Food allergies are an emerging public health concern in the United States. According to the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), 32 million Americans suffer from food allergies. About 5.6 million of these are kids under 18 years old. The organization also states that, annually, 200,000 people in the U.S “require emergency medical care for allergic reactions to food”.
These allergies cost a whopping $25 billion in health care each year. Then there's the time lost at school or work. And there's the risk of serious complications, even death.
As of this moment, there is no known cure for food allergies. The only way that a person can prevent this is by avoiding food that he is allergic with. While there are clinical trials on food allergy therapies, none of them have been approved yet for general use.
It's critical to find ways to reduce the suffering caused by food allergies. Food processing companies already spend a lot of effort to label products so people can avoid items they're allergic to. But what if we could do better? What if we could enjoy the foods we like without worrying they might trigger a health crisis?
Perhaps the best way we can tackle food allergies is by making food that has reduced allergic sensitivity, and that’s just what Eliot Herman’s work is all about.
Herman has spent his career studying why plants trigger allergic reactions and how to reduce the chance of them being triggered...
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"Food allergies are an important societal issue. By altering food and by treating sensitive individuals, this can be mitigated, improving their lives and impacting the total medical expenditure in the U.S.," says Herman.
Herman focuses particularly on soybeans. Soybean allergies especially affect children and infants. And because soybean products like oil and protein are used in countless food products, it's hard to avoid.
Learn more about Herman’s work over at EurekAlert.
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