Allergy is understood as a disease of the immune system, which is expressed in the body's increased sensitivity to certain substances (allergens). Their role can be played by both food and non-food substances. The most common allergy is to citrus fruits and pollen, and quite rare to meat.
Is there a meat allergy
Allergy to meat is not a new phenomenon, but it is quite rare. This is due to the fact that heat treatment of this product can reduce its ability to provoke allergic manifestations. That is why raw foodists and connoisseurs, for example, dishes called "Tartar" (raw minced meat with egg and spices), are especially susceptible to such allergies.
As a rule, a reaction occurs only when eating a certain type of meat. Allergies to horse meat, pork, and chicken are much more common. The safest in this regard are lamb, beef, turkey, rabbit. The degree of allergenicity depends on the amount of protein in the meat of different types of animals.
Features of chicken allergy
Allergy to chicken meat is quite specific. It is distinguished by the unpredictability of consequences. She is characterized by the usual symptoms of food poisoning or intolerance, which, as a rule, disappear when the bird is excluded from the diet. However, sometimes allergic manifestations after taking chicken meat can be very serious - up to anaphylactic shock.
The main allergens in meat are protein (serum albumin) and gammaglobulin. With acute sensitivity to these substances, there may be a disruption in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, diarrhea, vomiting, indigestion. However, the primary signs of chicken allergy are rashes, watery eyes, skin redness, and fever. Itching on different areas of the body, allergic rhinitis and attacks of suffocation may also appear.
The cause of sudden attacks of anaphylaxis after eating chicken dishes is the alpha-galactose contained in meat - American scientists came to this conclusion based on their experiments. This substance is produced in all mammals, but only humans have antibodies to it. When alpha-galactose interacts with antibodies, severe allergies occur. In this case, this reaction can appear unexpectedly, that is, not immediately after eating chicken meat, but after a few hours or even days.
In addition, the allergy can be caused by antibiotics, which are stuffed with chicken meat. They are used in poultry farms to accelerate the growth of chickens and prevent infections. Typically, poultry breast contains the most antibiotics and the thighs the least.
How to recognize a chicken allergy
To find out if your body is prone to allergy to chicken meat, you need to contact an allergist and donate blood from a vein for specific IgE (immunoglobulins). Upon receiving a positive result, the doctor will give recommendations for treatment. In each case, the therapy regimen is individual. It all depends on the severity of the symptoms, the characteristics of the body and age.
