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Article: Food allergies: when eating is risky. (includes related article)
- Article from:
- FDA Consumer
- Article date:
- December 1, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Do you start itching whenever you eat peanuts? Does seafood cause your stomach to chum? Symptoms like these cause millions of Americans to suspect they have a food allergy.
But true food allergies affect a relatively small percentage of people: Experts estimate that only 2 percent of adults, and from 2 to 8 percent of children, are truly allergic to certain foods. Food allergy is different from food intolerance, and the term is sometimes used in a vague, all-encompassing way, muddying the waters for people who want to understand what a real food allergy is.
"Many people who have a complaint, an illness, or some discomfort attribute it to something they ...