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Sonia Gutierrez
Professor Blake Cason
Foundations of Nutrition
25 November 2016
Food Allergies in Developed vs. Developing Countries
My mother is originally from Mexico and when I told her about my essay topic she said
that allergies were rare there and food allergies were almost unheard of. One of the things that
struck her the most when she moved to the U.S. was the large quantity of adults and children
with allergies. There were peanut-free schools, news coverage about food allergies, and parents
constantly talking about allergy safety. What made the U.S. more susceptible to food allergies?
Allergies are a common but unpleasant experience for many. They arise from an
overreaction by the immune system to an allergen, a foreign protein that the body thinks is
harmful. When the immune system attacks the allergens the results are the common symptoms of
an allergy attack: swelling, redness, itchy skin, hives, congestion, runny nose, and other
symptoms. For some people, the reaction to an allergen may be more severe with the person
experiencing the some of the previous symptoms plus a drop in blood pressure, rapid heart rate,
tingling, and difficulty breathing. This is anaphylaxis and can be potentially fatal if not treated
quickly with an injection of epinephrine.
Most of the known allergies are from environmental causes such as pet dander, pollen,
detergents, etc. but for many, some foods cause an allergic reaction. Approximately one in every
thirteen, or 8%, of children, and 4 %, of adults have a food allergy. Any food can cause a reaction
but eight foods, account for over 90% of allergic reactions in affected individuals: milk, eggs,
peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat (Barnum and Lukacs). The reactions to these

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foods can range anywhere from mild redness and swelling around the mouth to nausea, bloating
and indigestion to anaphylactic shock and death.
Of those who have food allergies, children are the ones more likely to develop them.
According to the textbook Contemporary Nutrition: A Functional Approach, between 1997 and
2007, food allergies among children increased by 18%... the cause for 30,000 emergency room
visits and 150 deaths per year (Wardlaw, Smith and Collene 690). The prevalence of food
allergies is also increasing, more so in developed countries than in developing and undeveloped
countries (Fogarty 87). Developed countries such as the United States and the UK may have
some factors that increase the risk for food allergies. Ethnicity and the way children are raised
and fed during the first year of life may also play a role in developing food allergies, as well as
genetics and exposure to certain bacteria.
There are several factors that predispose or increase the risk for a child to develop a food
allergy. The risk is higher when a non-food allergy is already present. The risk is also higher
when an individual has an immune-related disease such as asthma and eczema (Gray 577 and
Fogarty 88). According to a journal article written by A.W. Fogarty, countries with high asthma
prevalence were more industrialized such as the UK, Australia and Ireland; those with the least
prevalence were less industrialized countries such as Ethiopia, India and Indonesia. Allergies had
very similar results (Fogarty 88) showing the relationship between asthma and food allergies.
Ethnicity and genetics also play a role with food allergies. Children of European ancestry
are more likely to develop a peanut allergy (Hong 8). While children of East Asian descent are
more likely to develop a peanut allergy than children of Australian descent (Kopling). Genes that
are related to certain allergies have also been discovered in DNA and there is research showing

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that epigenetics, a growing field showing the relationship between the environment and its effect
on DNA, can affect the development of an allergy (Hong 1-12).
The development of allergies can also be affected by the amount of microbes that one is
exposed to. T. Marrs, the author of the article Does microbial exposure prevent food allergy?
believes that the immune system is affected by the gut bacteria and if the environment introduces
new bacteria then the gut bacteria changes and so does the immune system. According to his
study, attending communal child care facilities and living on a farm are associated with a
reduced risk of respiratory allergies and eczema (Marrs 312) and found, evidence that
microbial exposure may influence [food allergy] risk (Marrs 316). It is possible that todays
sedentary lifestyle of many developed countries is contributing to create certain allergies since
many children dont go play outside as much. Instead many stay indoors with easy access to
technology that provides entertainment. This may prevent childrens exposure to outdoor
allergens that, in turn, make them more susceptible to developing food allergies.
This supports the research by Fogarty because in many developing countries there is
more chance to be exposed to microbes and food particles earlier in childhood as there is not a
lot of options about what to feed an infant. The introduction of new food into the infant diet
supports the development and diversification of gut microbiota, which in turn alters the
immunological function of gut epithelia and the host-immune response as a whole (Marrs 312)
Based on anecdotal evidence, parents in developing countries are more likely to feed infants less
than one year of age the food that they are eating as well as breast feed. This exposes them to
high-risk foods such as soy, eggs and peanuts early on.
Parents were previously told to avoid exposing infants to high-risk foods before reaching
twelve months of age. That might have actually contributed todays rise in food allergies as,

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there is no evidence that delaying the introduction ofcommon food allergensbeyond 6
months of age is of any benefit for preventing food allergies (Wardlaw, Smith and Collene 668).
Recent research by George Du Toit shows that exposing infants at risk of developing a peanut
allergy to peanuts before twelve months of age actually decreased the number of infants who
developed an allergy. The study found a 70% reduction in peanut allergies in children that were
sensitive to peanuts (Du Toit 807). This proved that exposing infants to peanuts early in infancy
could significantly lower the infant's risk of developing a peanut allergy, even if the infant is at
high risk for developing an allergy. This supports the anecdotal evidence and the study by
Fogarty showing a correlation between allergy rates and the countrys economic state.
Although it is possible for some to create a tolerance towards a food allergy, the methods
used are time consuming and expensive, requiring years of exposure to the food protein in
increasing dosages until no reaction is present and is not recommended to people with severe
reactions. Some children grow out of allergies such as egg, soy and milk, but a many dont,
especially with peanut and shellfish.
The best way to go is with prevention and early exposure to different foods and
environments. One may think that its safer to prevent exposing ones self to the environment
with todays germophobic society but maybe it is to let our children try new foods since the
immune system functions best when it knows what to fight against. More research needs to be
done to see if there are any other links to food allergies such as nutrition status, vitamin D levels
for example, and ethnicity.

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Works Cited
Barnum, Amy M. and Susan L. Lukacs. "Food Allergy Among U.S. Children: Trends In
Prevalence And Hospitalizations". Cdc.gov. N.p., 2008. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Du Toit, George et al. "Randomized Trial Of Peanut Consumption In Infants At Risk For Peanut
Allergy". New England Journal of Medicine 372.9 (2015): 803-813. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
"Facts And Statistics". Foodallergy.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.
Fogarty, A.W. "What Have Studies Of Non-Industrialized Countries Told Us About The Cause
Of Allergic Disease?". Clinical & Experimental Allergy 45.1 (2014): 87-93. Web. 28
Nov. 2016.
Gray, Claudia L et al. "Food Allergy In South African Children With Atopic Dermatitis".
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 25 (2014): 572-579. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Hong, Xiumei et al. "Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Peanut Allergy-Specific Loci
And Evidence Of Epigenetic Mediation In US Children". Nature Communications 6.6304
(2015): 1-12. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Koplin, J. J. et al. "Increased Risk Of Peanut Allergy In Infants Of Asian-Born Parents
Compared To Those Of Australian-Born Parents". Allergy 69.12 (2014): 1639-1647.
Web. 28 Nov. 2016.
Marrs, Tom et al. "Is There An Association Between Microbial Exposure And Food Allergy? A
Systematic Review". Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 24.4 (2013): 311-320.e8. Web.
28 Nov. 2016.
Wardlaw, Gordon M, Anne M Smith, and Angela Collene. Contemporary Nutrition: A
Functional Approach. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015. Print.