Global News asks: Why are food allergies on the rise?

In a recent Global News interview, AllerGen researchers Dr. Paul Keith and Dr. Susan Waserman addressed the rise of food allergies in Canada and highlighted the potential causes.

Dr. Keith, an allergist and president of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, identified several potential factors contributing to the development of food allergies, including a clean water supply—clean water reduces the number of parasitic infections that could be protective—and pregnancy-related factors such as cesarean section and antibiotic use that can affect the helpful bacteria living in our gut.

Food preparation techniques, environmental pollutants, insufficient Vitamin D, and a delay in the introduction of potentially allergenic foods to children are also possibly at play, according to Dr. Waserman, an allergist and immunologist at McMaster University.