Food Allergy Type I

Food Allergy Type I
Food Allergy can be defined an adverse reaction to a food or food component (often a protein) involving reactions of the body’s immune system (immunological reactions). The term “food allergy” should only be used to identify true, immunological based food allergies – those which affect the body’s immune system. Examples would be allergy reactions to common foods such as cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, and many others. It is preferred over the alternative term “food hypersensitivity,” which has been used to describe this type of reactions, as well as other types.

Allergic response may be organized into four categories noted as Types I – IV

Type I Allergies
This type of allergies is also known as food anaphylaxis. The Greek word anaphylaxis and refers to allergic reactions to foreign protein molecules. This may be the best understood area, scientifically speaking. Immediate hypersensitivity type allergic reactions appear to fall entirely within the category. Type I reactions usually occur within a few minutes to several hours after consumption of the offending food. The observed symptoms of type I hypersensitivity result from the release of pharmacologically active substances such as histamine. This occurs from specific cells in the body known as mast cells, as a consequence of interaction between Immunoglobulin E (IgE) and food substances which cause allergic reactions (allergens).

IgE is one of five antibody immune systems which work in the human body to resist disease, functioning as specific antibodies. Mast cells are present in many tissues and generate histamine, the substance associated with allergy symptoms, although the cells specific physiological function is not fully known.

Exercise-induced food anaphylaxis is a subset of food anaphylaxis that involves reactions that occur only when the specific food is ingested just before or just after exercise. On the other hand, many cases of exercise induced anaphylaxis are not related to foods.
Food Allergy Type I