Bubble boys (and girls)- Part 1

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The statistics are alarming. An 18% increase in food allergies in children in the last 10 years has meant 3 million kids in the US currently have to watch what they eat. Why such a dramatic increase? The jury seems to be out with a number of possible reasons, one being that children with ‘weak’ stomachs or ‘mystery’ rashes and symptoms are being properly diagnosed. It would seem that is a possibility but what is the root cause of this epidemic. Food allergies are pretty much unheard of in the developing world. This could be that the hygiene standards in these countries are not as sterile as they are here. This leads to higher levels of bacteria in food which strengthens the immune system, in addition the lack of antibiotics in food and less immunizations are a factor. This is the basis of the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ which indicates that we have basically sidestepped our immune system with our vaccinations and food standards. This leaves the antibodies in the body unemployed so they begin to attack the proteins in food which causes varying levels of reaction. The situation for some children is life or death. Food allergies cause over 150 deaths a year in the US which has led to tough preventitive measures including peanut free schools and the documentation of potential food allergens on all food products. The question is how do we reverse this?