Black Children may be Twice as Likely to Develop Food Allergies

A recent report shows that food allergies may be increasing in children, and for black children, the problem may be doubling. This 2013 investigation also exmanies that the United States spending budget of close to $25 billion each year on food allergy-related costs, alone.

"Although African Americans generally have higher levels of IgE, the antibody the immune system creates more of when one has an allergy, it is only recently that they have reported food allergy more frequently than white children," said lead study author Dr. Corrine Keet, a professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University, via Medical News Today. 

This abnormal reaction to food that's typically triggered by the immune system through allergies to milk and/or different foods may involve two features of the human immune response, including the production of immunoglubin (IgE), a type of protein called an antibody, and the production of the mast cell or a specific type of cell that's especially common in areas of the body where allergic reactions occur, according to WebMD.

For the study, researchers analyzed 452,237 children from 1988 to 2011. They found that food allergies were increasing among black children at a rate of 2.1 percent per decade. However, allergies increased at a rate of 1.2 percent among Hispanic children and 1 percent among white children.

"Our research found a striking food allergy trend that needs to be further evaluated to discover the cause," said Corinne Keet, one of the researchers, via NewsMedical. "Although African Americans generally have higher levels of IgE, the antibody the immune system creates more of when one has an allergy, it is only recently they have reported food allergy more frequently than white children. Whether the observed increase is due to better recognition of food allergy or is related to environmental changes remains an open question."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have posted guidelines involving the health issue to curb the problem, such as restricting the intake of foods like nuts, shellfish and other products that may increase the risk of allergic reaction in some people.

However, researchers also note that an increase in more accurate diagnoses may potentially explain the noted increase.

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More information regarding the study can be found via the journal of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.