Soy allergies
Upon hearing the term “soy allergy”, one might presume this isn’t such a fierce allergy. To prevent this allergy from triggering you might think it’s enough to stay away from soy, or soy products in general. But what you don’t actually know is more foods than you might think contain soy.
Soy is found in foods such as: grits, flour, some dried or even green beans, curd tofu cheese, soy milk, vegetable oils, soy sauces. And it doesn’t end here; soy isn’t always easy to find on the food’s list of ingredients. Sometimes it’s hidden, being listed as an additive that’s used for flavoring, or maybe a protein that’s added as a meat substitute.
Some products made of soy will cause one person an allergic reaction, and simply nothing to another person. Some products made of fermented soy are safe from causing any allergic reactions to anyone. Despite some people being allergic to soy, they will only experience a reaction when consuming a product made from whole soy beans.
With soy sometimes being hidden from the list of ingredients, it can be reasonably hard for someone to pinpoint if he or she is allergic to the particular product before consuming it. Thus, it is helpful to know what the symptoms that may occur in case you’re allergic are.
Soy allergies are quite different than other more common allergies. You won’t begin itching all of a sudden or having hives like you would when ingesting other allergic products. An allergy to soy starts to develop in your immune system. Once soy is ingested, the immune system will mistake soy for something that’s likely to harm the body. Next time it’s ingested, the immune system is going to attack to protect itself. This is done by ordering the creation of antibodies. The antibodies are going to be producing many chemicals, among which histamines. This is when the body will start experiencing signs of an allergic reaction. This can happen in a number of ways.
A response to ingesting soy can pop up in the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, skin, or even in the cardiovascular system.
The following symptoms can develop: asthma, acne, fever, dermatitis, vomiting, itching, diarrhea – these are just a few! In fact, these reactions could get worse every time an allergic product is ingested.
The reason ? The immune system will produce more and more antibodies each time soy enters the body.
Also, there is always the problem of other products being cross reactive. Simply put, if you are allergic to soy, you’re also likely to have an allergy to: peanuts, chick peas, green peas, lima beans, wheat, string beans, barley, rye, along with any other products containing these substances.
If you think you might be allergic to soy, best way of checking is staying away from any soy products for a couple of days, giving time for any soy products to leave your body. After this, ingest a small amount of the product in question and check to see if any symptoms return.
Tags: protein, soy, Soy allergies