National Allergy Week

We have reached a stage in mankinds development in which Allergies have become so common that we have a 'National Allergy Week'. Whilst this may be good news for a company like ours that specialises in producing 'free-from-' products one has to ask oneself how this has come about? As a child growing up 'allergies' were virtually unheard off in my peer group. OK most people will remember the kid with asthma in their class but now the number of asthma sufferers is in the region of 1 in 4 children, as opposed to 1 in 100, 20 - 30 years ago. Is it because we now have better testing methods for detecting allergies, or greater awareness of their existence, or that our children are more susceptable to them as a result of our modern lifestyle. There is no definitive answer to this question, however most people have a strong opinion one way or another. For example our modern lifestyle has certainly lowered the effectiveness of the human immune system making us more susceptable to foreign bodies. The increased use of antibacterial substances in the household have certainly had an impact. Children are raised in quite a sterile environment so their immune system can be under developed. Our immune system is the best form of defense the body can have hence you'll often hear the older generation refer to the benefits of 'clean dirt'! Lets use an example, take two identical plants, one raised in a greenhouse and one raised outside, the one in the greenhouse will be softer and more prone to disease. The increased incidence of allergies could also be down to the misinterpretation of what an allergy actually is. Having an allergy to a food generally means that should one accidentally consume some of that particular food then it will bring about an allergic reaction in a number of ways but in the most frightening as an anaphylatic attack. Which as a parent absolutely terrifies me. I am aware of a number of children in my area who have a peanut allergy and catering for these children at parties can be very stressful. I have nothing but admiration for the parents and siblings who have to deal with this on a daily basis! I think what most people refer to as a food allergy is in fact a food intolerance. An intolerance generally causes a feeling of discomfort over a certain period. This discomfort can be dizziness, bloating, stomach cramps, eczema, a rash, itchiness, migraines, headaches, nausea, tiredness etc. The reasons for the rising number of people with intolerances is probably down to a number of factors, namely, greater awareness that the problem exists, greater choice of foods so easier to eliminate the offending food item, the desire not to put up with the discomfort any longer, greater levels of processed foods in our modern diets. As I stated earlier in my blog there is no definitive answer to the increased incidences of allergies today, however I am certainly on the side that says what we have is a direct result of our modern lifestyle over the last 20 - 30 years. If we continue to put rubbish into our bodies then we will continue to see an increase in allergies and intolerances. Maybe if nothing else 'National Allergy Week' will help further the discussion and debate. At least through discussion we are furthering peoples knowledge and helping them decide!