I was having a nice discussion with my girlfriend about which category of allergy is worst. For disclosure’s sake, she is both celiac and allergic to nuts.
The major food allergens are as follows: milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans.
Generally, we both think that being allergic to wheat is the worst. Not only are the reactions bad, but gluten is in everything including but not limited to soy sauce, bread, pasta, any roux based soup or sauce, cookies, beer, most dark liquor, and wheat thins. So, you always need to be on the prowl when you have to avoid gluten. Good luck making sandwiches at work. Even when my girlfriend is drunk, she knows to keep away from bread.
The second worst allergen is probably milk. Dairy is WONDERFUL. It has lots of protein in it, is a healthy fat, calcium, and covers most categories of cheese. I don’t think the reactions from milk are always as severe, but the ubiquity, at least as of late, make up for it.
I think the third worst allergen is likely tree nuts. This is one of the allergies that I know to be more commonly lethal. Nuts are often added in a variety of foods, and the ppm need not be high to cause anaphylaxis. Extra points, if you’re also allergic to gluten, good luck finding a flour substitute that’s not almond. A reason why nuts have not been placed higher is because of the relative ease of avoiding them combined with the range of reactions. I would lump peanuts in with the rest of tree nuts, even though they might not have the same roots.
Soy is currently #4. Not everyone who is allergic to soybeans is allergic to soy lecithin. Almost every processed food contains soy lecithin. As a result, you’re stuck eating healthy. However, soy allergy rarely causes anaphylaxis, and generally involves one system in the body, like hives. Generally, this is likely to be a more straightforward allergy.
I think being allergic to shellfish and fish are worse than being allergic to eggs because of the severity of the given reaction. Also, sometimes when shrimp is added to dishes, it can make people violently sick. However, because seafood is often clearly demarcated, and not in most things, it’s not as easy to have an accident.
Eggs are the winner for the least harmful common allergy. Eggs have really suitable alternatives, the allergy is often outgrown, but they are the second most common food allergy in infants and children. Global data shows egg allergy affects between 0.5-2.5 percent of young children, but about 70% outgrow it by age 16.
Are there any allergies that you’d place differently?
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