Allergy Awareness Week

Allergy Awareness Week

The main purpose of this week is to make the population aware of the many allergies and intolerances affecting some people and to promote health and well-being for those who suffer from them.

Allergies are a growing health concern in the UK thought to affect around 21 million people. They are life changing and in serious cases can be fatal or lead to long term health conditions.

Food allergy is caused when the body mistakenly makes an antibody to “fight off” a specific food. When the food is next eaten (or sometimes just in contact with the skin) it triggers an immune response which results in the release of histamine and other substances in the body causing various unpleasant symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, rashes, wheezing or itching. On rare occasions it can cause a more severe reaction called anaphylaxis.

Food allergy is quite rare and normally causes symptoms within a few minutes of eating the foodstuff. Food intolerances are more common and onset of symptoms is normally and may last longer. The symptoms tend to be of a variable nature and include fatigue, irritable bowel, bloating, joint pains and rashes.

Some chronic conditions such as eczema, migraine, arthritis, irritable bowel and chronic fatigue are sometimes linked to allergies and intolerances and may benefit from a “free from diet”.

It is worth gathering as much information as you can about your problem and identifying exactly which foodstuffs can exacerbate your condition. A common misconception, for example is that people with a wheat intolerance or allergy can use gluten free products initially designed for those with Coeliac Disease, a lifelong intolerance to Gluten but these products often contain other parts of the wheat and can cause problems. Make sure you study the labels carefully as more effort is now made to ensure all the information about the product is readily available.

Shopping for yourself or others can be difficult and time consuming so do take time to look at the range of goods available on our website or in our shop in central Brighton.

We sell a wide variety of Gluten Free foods including:

• Baking mixtures.
• Biscuits, Cookies and Cakes.
• Bread.
• Cereal.
• Snacks.
• Sweets & Chocolate.
• Pasta & Rice.