Infant food allergy: where are we now?

For many years, the prevailing maxim for prevention of food allergy in at-risk infants was to reduce allergic sensitization by avoiding exposure to highly allergenic foods until the baby's immune and digestive systems were sufficiently developed to cope with the allergen. Current thinking is completely different: exposure to food in the early stages of development may be the way to induce tolerance. Exclusive breastfeeding until 4-6 months, followed by introduction of complementary foods individually, is recommended.

Food Allergy Testing: Problems in Identification of Allergenic Foods.

The greatest challenge in managing food allergy or intolerance is identifying the food that is responsible for the symptoms. The medical model of a diagnosis based on tests appropriate to the symptoms, which dictates the usual most effective treatment strategy, does not work well in the management of adverse reactions to foods. A single test could not identify the specific trigger for the wide array of symptoms that can result from food sensitivity, because the immunological, physiological and biochemical reactions that mediate food sensitivity are so diverse.

Benefits of a Histamine-Reducing Diet for Some Patients with Chronic Urticaria and Angioedema.

Urticaria and angioedema symptoms result primarily from the physiological actions of histamine. Some individuals with urticaria have a decreased ability to degrade dietary histamine before it enters the circulation. Foods high in histamine, such as fermented foods, may exacerbate urticaria and angioedema in these individuals.