Soy Allergy

Put soy in your regular diet! Not only is it is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, but it also plays an important role in disease prevention. Unfortunately, not all people can enjoy its benefits, especially those suffering from soy allergy.

This type of allergy is developed when the body considers soy as harmful and develops a response with its immune system. When the person tries to consume soy once again, chemicals are released by the immune system, which leads to the allergic reactions such as cardiovascular and respiratory complications, to name a few.

Despite its namesake, not all soy products trigger allergic responses of the body, like soybean oil and fermented soy. On the other hand, food products such as milk, eggs, and shellfish are non-soy allergens most likely to spark the allergies.

When a person consumes the aforementioned product, there are zounds of symptoms that would determine whether the person is allergic to soy. Conditions such as eczema, canker sores, diarrhea, and other similar defects are telltale symptoms of soy allergy. Although the aforementioned symptoms are not severe, as one would expect, there is a rare symptom of soy allergy called anaphylaxis that constricts airways and causes shock, unconsciousness, and blood loss. Such a case would definitely require medical help.

A person allergic to soy is confirmed through either skin or blood testing. Skin testing is the most common method of diagnosing soy allergic, where a portion of the person's skin is scraped using a needle and is subjected to testing using different types of allergens. On the other hand, blood testing is done when the person has a skin disorder that prevents him from having his skin taken from him. In this method, antibodies known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) are measured from your blood, which determines one's allergic reactivity to soy.

Once that the person is determined to have soy allergies, the most basic solution is to avoid the consumption of soy or similar products. However, there are situations where the products are necessary to consume, such as babies and preschoolers who drink milk. In this particular case, the mother should breastfeed their children for the first six months. In addition, solid foods should be avoided until the child reaches his sixth month. From the example given, soy allergy is mediated by consuming alternative foods that would supplant the nutrients lost from avoiding soy. Hence, provisions for soy allergy must be accordingly treated.