If Alpha-Gal is in mamillian food products and we consume it our whole lives, how does a tick bite suddenly induce an allergic reaction to it?

Question

I recently learned about the Alpha Gal carbohydrate that is in every mammal except for humans and apes. Apparently, when a tick bites you, it can inject Alpha-Gal into you and suddenly you become allergic to it. I’ve eaten mammalian meat my entire life, so I know I’ve encountered Alpha-Gal carbohydrates for 35 years. How is it that encountering it in the context of a tick bite can cause an allergy, but eating it for decades does nothing?

In: 3

Answer 1

From what I understand, it is context. Your stomach knows what to do with Alpha-Gal but your bloodstream does not. So the blood calls in reinforcements (immune system) to get rid of it. The immune system then adds Alpha-Gal to the “intruder” category, which produces an allergy