Help your children avoid suffering from food allergy

Added 16.11.2009

Forty percent of children suffer from allergies

According to Allergy UK, 40% of children suffer from allergies. A food allergy occurs when a specific food mistakenly triggers the immune system to produce an antibody (IgE). Next time the offending food is ingested, or even just smelt or touched, the antibody attacks it. This reaction causes the typical symptoms of food allergy, which include: tingling of the lips and tongue; sensation of swollen tongue and mouth; itching; abdominal pain; nausea; vomiting; and rash. In rare cases, a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis may occur. Food allergy usually develops minutes after contact with the food allergen. The National Health Service (NHS) estimates that about 8% of children have food allergies.

Scientific study results

A recent scientific study says children who take multivitamins early on can reduce their risk of food allergy and allergic disease in later years by 39%. However, the study found this protection is only effective if children start taking multivitamins during the first years of life, before the age of four.

The study supports what we have been emphasising for years: for the best protection against illness, multivitamins and minerals should be taken at an early age and continued throughout life.

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Dr. Bo Nielsen's comments:

After having been the main speaker at a recent medical course held in London, I was horrified to learn that many general practitioners in the UK discourage both pregnant women and children from taking natural vitamin and mineral supplements. Several studies prove that not only can you reduce the risk of pregnancy complications, but also strengthen bones and teeth, enhance IQ, strengthen the immune system and even help prevent your unborn child from developing diseases like asthma. A recent survey shows that 96% of all pregnant women in the UK are deficient in basic nutrients, such as certain vitamins and minerals. Other studies including this one, prove that taking quality supplements in early childhood will help reduce the risk of developing many diseases in the future. I consider colleagues who discourage their patients from taking basic supplements to be acting irresponsibly and even unethically.

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