Why do food allergies exist?
In: Biology
Food allergies is casued by part of the immune system mistaking some food for a foreign bacteria or parasite. We have developed a very sensitive immune system that is flexible enough that it can learn about and respond to completely new diseases. This means that as germs evolve our immune system can learn the new germs. But sometimes they do get this wrong. And while it is easy for your immune system to learn that something is bad it is very hard for it to unlearn this fact.
Hypersensitivity. The body has what is called an ‘immune response,’ which means it protects itself by attacking an invader. When someone is allergic, their body attacks something that isn’t usually considered bad. It’s like having a guard dog that attacks friendly people. There’s no good purpose for an allergy.
All allergic reactions are basically just the immune system responding to a perceived threat.
Sometimes though, the immune system thinks something is a threat when it actually isn’t. It”s just a defect. So people with food allergies or allergies to anything somewhat benign will experience their immune system completely overreacting to whatever the substance is, sometimes to the point of danger.
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