What Are the Most Common Food Allergies?

Discover the foods that are likely to trigger food allergy symptoms

Research has shown that the most common foods to elicit an immediate food allergy reaction are:

• Eggs
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Nuts
• Peanuts

The foods associated most frequently with delayed food allergy reactions are:

• Milk
• Chocolate
• Wheat
• Citrus
• Food colorings

Other common food allergies include:

• Seeds
• Soybeans
• Coconut
• Celery
• Carrots
• Members of the nightshade family (tomatoes, white potatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, and eggplant)

While any food can ultimately cause an allergic reaction, proteins seem to be more allergenic than fats and carbohydrates. Some of the more common food allergy reactions are triggered by a tough kind of food protein that resists the heat and digestive juices that break down other proteins. When a food isn’t broken down adequately in the digestive system, "foreign" protein molecules can reach the bloodstream and provoke an allergic reaction. This is why the all-natural remedies I suggest for food allergies and food intolerances include a number of tips to help improve your body’s ability to digest food properly.

More Dr. Williams Advice on Food Allergies and Intolerances

• The difference between food allergies and food intolerances
• Conventional treatments for the symptoms of food allergies and intolerances
• Natural therapies for treating common food allergies and intolerances