, soy bean, sunflower seed, sweet peppers, walnut, wheat, zucchini.
Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20040629091529/http://www.library.umc.edu/pe-db/pe-latex-allergy-eng.html

Other sources include: Peppermint, sage, mustard, paprika, pimento, almond, mushroom…. And more.

Consider eliminating the foods from your diet and see how you feel. Expect to feel much worse for 2-3 days and then get better. It can take as much as to weeks to fully clear a food out of your system.

Good luck,
Jonathan

seattlehealth

When looking at food allergies, it is important to recognize both the IgE and IgG antibodies produced by the immune system. Most food allergies test only for IgE reactions which most often occur immediately after contact with or consumption of the allergenic substance. IgE reactions can also lead to a whole list of other symptoms that are not always recognized as common food allergy reactions. One of the main issues with common testing measures is that they do not test for IgG reactions, which are a common cause of many food allergies. These reactions are generally slower to show up than IgE reactions, showing up hours to days after contact with the allergen. I would recommend checking out http://centerforfoodallergies.com/2_a.htm for more information on this topic.