Food Sensitivities & Allergies Flashcards

Cross-contamination is a critical concern for food allergy patients because allergic reactions can be triggered by:

Answer: Trace amounts measured in parts per million

Highly sensitized individuals can react to microgram quantities of allergen, making shared cooking surfaces and manufacturing lines dangerous.

Zinc deficiency impairs food sensitivity outcomes primarily by:

Answer: Reducing stomach acid and digestive enzyme production

Zinc is essential for gastric parietal cell function and enzyme synthesis; deficiency reduces digestive capacity, allowing more intact food proteins to become antigenic.

A client sensitive to both latex and bananas is experiencing OAS. This is an example of:

Answer: Latex-fruit syndrome

Latex-fruit syndrome involves cross-reactivity between latex proteins and structurally similar proteins in foods like bananas, avocados, and kiwis.

Which dietary fat supports the resolution of inflammatory food reactions by serving as a precursor to anti-inflammatory eicosanoids?

Answer: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

EPA competes with arachidonic acid and is converted to series-3 prostaglandins and series-5 leukotrienes, which are less inflammatory than AA-derived eicosanoids.

The 'atopic march' refers to the typical progression from:

Answer: Eczema → food allergy → asthma → allergic rhinitis

The atopic march commonly begins with eczema in infancy, followed by food allergies, then asthma, and later allergic rhinitis as the immune system matures.

L-glutamine is recommended to support gut healing in food sensitivity protocols because it:

Answer: Serves as the primary fuel source for enterocytes

Enterocytes preferentially use glutamine as their energy substrate, making it essential for maintaining intestinal cell turnover and barrier repair.

When reintroducing foods after an elimination diet, the recommended protocol is to:

Answer: Reintroduce one food every 3 days and monitor symptoms

Introducing one food at a time with a 3-day window allows delayed IgG reactions to manifest and clearly identifies specific triggers.