How many people suffer from allergies?
This is quite difficult to measure precisely. Many people believe they suffer from food allergies and do not. Medical estimates seem to be that about 1-2% of adults and 4-6% of children suffer from true food allergies (based on food challenge and immunological testing). While the information is stronger from developed countries, food allergies occur in people from all countries, although the precise degree of response to different foods seems to vary from place to place. The level of food allergy in the population seems to be highest in early childhood, but many children seem to grow out of their reactions to cow’s milk and eggs. Unfortunately some food allergies and this includes those to peanuts and treenuts, once present tend to last a lifetime.
