A prevalência da alergia alimentar mediada por imunoglobulina E na população varia entre 2% e 10%.[3]Sampson HA, Aceves S, Bock SA, et al. Food allergy: a practice parameter update - 2014. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014 Nov;134(5):1016-25;e43.
https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(14)00672-1/fulltext
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25174862?tool=bestpractice.com
[4]Sicherer SH, Leung DY. Advances in allergic skin disease, anaphylaxis, and hypersensitivity reactions to foods, drugs, and insects in 2008. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009 Feb;123(2):319-27.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19203656?tool=bestpractice.com
[5]Chafen JJ, Newberry SJ, Riedl MA, et al. Diagnosing and managing common food allergies: a systematic review. JAMA. 2010 May 12;303(18):1848-56.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20460624?tool=bestpractice.com
Em uma pesquisa transversal com adultos nos EUA, quase 19% autorrelataram alergia alimentar.[6]Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, et al. Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Jan 4;2(1):e185630.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6324316
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30646188?tool=bestpractice.com
No entanto, apenas 10.8% tinham uma alergia alimentar convincente.
A alergia alimentar é maior na população pediátrica que na de adultos, com estimativas entre 6% e 8% em crianças com idade inferior a 5 anos e entre 3% e 4% em adultos.[7]Young E, Stoneham MD, Petruckevitch A, et al. A population study of food intolerance. Lancet. 1994 May 7;343(8906):1127-30.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7910231?tool=bestpractice.com
[8]Bock SA. Prospective appraisal of complaints of adverse reactions to foods in children during the first 3 years of life. Pediatrics. 1987 May;79(5):683-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3575022?tool=bestpractice.com
[9]Bock SA, Atkins FM. Patterns of food hypersensitivity during sixteen years of double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges. J Pediatr. 1990 Oct;117(4):561-7.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2213379?tool=bestpractice.com
[10]Jansen JJ, Kardinaal AF, Huijbers G, et al. Prevalence of food allergy and intolerance in the adult Dutch population. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1994 Feb;93(2):446-56.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8120272?tool=bestpractice.com
[11]Sicherer SH, Munoz-Furlong A, Sampson HA. Prevalence of peanut and tree nut allergy in the United States determined by means of a random digit dial telephone survey: a 5-year follow-up study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003 Dec;112(6):1203-7.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14657884?tool=bestpractice.com
[12]Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, et al. The public health impact of parent-reported childhood food allergies in the United States. Pediatrics. 2018 Dec;142(6):e20181235.
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2018/11/15/peds.2018-1235.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30455345?tool=bestpractice.com
É observada com mais frequência em indivíduos com dermatite atópica, certas sensibilidades a pólen ou sensibilidade ao látex. Os alérgenos alimentares mais comuns em crianças pequenas na população geral dos EUA são leite de vaca (2.5%), ovo (1.3%), amendoim (0.8%), trigo (aproximadamente 0.4%), soja (aproximadamente 0,4%), nozes (0.2%), peixe (0.1%) e marisco (0.1%).[1]Sicherer SH, Sampson HA. 9. Food allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006 Feb;117(2 suppl Mini-Primer):S470-5.
https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(05)01921-4/fulltext
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16455349?tool=bestpractice.com
Entre os adultos norte-americanos, os alérgenos alimentares mais comumente relatados são frutos do mar (2.9%), leite (1.9%), amendoim (1.8%), nozes (1.2%) e peixes (0.9%).[6]Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, et al. Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Jan 4;2(1):e185630.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6324316
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30646188?tool=bestpractice.com
Globalmente, os alérgenos predominantes diferem. A título de exemplo, verificam-se maiores incidências de alergia à semente de gergelim em Israel e de alergia à mostarda na França, verificando-se menor incidência de alergia a amendoim na China.[2]Dalal I, Binson I, Levine A, et al. The pattern of sesame sensitivity among infants and children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2003 Aug;14(4):312-6.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12911511?tool=bestpractice.com
[13]Rance F. Mustard allergy as a new food allergy. Allergy. 2003 Apr;58(4):287-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12708974?tool=bestpractice.com
[14]Beyer K, Morrow E, Li XM, et al. Effects of cooking methods on peanut allergenicity. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001 Jun;107(6):1077-81.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11398088?tool=bestpractice.com