Processing them in any form cooking, boiling, frying or microwaving them destroys the allergy causing ability of the allergen in the food. Thus, the best way to avoid the frustrating effects of an allergic reaction is too keep a keen eye on any undue reaction on the body soon after consuming some food. Once you have identified the food to which you are allergic to avoiding it in its allergic form is the best remedy.
Intoleranse to tomato
Tomatoes are the most widely used vegetable in various food preparations and thus may be very difficult to avoid. Intolerance to tomato is not as frequently seen as intolerance to other food stuffs. Tomatoes are considered to be a member of the nightshade allergy family. Most of the food intolerances are projected with digestive system complications soon after the ingestion of food and so it is commonly misinterpreted as a food allergy.Allergy or Intolerance:
Intolerance to tomato is most commonly mistaken as a food allergy. The most common difference between allergy and intolerance is that a food allergy will cause symptoms outside your digestive tract. Some common symptoms from an allergic reaction like asthma, wheezing or nasal congestion, as well as lightheadedness, skin rashes or increased heart rate etc could be experienced.
Intolerance to tomatoes usually creates gastro-intestinal complications like diarrhea, stomach cramps or vomiting. The intolerant immune system recognizes a protein in the tomatoes as an allergen and thus makes attempts to eliminate it form the body by generating histamines to kill it. It is these histamines that create other reactions like swelling, hives, rashes, headaches and sometime constriction of the bronchial tubes. In severe cases, the excess histamines released into the blood stream can even cause respiratory distress, failure and even death due to a sudden anaphylactic shock – a series of allergic reactions occurring very rapidly and simultaneously. Such a reaction is rarely seen during intolerance but can occur when an individual is severely allergic to tomatoes, consumes them. A tomato allergy can occur within 15-20 min of consumption and can be controlled if administered with correct medication at the right time.
Studies have shown that some people do not show any signs of allergy or intolerance when they consume cooked tomato, this is because heat destroys the protein that causes the allergy in tomatoes. And so symptoms are seen only when the vegetable is consumed in the raw form.
Elimination diet, base for correct treatment:
To identify if tomato consumption triggered allergy, doctors suggest elimination diet also known as challenge diet. This requires that one to remove all products that contain tomato for two weeks. At the end of which the vegetable is slowly re-introduced into the diet. A record is maintained regarding how much of tomato containing food product caused allergic reaction to what extent. Then the most efficient treatment plan is designed.