Latest news with #foodallergies
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
People are divided over plane passenger's life-saving nuts request
Dan Kelly has to be cautious when he's flying because of his severe nut allergy. In a video, posted to his TikTok account @_maycontain, Dan can be seen onboard an easyJet flight, asking the cabin crew whether it's okay to make an announcement to the whole plane to warn them the flight should be nut-free for his safety. In the clip, the flight attendant can be seen asking Dan whether he has an EpiPen - which he confirms he does - and where he's sitting. Dan captioned the video: 'I love it when flight attendants understand straight away. 'Surely people can go without nuts for a few hours if it could save someone's life! 'Honestly, I don't understand why some people still don't take food allergies seriously. 'If it were you or your child living with a life-threatening allergy, you'd hope others would show a bit more empathy and recognize just how serious it really is!' But, while most people were very sympathetic towards Dan, he revealed the video 'caused quite a stir' and he received some very negative comments from 'a few small-minded people who seem to have nothing better to do than try to provoke a reaction'. One of the comments was: 'I would make all people with allergies sit in a toilet the whole flight. So annoying as I love peanuts with my Gin and tonic.' Another added: 'One person shouldn't dictate what a plane load of people can and cannot eat.' A third passenger agreed: 'I'd be the first to open up a packet of peanut m&ms. Just because I can!' And another troll wrote: 'I always eat Snickers on planes. Nobody tells me not to eat.' But Dan took these negative comments in his stride and said: 'I think it really highlights just how much misunderstanding still exists around allergies even if it's just a small group of people, the lack of seriousness in society is still very real.'
Medscape
7 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Food Allergies Alter Nutrient Intake in Adults
TOPLINE: Adults with milk or egg allergies and those with a combination of milk/egg and peanut or tree nut allergies had significantly lower intake of cholesterol, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and medium-chain (MC) FAs than the general population. The mixed allergy group also consumed more fiber, genistein, and daidzein. METHODOLOGY: Researchers compared intakes of nutrients and food compounds between Dutch adults aged 19 years or older with confirmed food allergies (n = 73; 70% women) and matched control individuals of the same age range (n = 415; 64% women). Adults with allergies were categorized as those with milk/egg allergy (n = 16), peanut/tree nut allergy (n = 35), and combined milk/egg and peanut/tree nut allergies, also referred to as mixed allergy (n = 22). Dietary intake was assessed using structured 24-hour recalls on 2 nonconsecutive days (1 weekday and 1 weekend day). TAKEAWAY: Intakes of beta-lactose, butyric acid, caproic acid, capric acid, caprylic acid, lauric acid, myristoleic acid, conjugated linoleic acid, and unspecified saturated fatty acids were significantly lower in the milk/egg and mixed allergy groups than the general population, with 1.6-3.2 and 1.3-2.9 lower mean defined intake levels, respectively. The combined allergy group had 1.7-1.8 times higher consumption of several bell pepper compounds (primarily capsianosides and capsaicinoids) than the general population. The milk/egg allergy group had 4.6-4.7 times higher intakes of soy polyphenols (daidzein and genistein) than the general population. The intake of food compounds was not significantly different between the peanut/tree nut allergy group and general population. IN PRACTICE: 'Notably, milk/egg and mixed allergic individuals showed a significantly lower intake of SCFA and MCFA that are presumed to play a beneficial role in the human body, including intestinal health. The low intake of these fatty acids may therefore potentially negatively affect their health,' the authors wrote. 'On the other hand, lower cholesterol and higher total fiber, genistein, and daidzein intakes in the mixed allergic group might provide a health benefit over the general population.' SOURCE: Marie Y. Meima, with University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands, was the corresponding author of the study, which was published online on July 11 in Nutrients. LIMITATIONS: The study was potentially limited by the small sample size of the allergy groups, absence of data on supplement use, and coverage of only 489 food compounds, which represents just a fraction of the tens of thousands of compounds present in the diet. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Dutch Governmental TNO Research Cooperation Funds. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Plane passenger's life-saving allergy request sparks outrage as he's labelled 'selfish'
As someone with a severe nut allergy, Dan Kelly always has to be cautious when he's flying. In a video, posted to his TikTok account @_maycontain, Dan can be seen onboard an easyJet flight, asking the cabin crew whether it's okay to make an announcement to the whole plane to warn them the flight should be nut-free for his safety. In the clip, the flight attendant can be seen asking Dan whether he has an EpiPen - which he confirms he does - and where he's sat. Dan captioned the video: 'I love it when flight attendants understand straight away. 'Surely people can go without nuts for a few hours if it could save someone's life! 'Honestly, I don't understand why some people still don't take food allergies seriously. 'If it were you or your child living with a life-threatening allergy, you'd hope others would show a bit more empathy and recognise just how serious it really is!' But, while most people were very sympathetic towards Dan, he revealed the video 'caused quite a stir' and he received some very negative comments from 'a few small-minded people who seem to have nothing better to do than try to provoke a reaction'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by May Contain | Allergy Blog and Podcast 🎙️ (@_maycontain) One of the cruel comments was: 'I would make all people with allergies sit in a toilet the whole flight. So annoying as I love peanuts with my Gin and tonic.' Another added: 'One person shouldn't dictate what a plane load of people can and cannot eat.' A third nutty passenger agreed: 'I'd be the first to open up a packet of peanut m&ms. Just because I can!' And another troll wrote: 'I always eat Snickers on planes. Nobody tells me not to eat.' But Dan took these negative comments in his stride and said: 'I think it really highlights just how much misunderstanding still exists around allergies even if it's just a small group of people, the lack of seriousness in society is still very real.'
The Independent
12-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
I don't just have ‘normal' worries about my child starting school – I'm scared she could die
In just eight weeks time, my youngest child will be starting in reception at primary school. But what should be a landmark moment for our family – two children in school, what a relief! – is actually a threshold marked by deep anxiety. Because although she is raring to run into her new classroom, my four-year-old has severe food allergies. She carries EpiPens for both egg and peanut – and making sure she is safe while not in my care is a huge practical and emotional undertaking. In theory, it should be easier, this time. Her older sister, about to enter Year 4, also carries EpiPens for egg and cow's milk allergies. The school has been incredible in supporting her to start to live independently of her parents, to manage her condition safely and with confidence. She's had school dinners every day for the last four years and there's never been a slip-up. So why all the worry about her little sister following her lead? In the years since she's been at school, two things have happened. First, I have realised just how easy it is for a mistake to happen. One day, a couple of years ago, my eldest girl returned with a blotchy face and neck and itching from head to toe. I asked her if she'd eaten anything she shouldn't and she admitted a friend had brought a chocolate donut in her bag and shared it with her. She knows the rules about food sharing, but at six years old and left unsupervised temptation won out. Worse, when she realised she'd made a mistake she didn't tell anyone. It was luck alone that stood in the way of tragedy that day. In the years since, her milk allergy has worsened. She's matured enough to set her own boundaries and understand the risks – but if a slip-up happened now, the results could be devastating. The second thing that happened was the needless death of five-year-old boy Benedict Blythe, from anaphylaxis, while at school. The inquest into his death this week exposed a catalogue of failings from the school in which his parents had placed their complete trust. After all, what choice did they have? And his school failed him. The jury at the inquest found that protocols to keep Benedict safe had not been followed, including making sure his cup and his special milk (oat milk) were kept separate from the cow's milk his classmates drank. Some teachers at his school were not even aware of the medical plan in place to support his allergies. When Benedict suffered an accidental reaction the previous year after eating pizza, causing him to be sick, no lessons had been learned. And on that fateful day, when a severe reaction happened, there were delays before his adrenaline pen was administered – medication that, if delivered quickly, could have saved his life. Even when they are properly followed, the rules around allergies in school are often nonsensical. Around 8 per cent of children now have a diagnosed food allergy, so this isn't a rare issue for teachers and school leaders to face, yet the approach most choose is outdated. Almost all educational establishments, including nurseries and some childminders, have an outright ban on nuts. Of course, that helps me feel reassured over my youngest's risk of encountering peanuts in the classroom, but it's not a rule that's based in fact: more children are allergic to milk (around 5 per cent under the age of six, up to 3 per cent into the teens ) than nuts and peanuts (around 2 per cent) and more children under the age of 10 die as a result of exposure to cow's milk than nuts. Banning allergens from school actually leads to a false sense of security. Just because there aren't any nuts on site, doesn't mean it's less likely a fatal anaphylactic reaction will happen in the classroom or playground. It would be better if all schools were fully trained to understand allergy and to support children to learn independence and careful management of their medical needs. Like every school, Benedict's did not have a back-up EpiPen in case of an unexpected reaction from any child. There's a campaign in place among parents and clinicians to make sure every school has EpiPens available in the medical room, just in case, but it's not standard practice yet. (A new nasal spray is now being rolled out in the US to replace EpiPens because the fear of using a needle is a major reason for a delay in administering the drug. I hope the NHS follows suit soon.) I've been following Benedict's case closely. As a parent of children at such constant risk, you have to try to let the anxiety go in order for them to live a normal life, but it's very hard. A case like this – every allergy parent's absolute worst nightmare – feels like a reminder that I can never do enough to keep them safe and nobody else (not even a school that is legally responsible for their safety) will ever protect them the way I can. Despite my best efforts, our family life is still limited by our children's allergies. I haven't yet mustered the confidence to travel with them abroad. Children's parties are riven with anxiety; I can't just sit back and let them enjoy the fun. I've given up caring what other parents think of me for double checking everything they pick up, but I feel desperately sad when they get annoyed with me for fussing. Striking the right balance is an impossible task. As my youngest launches into the world, I'm preparing myself to educate her teachers about the risks of her allergies and how best to mitigate them yet again. Parenting is a heavy load, but meeting basic medical needs shouldn't feel this difficult. Benedict Blythe's tragic and untimely death cannot be undone, but it could mark a turning point for the allergic children who follow him.
CNA
10-07-2025
- Health
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - The Wellness Hour - Tracking food allergies in kids
A new national study is looking into how common food allergies are among children in Singapore and how families and the community can better manage them. Cheryl Goh finds out more from Associate Professor Elizabeth Tham, Head of the Division of Paediatric Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology at the Khoo Teck Puat – National University Children's Medical Institute
