BBC ONLINE: Have hay fever? Look out for allergies to these foods

Press/Media: Expert comment

Period25 Apr 2022

Media contributions

1

Media contributions

  • TitleHave hay fever? Look out for allergies to these foods
    Media name/outletBBC.co.uk
    Media typeWeb
    Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
    Date25/04/22
    DescriptionWhen someone has hay fever, their body is having an IgE-mediated allergy. “IgE is an antibody that normally we produce, to fight parasitic infections like malaria. And for some reasons, people can develop them to things like pollen and get hay fever,” explains Manchester University’s Professor Clare Mills.

    The problem is, some foods have proteins which are very similar to those in pollen, and when some people with hay fever consume them – especially when they’re raw – their bodies effectively think they’re ingesting pollen. Amena Warner is head of clinical services at the charity, AllergyUK and explains: “The fault is with the immune system which defends itself by having an allergic reaction."
    URLhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/pollen_food_syndrome
    PersonsElizabeth Clare Mills
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Keywords

  • allergies
  • hayfever
  • food