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Food allergy testing could improve nutritional choices

Category: General Health

Taking a food allergy test may help Americans find out what foods may not work well with their personal physiology and increase their understanding of a sometimes confusing topic.

Researchers from Children's Memorial Research Center interviewed several thousand adults to gauge their understanding of how to prevent food allergy reactions and how the field is progressing towards a vaccine.

While lead author Dr Ruchi Gupta says that the only known way of treating food allergies is to avoid the foods, many Americans overestimate the progress of research into developing a cure for the condition, thinking that there is already a cure or ways to limit the effects of eating certain foods.

Food allergy testing may also help reinforce the potentially deadly nature of the condition. Some Americans have such severe allergies that they suffer from anaphylaxis, or swelling that can envelop airways and lead to brain injuries or worse.

"Although food allergy is a commonplace term, this study confirms the prevailing misconceptions among the public regarding manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment," notes Dr Sami L. Bahna.