Allergy to sweets

Allergy vs Intolerance: What’s the difference?

People often confuse an allergic reaction to a sweet product with an enzymatic deficiency. For example, abdominal pain, flatulence, and other symptoms of indigestion are noted after eating sweets. Such manifestations can be a true allergy to a sweet product and an enzymatic deficiency.

Food intolerance often accompanies stomach, pancreas, liver, and biliary tract diseases. The digestibility and absorption of fats worsen, and the pancreas may be involved in the pathological process. As a result, there is a failure in the production of pancreatic enzymes:

• amylase,
• lipases,
• lactase,
• sucrose.

Enzymatic deficiency can be partial or absolute; when a certain enzyme is not produced enough for the full breakdown of the nutrient or the enzyme is not produced, such intolerance affects the work of the whole organism and causes inconvenience to a person. So, children with an absolute enzymatic deficiency may lag in growth and development.

Disorders of the intestinal microbiota and helminths also affect food intolerance and may be associated with allergies.

Food allergy

This is a type of allergy to food products, often paired with food intolerance. Food allergies are dangerous because various pathologies can be hidden under them. Like any hypersensitivity reaction, a food allergy can manifest itself not only in the form of skin rashes or abdominal pain but also in such serious conditions as urticaria, a drop in blood pressure, laryngeal edema, and anaphylactic shock.

The most common symptoms of a food allergy are:

• diarrhea,
• feces with blood
• vomit,
• general weakness,
• hives,
• atopy,
• itching and slight swelling of the mouth.

Many people are sure that they have a food allergy, but this diagnosis is not confirmed after a thorough diagnosis.

Can you be allergic to sugar?

Sugar: an allergen or not? It is safe to say that there can be no allergies to salt and sugar. Why? The fact is that an allergy is a reaction of the body to a foreign protein, an antigen that enters the body. And sugar is a pure carbohydrate without impurities of proteins and other substances that the human immune system could react to. What then causes the reaction? Substances, mainly proteins, that have been transformed by the fermentation of glucose (sugar) are the ones that cause an allergic reaction.

Therefore, hypersensitivity to sweets is not an allergy to sugar but a food allergy that cannot provoke diabetes. If you start the correction in time, it is easy to eliminate or bring it into remission.

Sugars are found in our usual fruits, pastries, and vegetables.

Top 8 products – provocateurs of allergies to sweets:

1. Candies.
2. Chocolate.
3. Cakes.
4. Lollipops.
5. Juices and nectars.
6. Beverages.
7. Zephyr.
8. Marmalade.

These sweets contain a large amount of sugar and active, highly allergenic additives – dyes, flavors, and preservatives. There may be other allergens:

• honey,
• nuts,
• cocoa,
• dairy,
• eggs,
• citrus.

It is very important to read the product label and try to choose those where the composition includes a minimum amount of ingredients, that is, more natural. It is much healthier if the dessert is tinted with curcumin or paprika than a chemical dye, especially sweets for children.

Allergy to sweets in children

In young children (up to 3 years old), exudative (effusion) or allergic diathesis in the form of a rash and other skin manifestations is often recorded. Foods, including sugar-containing ones, can trigger it. An allergy to sweets in a child occurs for several reasons:

• physiological insufficiency of the digestive system;
• weakness of the immune system;
• genetic factor;
• violation of the intestinal microflora.

Infants may have an allergic reaction to formula milk or the introduction of the first complementary foods. Most older children have a sweet tooth: they like to eat sweets in large quantities. The result is an allergic reaction in the body. But children have a chance to “outgrow” this problem, mostly in adolescence, as an allergy to sweets goes away. But for some, it remains for life, and the situation can worsen for older people.

To avoid allergies to sweets or reduce their manifestations, parents need to follow these rules:

• keep a diary of the baby’s nutrition, notice which product the reaction is noted too, and exclude it from the diet;
• reduce the number of sweets and desserts with artificial additives in the diet;
• strengthen the child’s immunity by observing the daily routine and hardening;
• carry out detoxification of the child’s body with natural supporting agents;
• inculcate a culture of nutrition.

It is not recommended to introduce sugar and sweets into the diet of a child under three years old, except natural sugars that are part of fruits and some bee products (to maintain immunity):

• honey,
• propolis,
• pollen,
• Perga,
• mother’s milk.

It is obligatory to carry out a tolerance test before consuming bee products: in the forearm area, a small amount of the product should be applied to the skin, and the result should be evaluated after 15–20 minutes. If redness, itching, or rashes occur, in this case, the use of bee products is not recommended.

How do you know if a child is allergic to sweets? First, contact a pediatrician, allergist, nutritionist, or immunologist. The expert will give nutritional advice after he determines exactly what is causing the reaction in the child. To do this, you may need to pass a diagnostic minimum:

• history and examination;
• general and biochemical blood tests;
• allergy tests for children older than three years;
• serodiagnosis (allergopanel).

After identifying the exact allergen, it must be eliminated from the diet; then, the symptoms will not reappear.

What does a sweet allergy look like?

Allergy to sweets can be expressed in different ways; the degree of manifestation depends on age, the amount of the allergen in the blood, and the state of the immune system. The most common symptoms are:

1. Skin itching.
2. Rash on the face and various parts of the body.
3. Hives.
4. Rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal mucosa).
5. Inflammation of the oral mucosa.
6. Headache.
7. Abdominal pain, flatulence, stool disorder.

In rare cases, severe hypersensitivity reactions may occur that require emergency care and hospitalization:

• angioedema;
• anaphylactic shock.

An allergic reaction can occur quickly when symptoms begin within 1.5-3 hours and can be slow when the body’s response occurs 2-4 days after eating a sweet product.

How does an allergy to sweets manifest in children?

Symptoms are characteristic: it begins with abdominal pain and bloating, then skin manifestations occur (itching, rash on the face and body). During this period, the child is irritable, his skin itches in the places of rashes, he does not sleep well, and the perception of information worsens.

Allergy to sweets – what to do

First, it is necessary to exclude foods from the diet that can cause hypersensitivity in the body. With severe clinical manifestations of allergy, hyposensitization therapy with antihistamines may be prescribed. It is important to follow a diet to maintain a stable condition and prevent a recurrence. In addition, to maintain and improve health, it is recommended:

• intake of enterosorbents (chitosan, white coal, fiber);
• improvement of the intestinal microbiota (inulin, psyllium husk fiber, Lacto- and bifidobacteria);
• correction of vitamin and microelement deficiency (vitamin D, B6, B12, magnesium and other trace elements);
• normalization of the outflow of bile (tubage with mineral water, artichoke, lemon, lecithin, and rosehip broth);
• Stress management, sleep improvement (valerian, peony, chamomile tea);
• general strengthening supplements and herbs (complexes of vitamins, bee products, omega-3, lecithin, raspberry leaves, sea buckthorn, birch, rosehip, thyme);
• detox (weakly alkaline water, hepatoprotectors – artichoke, turmeric, milk thistle);
• Aromatherapy (tea tree, fir, eucalyptus, mint).

It is recommended to follow the dosages prescribed by the pediatric nutritionist. If all the recommendations are followed, a long-term remission may occur, or the allergy will disappear altogether.

Nutrition for “sweet” allergies

Up to 98% of the successful fight against allergies is the right nutrition. Products on the shelves in stores can cause frequent allergic reactions in adults and children.

Top 7 products that people with a sweet allergy should not buy:

1. Sweets with chemical additives (colors, flavors) and trans fats (hydrogenated oil, trans fatty acids).
2. Carbonated drinks.
3. Canned food.
4. Spicy foods.
5. Sausages and smoked products.
6. Gluten-containing cereals.
7. Chips and other junk food.

The nutrition of a person with signs of a sweet allergy should contain enough nutrients, vitamins, and minerals; it should be complete and tasty so that the quality of life does not suffer.

Top 15 foods recommended by nutritionists for people with allergies:

1. The meat is beef and turkey.
2. Zucchini.
3. Melted butter.
4. Broccoli.
5. Cauliflower.
6. Brussels sprouts.
7. Greens (dill and parsley).
8. Vegetable soups.
9. Bone broth.
10. Unrefined raw-pressed vegetable oils.
11. Green apples and fresh berries.
12. Legumes.
13. Coconut and products with it.
14. Nuts (with tolerance and no allergy to them).
15. Egg yolk.

By combining these products, you can get a variety of tasty and healthy dishes. Gradually, other products can be introduced with the improvement of the condition and the disappearance of the clinical manifestations of allergies. If you revise the diet promptly, strengthen the immune system, rid the body of toxins and restore the intestinal microflora, you can defeat the allergy to sweets and live a full life.

Four simple rules of nutrition, thanks to which the intestinal microbiota will be optimal in composition and quantity:

1. Minimize snacking and increase the intervals between meals so the intestinal microflora “gain strength.”
2. Include vegetables in your diet high in inulin, dietary fiber, and fiber (the prebiotic factor is food for beneficial bacteria).
3. Supplement your diet with polyphenols found in berries, vegetables, nuts, and seeds (you need to soak them overnight to reduce phytic acid); raw pressed oils for complete energy support of microflora.
4. Do not overuse antibiotics, as they kill not only bad microorganisms but also good ones.

Prevention of allergies to sweets

The main goal of prevention is to stop the recurrence of the disease, that is, to manage them without using drugs. Ways to achieve this goal:

1. Changing the diet with the formation of eating habits, elimination diet, and adherence to the daily routine.
2. Detox pumping to unload the immune system.
3. Stimulation of bile flow.
4. Feeding the gut microbiome.
5. Correction of deficiency of vitamins and microelements.
6. Proper skin care.
7. The use of protective equipment and special equipment in the house where a person with allergies lives.

Changes in lifestyle and nutrition, disruption of contact with nature, urban living conditions, and the use of chemicals in agriculture lead to a high content of harmful substances in food. This, in turn, increases the risk of allergic reactions. That’s why it’s so important to eat HEALTHY, manage hydration and stress levels, and support detox function and a healthy gut microbiome. This will help keep your body healthy.