Mar

2

Food Allergies: How Food Labeling Can be Deceiving

Filed Under Food Allergy, Allergy Diet | Leave a Comment

If you have a food allergy that you are aware of, you have already been through the sometimes difficult process of identifying the items causing your food allergies. You are already aware of the problems these foods give you and you are ready to feel better and live better. You may think that this is the end of the story and you can now take command of your life and your health. Unfortunately, some labeling practices may leave you guessing about what you are actually consuming and may prevent you from protecting yourself from allergens.

The first step in food allergy treatment is elimination. How can you do this when many ingredients are listed under unknown names or in a deceptive way on the ingredient list for your favorite food? Thankfully, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) is one of the steps being taken to protect consumers from bad labeling practices. This act demands that any food with milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, and soy must have the food listed in an obvious way.

For example, if fish is used as a flavoring ingredient, it must be plainly listed instead of being referred to as merely ‘added flavoring’ or ‘artificial flavoring’. Also, if a technical term or other non-descript terminology is used for any of these ingredients, the common name must be added in parenthesis for easy identification.

If your food allergy does not fall under one of the categories the FALCPA covers or you live in an area where there is no such regulation, take the initiative to learn the various names by which your food allergen is referred so that you will recognize it on an ingredient list.

Allergy symptoms for food allergies can be very serious – even fatal. It is imperative that a person is able to read a label properly to protect them from what could be a severe allergy symptom. Take caution when reading a label. Make sure that you understand what is listed.

Nov

27

Vitamins And Supplements For Allergy

Filed Under Natural Allergy Treatment, Allergy Diet | Leave a Comment

Vitamins and supplements can help boost your immune system and hence, help to reduce your various allergy symptoms such as sneezing, a running nose, coughing, and watery eyes.  Here is a list of some of them:
  
- Vitamin C.  Vitamin C is a known natural remedy for allergy.  It can act as a mild antihistamine, hence reducing your allergy symptoms when you come into contact with a particular allergen.  Do note that Vitamin C is excreted from the body after four to six hours. Hence, it is generally recommended that you consume two to ten thousand milligrams of this vitamin in equal doses throughout your day to help keep that antihistamine property.  

- Vitamin E.  Vitamin E is known as an antioxidant that can help boost and increase the effect of your immune system.  It has been found very effective in studies in decreasing the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, which an inflammatory response in the nose, eyes, and throat that is caused by allergen exposure.

- Beta-carotene.  This vitamin works to boost the immune system, which can help you to naturally fight off the histamine or allergy response to specific allergens.  Some foods naturally contain beta-carotene, including deep orange vegetables and fruits like papaya or cantaloupe.  Consider increasing your consumption of these foods or you can choose to take a beta-carotene supplement.

- Vitamin B Complex.  Studies have found that taking Vitamin B Complex can help to reduce your allergy symptoms by half.  This is a significant finding, because it can move most allergy symptoms down into a more manageable range that is easier to deal with.  Some patients saw their symptoms decrease to almost nothing, which gave them the opportunity to live a normal life for the first time.

- Magnesium.  Magnesium has been found to help make breathing easier.  It helps in decreasing the constriction response in the lungs.  If this has been one of your allergy symptoms, then magnesium could be an excellent choice for your allergy regimen.

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