You along with 4% of all adults and 4-6% of children in the United States may have experienced a food allergy at some point where your body reacts negatively to a food item you consumed. Minor symptoms include hives, stomach cramps, coughing, dizziness, and headaches, while a severe allergic reaction causes fatal decreases in heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. Food allergies may be hereditary, but it is hard to determine if a child will be allergic to a specific food based on genetics, and sometimes children can develop an allergy to food they previously consumed regularly.
Peanut allergies are listed as one of the eight most common food allergies accounting for 90% of allergic reactions.
Image Source: Fertnig
One early life factor that influences how our bodies process foods is the development of our gut microbiota, which is a collection of microorganisms that work together with our digestive and immune systems to help the body break down food, protect against pathogens, and build a tolerance against harmless particles. Processes early in a baby’s life that alter gut microbiota include whether a child is delivered vaginally or cesarean (C-section), how developmentally mature the infant is at birth, and microbial richness of the environment in the weeks before and after birth. Inorganic, synthesized nanoparticles, which are small particles that are used to enhance pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food products, may also play a role in affecting the gut microbiota.
In the food industry specifically, nanoparticles are used to prevent food pests, to extend the shelf life of a food item, and packaging. The increasing use of nanoparticles in the food industry increases the risk of these inorganic nanoparticles affecting our digestive and immune systems when we consume these foods. A study published in the Frontiers journal explained that, when pregnant individuals consume ultra-processed foods containing nanoparticles, the particles can be transferred to babies through the placental barrier and breast milk. Using mice animal models in their experiments, the study found that nanoparticles may participate in disrupting normal intestinal absorption of certain foods that can affect the immune system, thus causing an immune response to a food product. Additionally, the metal nanoparticles may affect a pregnant individual’s gut microbiota directly, leading to a change in the child’s microbiota through the delivery process or consumption of breast milk. Because the digestive tract absorbs the components of the food we consume and the gut microbiota protects against pathogens, when their normal functions are disrupted, there is a possibility that tolerance to certain foods may be hindered, causing food allergies in children.
Although additional studies are necessary to elucidate the effects these particles have on fetal and neonatal development and understand the extent of exposure of the particles to infants, it is important to note the increasing knowledge we have about the interconnectedness of the digestive and immune systems. Thus, mothers should be aware that the foods they consume may affect developing fetuses and influence the development of specific food allergies in children.
Featured Image Source: Viktor Kochetkov
