What Are Nut and Peanut Allergies?
The most common allergy-causing foods are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). About 1.5 million people in the United States are allergic to peanuts (which are not a true nut, but a legume – in the same family as peas and lentils). Half of those allergic to peanuts are also allergic to tree nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, and often sunflower and sesame seeds. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology estimates that up to 2 million, or 8%, of children in the United States are affected by food allergies, and that six foods account for 90% of those food allergy reactions in kids: milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, and tree nuts. Food allergies occur when a person’s immune system mistakenly believes that something he or she ate is harmful to the body. In an attempt to protect the body, the immune system produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Those antibodies th
