Living with Food Allergies & Intolerances

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Living with Food Allergies & Intolerances Q&A

WITH CANAD IAN ACTR ES S & S I N G E R

Jessica Lowndes Jessica Lowndes opens up about her allergies to all nuts, spirulina, and tuna and shares her advice for others living with food allergies.

Can you tell us about your experience with food allergies?

Food allergies have been a factor in my professional and personal life for a long time, but I’ve learned how to navigate through them the best way I can.

How have your allergies affected your life and career as an actress and singer?

I often prepare in advance in case allergy-friendly food isn’t available. I tend to bring my own snacks with me to the set or in the studio. I also keep my EpiPen nearby at all times and educate whoever I’m with on how to use it properly in the worst-case scenario.

Managing food allergies alongside a busy lifestyle can be challenging. How do you ensure safety is top priority?

With preparation and research. Finding allergy-friendly options local to the city where I’m filming has been helpful — also, knowing what kinds of snacks I can have that most grocery stores would carry. Over the course of working on my directorial debut Elemental, I had a survival bag of allergy-friendly snacks to help keep my energy up throughout the shoot!

Follow Jessica's journey on her Instagram @jessicalowndes.

FO O D ALLE R GY W H AT I S IT ?

A food intolerance is an adverse reaction to a food substance or ingredient. It affects the digestive system, as it is the inability to digest or absorb certain foods.

Some food intolerances include: lactose, gluten, sucrose, maltose, histamine, tyramine, msg

S

Learn more at CDHF.ca.

Don’t let them stop you! Don’t let them limit your vision and dreams.

With the right support and by being proactive, you can be unstoppable.

My visual album Elemental was a lot of hard work, time, and energy, and I poured a ton of love into it. I’m incredibly proud of the finished product, and I hope you love it as much as I do.

FO O D I NTO LE R AN C E

Kelsey Cheyne

Kelsey Cheyne Executive Director, Canadian Digestive Health Foundation

Do you have any advice for readers who may be learning to live with a food allergy?

What are your go-to tips for navigating restaurant dining with food allergies?

Food Allergy versus Food Intolerance: What’s the Difference? ome of the symptoms of a food allergy and food intolerance are similar, but the differences are significant.

We know that symptoms of food intolerance can cause discomfort in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Still, they're generally not life-threatening, whereas symptoms caused by a food allergy can be.

To help you understand the differences between a food allergy and food intolerance, we’ve laid them out in a handy chart.

The Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (CDHF) recommends seeing a doctor to help determine if you have an allergy or intolerance.

Finding professional support, such as a registered dietitian knowledgeable in this area, can help you manage these conditions over time.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Most restaurants are very accommodating when you explain your medical situation with food allergies.

A food allergy is a reaction that involves your immune system. Your immune system is reacting to a food protein or the allergen you have ingested, which your body thinks is harmful.

The most common allergens, which are also referred to as priority allergens in food are1: eggs, milk, mustard, peanuts, crustaceans and mollusks (shellfish), fish, sesame seeds, soy.

SY M P TO M S Symptoms occur within a few hours after eating and may include: nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, vomiting, excess gas, skin rashes, and itching

Symptoms occur within minutes of consuming even a small amount of food or a trace amount of allergen and may include: rash, hives, nausea, diarrhea, itchy skin, shortness of breath, chest pain

W H O I S A F F E CTE D ?

An estimated 6.8 to 7.4 million Canadians suffer from at least one food intolerance. 2

An estimated 6.1 per cent of Canadians report having a probable food allergy.3 That’s roughly 2.3 million people. And the number may be even higher: up to 3.1 million people, according to a 2021 report from Dalhousie University. 2

Health Canada. 2018. Common Food Allergens. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/ food-allergies-intolerances/food-allergies.html 2 Dalhousie University. 2021. Dalhousie Report Allergies. https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sites/agri-food/Dal%20 Report%20Allergies%20EN%20(Oct%2020%202021).pdf 3 Health Canada. 2020. Research Related to the Prevalence of Food Allergies and Intolerances. https://www.canada.ca/en/healthcanada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/food-allergies-intolerances/food-allergen-research-program/researchrelated-prevalence-food-allergies-intolerances.html 1

Publisher: Yara Tawil Business Development Manager: Melanie Kosev Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content & Production Manager: Raymond Fan Designer: Giuliana Bandiera Lead Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve the Toronto Star or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.

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From our orchard to your snack bowl. @martinsapples M A R T IN SA P P L E S. C O M

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PRIORITY ALLERGENS

PEANUTS

Back to School: How to Keep Kids with Food Allergies Safe

The Relationship between Microbiota, Allergies, and Probiotics We asked Dragana Skokovic-Sunjic, a clinical pharmacist and author of the Clinical Guide to Probiotic Products, to help us understand how our microbiota is related to allergies and illnesses and what role probiotics play in relieving symptoms.

Catherine Mulvale

Can an unbalanced gut microbiota cause allergies?

TREE NUTS

This back-to-school season, help children with food allergies and intolerances to stay safe and thrive by arming yourself with the proper awareness and understanding.

EGGS

Tania Amardeil MILK

FAST FACTS

In a word, yes. Deficiencies in the gut microbiota of children can result in harmful health consequences later in life. Because gut microbes regulate the immune system (gut-associated lymphatic tissue [GALT]), impairments can trigger allergic responses to food and environmental allergens. Observational studies have linked cesarean births and early antibiotic use to an increased risk of chronic health conditions that appear long after birth, including allergies.

Can probiotics help treat allergies and illnesses?

• Over 3 million Canadians are affected by food allergies • Almost 500,000 Canadian children under the age of 18 years have food allergies.1 • The incidence is highest amount young children (< 3 years of age), with close to 6-8% affected by a food allergy • 90% of food allergy reactions come from the 11 “priority allergens”

SOY

MUSTARD

TI P S TO K E E P K I D S SAFE • Share your child’s allergies, intolerances, and/or food restrictions with their teacher(s) and education support staff • If a child has a severe allergy, make sure they wear a medical alert bracelet and/or carry an EpiPen • Make sure the child’s teachers are comfortable using the EpiPen • Coach your child on how to ask simple questions about their food, even at a young age. Teaching kids how to self-advocate for foods that are safe for them is a life-skill.

SESAME SEEDS

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can relieve specific symptoms and offer health benefits when the proper strain and dose are taken under the appropriate circumstances.

Having the proper balance of strains in an infant’s gut can influence the immune system by preventing inflammatory responses that can lead to the development of common conditions, including allergies. Conditions linked to immune response and allergies that can be relieved by probiotics include cow milk protein allergy (CMPA), atopic dermatitis, and common infectious diseases.

Dragana Skokovic-Sunjic Clinical Pharmacist, Hamilton Family Health Team, & Author

Are all probiotics the same?

FISH

TH R IVI N G W ITH FO O D R E STR I CTI O N S SULPHITES

We asked Chloe Cheng, Registered Dietitian with Wholesome Kids Catering how kids with food allergies can continue to thrive!

• Stay safe and have fun! Food restrictions don’t need to hold your child back, there is so much variety available today!

• Help expand your child’s palate by exposing them to allergen-safe foods, flavours, tastes, and textures • Kids are more receptive to new foods in a community setting, so take advantage of this!

• Keep positive and open communication with your child about the importance of their food allergies and being safe.

No. Just as certain medications are used to treat us when we’re unwell, it's essential that consumers pick the proper probiotic to relieve the symptoms they’re experiencing. The Clinical Guide to Probiotics is a trusted and accessible resource that summarizes which specific brands contain the probiotic strain(s) that have been scientifically proven to relieve symptoms.

Before using a probiotic, consult your health-care provider, who knows you and your health history best.

Visit healthinsight.ca to read the full Q&A or visit AEProbio.com to learn more.

WHEAT & TRITICALE

CRUSTACEANS & MOLLUSKS

For more information and resources on managing kids allergies safely and allergy safe recipes, visit wholesomekids.ca.

1

Source: Food Allergy Aware Fast Facts: Food Allergies in Canada

Prevent Allergic Reactions: Know What’s in Your Food Being aware of ingredients in food helps prevent allergic reactions and helps ensure safe eating habits for those with food allergy.

W

hen someone has a food allergy, avoiding foods containing their food allergen (the food they’re allergic to) is a key safety practice. Food is a central part of daily living and is the focus of many social events and gatherings.

With a food allergy, both self-management and community support are needed to help prevent allergic reactions.

Three steps to keep those with food allergy safe and help prevent reactions

1

Know the priority food allergens

In Canada, the priority food allergens are tree nuts, sesame, milk, egg, fish, crustaceans (such as lobster, shrimp) and molluscs (such as scallops, clams), soy, wheat and triticale, mustard, and peanut.

This is because they’re responsible for triggering most food-induced allergic reactions, although you can be allergic to any food.

These allergens may be included

in certain foods you may not expect.

For example, milk can be in canned tuna, processed meats, and candy.

Fish can be in gelatin, salad dressings, Worcestershire sauce, and even marshmallows, while sesame is a common ingredient in many Middle Eastern and Asian foods like hummus and oils. And did you know that people with a peanut allergy may be allergic to foods containing ingredients that come from peas, like pea protein or pea protein isolate, or other legumes?

Our #MoreThanPeanuts campaign highlights all the priority allergens and foods they may unexpectedly be included in. Share our campaign posts on social media with family and friends to create awareness for all food allergies.

2

Read food labels

You can’t just look at food to determine if it’s safe for someone with a food allergy. Read ingredient lists carefully from start to finish and the “contains” and “may contain” statements on the package. As per Canadian food labelling regulations, the prior-

ity food allergens, if used, must be included on the label of pre-packaged products like a box of cereal or a can of soup.

Do the triple-check and read labels: 1. At the store, before buying a product 2. When you get home and put it away, and 3. Before you serve it.

3

Avoid crosscontamination

Cross-contamination can happen when a food allergen accidentally gets into another food or onto the surface of an object. To reduce the chances of cross-contamination f or someone with a food allergy, wash your hands before and after eating as well as before and after preparing food. Also, don’t share items with them, such as food or drinks, napkins, utensils, and straws, and clean surfaces with soap and water, commercial cleaners, or wipes.

With these steps, you’re helping to support those with food allergy and create a community that’s more allergy aware.

Learn more at foodallergy canada.ca.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF McMASTER UNIVERSITY

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McMaster University Institute Shines Light on Much-Needed Allergy Research The Schroeder Allergy and Immunology Research Institute is researching new ways to treat and prevent allergies.

Abigail Cukier

O

ne in two Canadian households is affected by food allergy.

To push research forward in this important area, Walter and Maria Schroeder donated $10 million to McMaster University to establish the Schroeder Allergy and Immunology Research Institute (SAIRI). The funding supports senior scientists and scholars in allergy investigation and furthers the work of a groundbreaking study launched in 2008 that has tracked about 3,500 children from birth.

The project, known as the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) study, examines various childhood conditions, including the origins of allergies and asthma.

“Though we’ve made progress, there are many unknowns in allergy,” says Dr. Susan Waserman, Director of SAIRI. “Historically, allergy has not been a focus of research funding, but dedicated researchers have provided some insights into the mechanisms underlying allergic conditions. While novel therapies have been developed for some allergic diseases, others, like food allergies, remain without good treatment options.

“The gift from the Schroeder family and the establishment of the Schroeder Allergy and Immunology Research Institute represent important steps to provide much-needed infrastructure for allergy research,” says Dr. Waserman.

reacts to the food by having an allergic reaction. Symptoms and severity of an allergic reaction can differ each time.

However, in certain types of allergies, even eating a very small amount of the food can potentially trigger a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

Symptoms of anaphylaxis can include hives, swelling, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or shock.

Long history of leadership in allergy and asthma research Building on a long history of leadership in allergy and asthma research at McMaster, SAIRI has already made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of allergy research just one year after its creation.

SAIRI is led by Dr. Waserman, who recently received the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Distinguished Member Award, which recognizes a member who has made outstanding achievements in the allergy, asthma, and immunology fields, and has accomplishments that serve as an inspiration and example for others to follow.

Dr. Manel Jordana, a globally recognized allergy researcher, is the co-ordinator of the treatment branch, which has a mission to make impactful discoveries about the ways in which allergies affect the immune system and translate these discoveries into treatments for Canadians with allergies.

Dr. P.J. Subbarao is t he co - ordinator of the prevention branch, which uses p o p u l a t ion -le ve l information and epidemiology, including the CHILD cohort study, to prevent the emergence of allergic diseases.

Researchers developing new technologies and therapies

Graduate students Emily Grydziuszko (left) and Danielle Della Libera (right).

More than three million Canadians have a food allergy Indeed, the numbers show that food allergies deserve greater attention.

More than three million Canadians have a food allergy, including almost 500,000 children.

If someone has a food allergy, their immune system mistakenly treats something in a particular food as if it’s dangerous. As a result, their body

SAIRI researchers have developed technologies and systems that seek to unravel the complex interactions that make up an immune response to allergens. They have also identified new therapies and are researching ways to use these discoveries in the treatment of food allergies.

Dr. Joshua Koenig, Assistant Director of SAIRI, has developed a platform to study rare cells that cause peanut allergy and a tool to evaluate the interactions present in allergic conditions that are not present in healthy conditions. SAIRI is the only group using this

technology to study allergic diseases.

Researchers also identified a potential food allergy therapy — a discovery that was highlighted as one of the most impactful studies in food allergy in

The future of allergy research lies in the next generation of basic and clinical scientists who will use new technologies that can generate more data than ever before. Hidden within these datasets is a fundamental understanding of how allergies work, which we will translate into novel therapies to test in the clinic.

2021 by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. This work is moving forward through clinical trials.

SAIRI is also focused on training the next generation of scientists to make meaningful discoveries in allergy research. As part of this goal, SAIRI is developing a pathway for graduate students to international training opportunities and jobs.

“The future of allergy research lies in the next generation of basic and clinical scientists who will use new technologies that can generate more data than ever before,” says Dr. Jordana. “Hidden within these datasets is a fundamental understanding of how allergies work, which we will translate into novel therapies to test in the clinic.”

Longstanding collaboration with Food Allergy Canada Another core pillar of the institute is to engage with the allergy community in many ways. The institute’s researchers have had a longstanding collaboration with Food Allergy Canada through numerous initiatives, the most notable of which is the Sean Delaney Golf Classic, which raised significant and much-needed funds over 13 years to establish and drive food allergy research at McMaster.

SAIRI routinely publishes summaries of new allergy research in the Food Allergy Canada newsletter and works with the organization to educate the public about food allergy prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Additionally, SAIRI has worked with members of the food service industry and food retail communities to develop guides for food allergen training and management.

SAIRI seeks to perform research valued by the Canadian allergy community and ensures that the community learns about interesting and groundbreaking discoveries.