Allergy is the scourge of our time and is a peculiar atypical reaction of the body to certain substances - allergens. They enter the body by breathing, with food, or at the time of contact with the skin. Anyone can suffer from allergies: both adults and children, both men and women.
An effective measure for the prevention of allergic reactions is adherence to a hypoallergenic diet.
This diet can also be prescribed to nursing mothers to improve the quality of breast milk.
General principles of a hypoallergenic diet.
The goal of a hypoallergenic diet is to eliminate foods that have highly allergenic properties from the diet.
It is known that if there is any disease of the gastrointestinal tract, then not all substances are digested and absorbed in the required way in the body, which is a direct path to allergies.
A hypoallergenic table is not just a medical measure, it helps to diagnose the foods to which a certain person has allergic reactions.
In terms of its composition, such a diet must be chemically gentle for the digestive system and physiologically complete for the body, that is, it must contain the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins. Also, limit your salt intake to 7 grams per day.
Chemical and energy composition of a hypoallergenic diet:
- proteins: 90 g, including animals;
- fats - 80 g with animals;
- carbohydrates - 400 g;
- energy value - 2800 kilocalories.
Basic nutritional rules for allergies
Diet
Preference is given to fractional meals, 5-6 times a day. First of all, such a regimen eliminates overeating, which increases the load on the digestive tract, increases the risk of inability to break down many nutrients into necessary ones, and, consequently, increases allergies.
Second, fractional nutrition helps allergy sufferers regain a healthy appetite, because for many it disappears for fear of allergic reactions.
Culinary processing
Food should preferably be served boiled or steamed. Frying, baking, and other types of cooking increase the allergen content of foods. When cooking chicken, fish and meat broths, you need to change the water three times.
Drink fluids
After eating, after 1-2 hours, you need to drink more liquid (about 2. 5-3 liters per day), which ensures the removal of allergens and toxins from the body.
Alcohol
It is clear that the intake of alcoholic beverages is not part of a hypoallergenic diet, as it is often prescribed for children and lactating women. But even in other cases, you should stop drinking alcohol, especially wines, port wine and beer, as they contain many allergens.
Alcoholic beverages themselves slow down digestion and absorption of food, and this is a direct way to aggravate allergies.
Temperature regime
The optimal food temperature should be 15 to 60 ° C (neither too hot nor too cold). Non-compliance with the temperature regime irritates the digestive tract and stimulates the nervous system, and any deviation from the norm gives a "green light" to activate allergies.
Duration of diet
It is recommended that adults follow a hypoallergenic diet for 2-3 weeks, and 7-10 days is enough for children. At the same time, the introduction of "dangerous" foods on the menu should not occur more than once every three days, each product is introduced one at a time, which makes it possible to identify the presence of an allergic reaction.
Keep a journal
Keeping a food diary will facilitate the task of both the doctor, who is to identify the allergen, and the patient, who can independently determine intolerance to a particular product.
Eat fresh or processed fruits and vegetables.
There are many vitamins in fruits and vegetables. Also, the high fiber content in foods helps eliminate allergens from the body.
Composition of dishes
When cooking, you should follow simple recipes with a minimum of products. Complex dishes make it difficult to identify the allergen.
Varied food
A monotonous diet contributes to the accumulation of an allergen in the body, so food must be new every day, from other products.
Allergic products
The main prohibited foods for a hypoallergenic diet are animal proteins (milk, meat, fish, poultry), it is necessary to limit their use or abandon them for some time. This is especially true for fatty meat and milk or products that contain milk.
You should also refrain from fried, salty and smoked foods, as they contain a large amount of salt, which increases the effect of allergens. Store-bought semi-finished products, pickles and smoked meats, cakes and other products are packed with preservatives and colorings that increase the manifestation of allergic reactions. Acidic and spicy foods should be avoided: they irritate the stomach, disrupt digestion, and aggravate allergies.
In addition, red vegetables and fruits are natural allergens, and mushrooms are difficult to digest, which slows down digestion and causes the absorption of allergic substances.
The list of prohibited foods includes:
- any caviar from fish, shellfish, fatty fish;
- milk, fatty cottage cheese, flavored yogurts;
- eggs, especially yolks;
- cheeses
- smoked meats, sausages;
- pickled and canned foods, especially those made in an industrial setting;
- spices (pepper, mustard, horseradish, vinegar), sauces, tomato sauce;
- vegetables of red and orange tones (tomatoes, beets, carrots, red peppers, radishes);
- fruits of the same colors (raspberries, strawberries, red apples, melon, persimmon, pomegranates);
- citrus;
- dried fruits (dried apricots, raisins, dates);
- mushrooms;
- caramel, chocolate, jam;
- coffee, cocoa, carbonated sweet drinks;
- honey, walnuts;
- Sauerkraut;
- celery, sorrel.
Allowed Products
The list of allowed products includes those that are practically free of allergens, do not disturb digestion and do not contribute to increased absorption of allergic substances.
To combat allergies, it is important to increase the fiber content and foods high in starch in the diet, which are digested in a neutral environment and do not irritate the stomach.
Since a hypoallergenic diet is aimed at preserving the digestive system, it is necessary to boil or steam all the ingredients, this promotes the absorption of nutrients and does not overload the work of the gastrointestinal tract:
- fermented dairy products (fermented baked milk, kefir, yogurt without fruit and with a limited shelf life, low-fat cottage cheese);
- lean beef, pork, chicken;
- low-fat fish (cod, sea bass, pollock);
- offal (liver, tongue, kidneys);
- rice breads, buckwheat, corn;
- vegetables (white cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, lettuce, dill, spinach, parsnip, parsley, zucchini, turnips);
- oatmeal, rice, barley and semolina porridge;
- vegetable oils, butter;
- green fruits (apples, white currants, currants, white cherries, pears);
- dried fruits (dried apples, prunes);
- compotes and fruit drinks of apples and pears, weakly brewed tea, rosehip tea;
- still mineral water;
- dry crackers, raw bread.
The need to follow a diet for allergies.
First of all, a hypoallergenic diet is designed to reduce the intake of substances in the body for which hypersensitivity (sensitization) is observed. Second, it allows you to identify allergens and limit their long-term entry into the digestive tract.
In addition, the hypoallergenic table practically eliminates the manifestations of allergies, reducing the need for the use of drugs.
A balanced, rational and healthy diet normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract, increases the general tone, saturates the body with vitamins and removes not only allergens, but also harmful decay products.
Consequences of not following the diet
The allergy is dangerous because of its clinical manifestations. And if allergic rhinitis and hives are the most harmless types of allergies, complications as serious as anaphylactic shock threaten the person with death.