Food allergies have doubled in last 10 years

One in 25 Americans has a food allergy, and for children younger than 3, the ratio is 1 in 17. "All types of allergies are increasing," said Anne Munoz-Furlong, the founder and CEO of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. "We're better at diagnosing food allergies." Symptoms, whether mild or severe, occur quickly, within a few minutes to two hours of eating. In the most severe cases, they progress to anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal condition in which the allergic reaction overtakes the entire body.

Allergists say any food can cause an allergic reaction, but 90 percent of the time it's one of the "big eight" foods - milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, pistachios, walnuts), shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster) and fish (tuna, salmon, catfish).Some health professionals think that food allergies are increasing because we're all exposed to more of the "big eight" allergens through processed foods.

Bonnie - bingo! The last comment hit it on the head. Milk, wheat, soy, and corn (which is still not considered an allergen) are in everything Americans eat. Keep in mind these statistics do not take into account food intolerances, which are different than food allergies.