Causes of Food Allergies
Food allergies occur when a person's antibodies, which are organisms that usually protect the body from infection, mistakenly identify a food as a dangerous substance. That is, they identify it as an enemy. They then cause the body to reject the food in the same way that it does other invasive substances, like pollen.
Certain food allergies are particularly dangerous. For example, tree nuts and peanuts can trigger anaphylaxis in those allergic to them, causing suffers to suffocate due to swollen tissue and low blood pressure. Shellfish allergies can have a similar effect.
Once the antibodies have mistaken a particular food as dangerous, they cause the body to release a specialised type of immune system cell called mast cells. The mast cells then release chemicals into the bloodstream. One of these chemicals, known as histamine, causes the body to experience various allergic reactions.
