Food allergies seem to be very mysterious according to the “Dummies” and the “Idiot” [1] allergy books. According to the The Complete Idiot's Guide to Food Allergies:
"A baby can be born allergic, or a heretofore unafflicted adult can develop an allergy out of the blue." [2]
Food Allergies for Dummies disagrees:
"A virgin immune system has no reason to launch an all-out attack on a harmless food. It has to be properly sensitized to the food first (through an initial exposure)." [3]
Both books were written by allergy experts. They can’t both be right. In this case, it is better to be a dummy than an idiot. If immunity were passed down between mother and child, we obviously wouldn’t need vaccines.
But what about the “hygiene theory” that both books suggest as the cause of food allergies. Supposedly during the past 5-6 years, we suddenly became “too clean” and the lack of good dirt is causing the epidemic of food allergies. [4]
Basically, I think we really do have to be “dummies” and “idiots” if we believe that theory.
Food allergies are not a problem everywhere. The basis for the “hygiene theory” is that allergies are nearly unknown in developing countries. What is one of the big differences between developing countries and us? We vaccinate our children heavily!
[1] The Complete Idiot's Guide to Food Allergies by Lee H. Freude, M.D., and Jeanne Rejaunier, Penguin Group, 2003
[2] The Complete Idiot's Guide to Food Allergies by Lee H. Freude, M.D., and Jeanne Rejaunier, Penguin Group, 2003, page 8
[3] Food Allergies for Dummies by Robert A. Wood, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with Jo Kraynak, Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2007, page 33
[4] http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-03-19-allergies-cover_x.htm , USA Today, Posted 3/19/2006 11:53 PM Updated 3/22/2006 9:29 PM To head off allergies, expose your kids to pets and dirt early. Really. By Steve Sternberg