Some food allergies and how to avoid them: Almonds to CoconutWritten by Thomas Ogren
Some food allergies and how to avoid them: Almonds to Coconut: Thomas Leo OgrenIn following list I’ll outline some of more common food allergies. Just because some food isn’t in this list doesn’t mean that it couldn’t cause an allergy. Remember, almost any food that you eat too often and too much of over an extended period of time can trigger a food allergy. It is always smart to eat a wide variety of food and not to rely on eating same kind of food over and over again. Almonds: Allergy to pollen from peach, plum, nectarine, and apricot trees is rare, but allergy to pollen from their relatives, almond and cherry is not. People who are already allergic to tree pollens are more likely to develop an allergy to eating almonds. If you’re allergic to pollen, go easy on almonds, especially during spring pollen season. Apples: Allergy from eating apples is surprisingly common, especially among people who are already allergic to tree pollens. Apple allergy may have any number of different symptoms. Those allergic to birch pollen are especially at risk for apple allergy. Avocado: Allergy to eating avocadoes isn’t especially common but it isn’t rare either. Some birds that eat avocadoes, parrots for example, can die from eating them. People with an existing allergy to eating kiwi fruits have a greater chance of becoming allergic to avocado. If you do become allergic to eating avocadoes, you may well also become allergic to non-food items such as sun tan lotions with avocado oils. Bamboo shoots: People already allergic to grass pollen are at increased risk of allergy from eating bamboo shoots. The reaction may be either immediate or delayed. Brazil nuts: For reasons I am not certain of, people who are already allergic to cashews and pistachios, are at increased risk of becoming allergic to Brazil nuts. They do however both contain some of same chemicals, linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, samarium, and scandium. Allergic reaction to these nuts can include anaphylaxis, so it is potentially dangerous.
| | Local Honey and AllergiesWritten by Tom Ogren
Local Honey and Allergies By Tom Ogren As one who makes his living by writing about allergies and asthma I am often asked about potential health benefits of using local honey. Honey contains bits and pieces of pollen and honey, and as an immune system booster, it is quite powerful. I have often in talks and articles, and in my books, advocated using local honey. Frequently I’ll get emails from readers who want to know exactly what I mean by local honey, and how “local” should it be. This is what I usually advise: First, a word of warning: do not give honey to babies one year of age or younger. This therapy is recommended for older children (five and up, and adults). Allergies arise from continuous over-exposure to same allergens. If, for example, you live in an area where there is a great deal of red clover growing, and if in addition you often feed red clover hay to your own horses or cattle, then it likely you are exposed over and over to pollen from this same red clover. Now, red clover pollen is not especially allergenic but still, with time, a serious allergy to it can easily arise. Another example: if you lived in a southern area where bottlebrush trees were frequently used in landscapes or perhaps you had a bottlebrush tree growing in your own yard, your odds of over-exposure to this tree’s tiny, triangular, and potently very allergenic pollen is greatly enhanced. In two examples used above, both species of plants are what we call amphipilous, meaning they are pollinated by both insects and by wind. Honeybees will collect pollen from each of these species and it will be present in small amounts in honey that was gathered by bees that were working areas where these species are growing. When people living in these same areas eat honey that was produced in that environment, honey will often act as an immune booster. The good effects of this local honey are best when honey is taken a little bit (a couple of teaspoons-full) a day for several months prior to pollen season.
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