If you, or someone in your family struggles with food allergies, we feel your pain. It’s a constant struggle to eat anywhere outside of your home. For some people, food allergies can even lead to isolation and withdrawal from friends and family. After all, what do most people do when they get together? Eat!

But, even worse than that, studies show that food allergies can deplete sufferers of the essential vitamins and nutrients they need on a daily basis. During Food Allergy Action Month, which takes place all May long, we’re looking at ways to use supplements to help make your diet whole again.

What are Food Allergies?

You are considered to have a food allergy, when a certain food group triggers a negative immune response when consumed. When the food comes in, your system recognizes it as harmful and goes into protective mode to warn you, and try to rid the body of the offending allergy. Here are some of the symptoms you might notice during an allergic reaction:

●      Vomiting/Diarrhea

●      Swelling of the Face, Mouth or Tongue

●      Difficulty Breathing

●      Hives/Itchy Rash

In severe cases, food allergies can bring on a sudden reaction, called anaphylaxis, with symptoms that can be fatal.

Common Food Allergies

There are essentially eight common food allergies. Each poses unique problems for the sufferer and can cause them to cut out entire food groups to avoid them, leading to a vitamin imbalance and poor nutrition. Many people suffer from more than one food allergy, which makes supplementation even more important.

Here’s a list of the most common food allergies and the nutrients you lose when you no longer eat them:

1. Milk – Calcium, Riboflavin, Phosphorus,Vitamins A, D, B12 
2. Eggs – Iron, Biotin, Folacin, Riboflavin, Vitamins A, D, E, B12 
3. Peanuts – Niacin, Folate, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Choline, Vitamins B6, E, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc, Iron
4. Tree Nuts – B Vitamins, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Potassium, Magnesium 
5. Shellfish – Niacin, Vitamins B6, B12, A, E 
6. Other Fish – Niacin, Vitamins B6, B12, A, E 
7. Wheat – Iron, B Vitamins 
8. Soy – Thiamin, Zinc, Riboflavin, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6 

Hypoallergenic Supplements

It’s important to add back the vitamins and minerals you’re losing in your diet due to food allergies. Almost everything you need can be found in supplement form, such as by the hypoallergenic brand Pure Encapsulations, and in other foods that you’re not allergic to. Do your research and take notice of the specific nutrients that you are missing out on. Sometimes, a simple multivitamin can give you what you’re missing.

You can also take additional supplements for each of the nutrients listed above. If you aren’t sure if you need more of a specific nutrient, have your doctor test you to see what’s missing from your diet.

Stop letting food allergies run your life! Good luck!

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Photo by Elliot Banks on Unsplash