Could a Too-Clean Society Trigger a Rise in Food Allergies?

Systems in our body that protect us from toxic food may be involved in the dramatic rise in food allergies, say researchers

3% of children in Western countries grapple with peanut allergies. monticello/Shutterstock

Rising rates of food allergies may be the result of environmental factors and a misfiring protection system, propose four immunobiologists from Yale University.

A paper published by the scientists in the journal Cell suggests an exaggerated activation of the body’s toxic food protection system in response to environmental factors is behind the increase.(1)