Fewer Than 1 In 25 Americans Have A Food Allergy

A new study has found that fewer people in the United States have food allergies than previously thought. The research was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and it was compiled by using the electronic health records of 2.7 million adults and children from the Boston area who received health care between 2000 and 2013. Out of that total, 97,482 patients, 3.6 percent of the total, were found to have food allergies and intolerances, That's substiantially fewer than in many previous cases; one study estimated 5 percent of American adult and 8 percent of children are affected by the issue.

Women (4.2 percent) are more prone to food allergies than men (2.9 percent) and out of all ethnic groups, Asians are most susceptible. The patients in the study who suffered from food allergies and intolerances also suffered from a range of different symptoms. Hives/urticaria were the most common bad reaction to food (28.5 percent), followed by Anaphylaxis (15.9 percent) and gastrointestinal irritation (11.5 percent).