11 Most Common Food Allergies in Adults

Valentine’s day is coming, and if you don’t know whether to give those chocolate-covered peanuts or almonds to your significant other, better check if she or he suffers from one of the most common food allergies are in adults first!

Food allergies are caused by an over-reaction of the body’s immune system to proteins in food. These proteins that cause an allergic reaction are called allergens and are found not just the most common food but also around us. Medically, there are a lot of types of allergies, and food allergies are just one of them. Personally, I suffer from allergic rhinitis and shellfish allergy. Allergic rhinitis is a type of allergy caused by inhalation of certain allergens, with mine being dust. The good thing about food allergies is that a majority of them are outgrown after childhood, but some persist throughout our lifetime. You might want to check the most common food allergies in children if you are a parent as it gives helpful information on childhood allergies.

As said earlier, food allergies are caused by ingestion, or even inhalation, of these allergens. Symptoms of food allergies will be hives, wheals, wheezing and stomach cramps. These are the mild symptoms of a food allergy. However, some foods cause more severe reactions, with some being fatal. This type of fatal reaction is called anaphylaxis, and its symptoms, in addition to the above, are a tight, hoarse throat, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, rapid heartbeat and a low blood pressure. Patients also report a sense of ‘impending doom”. A more severe form, called the anaphylactic shock, can occur if your blood vessels dilate so much to cause a significant drop in your blood pressure, which may lead to cardiac arrest. Management for anaphylaxis is epinephrine, which is usually marketed as EpiPen auto-injector. It is very important to know what triggers your allergies and how severe can your allergies get.

Insider Monkey scoured the web for information on the most common food allergies in adults, with which we based our list from. Information from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology provided much of the content, with supplementation coming from Medscape, Food Allergy Research and Resource Program and Food Allergy Information.

11. Eggs

Allergy to eggs is one of the most common for children. Fortunately, about 70% of these children outgrow the body’s reaction to eggs by the time they reach 16. And this allows us to enjoy a breakfast of bacon and eggs, or omelettes and other wonderful things made from eggs.

10. Milk

This is another type of food allergen that is outgrown in most of the cases. Experts estimate that the majority of children outgrow this allergy by the time they reach the age of 3. However, some children do not outgrow milk allergy until they are 16, and some remain allergic their entire adult lives.

9. Legumes

This food group includes peas, castor beans, lentils and lupins. Peanuts and Soybeans are included in this group but are listed separately due to their frequency and notoriety in causing food allergies. Although possessing high nutritional value due to its high protein content, legumes also have the most potent allergens. In general, legumes may cause allergic reactions even with the lowest of doses, and can also cause anaphylaxis if not treated.

8. Wheat

Allergy to wheat and its by-products is caused by an over-reaction of the body to proteins found in wheat. This is often confused with Celiac disease, as both involve wheat. The difference is that in wheat allergy, the body reacts to wheat protein. In Celiac disease, the body reacts to gluten, a protein found in wheat.

7. Soy

Soy is a member of the legume family, but as mentioned in our previous post, must deserve its own place in our list due to its frequency. Most children with soy allergy will outgrow them by the age of 10, but for some, they have to live with it. Fortunately, soy allergy isn’t nearly as fatal as other allergens in this list and it rarely causes an anaphylactic reaction.

6. Vegetables

Oftentimes, the vegetables that we eat are either half cooked or eaten raw. This preserves the pollen on or inside the vegetable, which triggers an allergic reaction called Oral allergy syndrome. This causes itchiness in the mouth, swollen lips, tongue or mouth. Usual pollen culprits are the Birch pollen found in celery and carrots, grass pollen found in celery and tomatoes, and the Ragweed pollen found in cucumbers and zucchinis.

5. Fruits

Fruits also cause the same allergic reaction as vegetables do, and it occurs more frequently because fruits are usually eaten raw. The same with vegetables, the Birch, Grass and Ragweed pollens cause the allergic reactions. Fruits with these pollens are apples, cherries, kiwis, peaches, pears, plums, melons, oranges and bananas.

4. Tree Nuts

Often confused with peanut allergy, tree nuts are literally nuts from trees. Examples are walnuts, almonds, cashew, pine nuts and lichee nuts. Peanuts are grown from the ground, and thus are part of the legume family. Nevertheless, having a peanut allergy will usually predispose you to have a tree nut allergy. Unfortunately, fewer than 10% of people outgrow this after childhood.

3. Peanuts

While also a legume, it also deserves a separate entry in our list due to its frequency and very severe allergic reaction. Peanuts are notorious for causing anaphylaxis, a fatal reaction of the body to allergens. Peanut allergy is also one of the most common causes of food allergy in children and adults, with only 20% of children outgrowing them. Some schools have gone as far as to declare their campuses “peanut-free” to prevent emergencies.

2. Fish

Unlike other allergies which are observed from childhood until adulthood, fish allergy does not become apparent until adulthood. More than 40% of people who have fish allergy have noted that they did not have problems with eating fish when they were children. Fishes that usually trigger the allergic reaction are tuna, salmon, cod, carp and mackerel. Unfortunately, cooking does little to neutralize the allergens found in fish. So much for the sashimi and sushi lovers out there.

1. Shellfish

Shellfish allergy is almost only seen in adults. Same as with a fish allergy, cooking shellfish or snails does little to neutralize the allergens in them. Unfortunately for sufferers, this type of allergy is also one of the most dangerous, as shellfish allergy has sent more people to emergency rooms than any other food allergy and that is why it is first among most common food allergies in adults. It can also trigger anaphylaxis, which can be fatal if not managed correctly. Common crustaceans that can trigger the allergic reaction include crabs, lobsters, shrimp and squids.