NUTRITION AND SKIN DISEASE – FOOD ALLERGY

摘要

The exact etiology in most clinical cases is not well understood. Food allergy is defined as an immunologically based reaction to food. Immunologic mechanisms of types I-IV have been hypothesized. In contrast, food intolerance is a general term describing any adverse reaction to food that does not have an immunologic basis, including food poisoning (caused by the direct action of a toxin). From a practical basis, the mechanism of action does not impact the clinician faced with a potential case of chronic food-caused cutaneous disease. It is theorized that most food allergens are proteins.