The Hershey Heresy or Die You Lying Scum!

That said, I have a package of chocolate truffles that are beyond awesome. My wife doesn't like them because they're rolled in a somewhat bitter cocoa powder, and my daughter is resisting because she's starting to eat right. So it's up to me.

http://www.crazy4cinema.com/Actress/imgs/hershyb3.jpg

but to attack this is to suggest that many people don't have real and serious allergies, whether to food or other things. which would offend those who do more than those who pretend to have them, i think.

also, if disliking certain things (peanuts, chocolate) is so clearly socially unacceptable, why should the people you attack admit it?

According to the Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse of the National Institutes of Health...

"Between 30 and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. Certain ethnic and racial populations are more widely affected than others. As many as 75 percent of all African Americans and American Indians and 90 percent of Asian Americans are lactose intolerant."

Life-threatening afflictions are funny!

I thought this was going to be about The Big Lie: that Hershey chocolate is actually tasty.

details pls?

Abstract:
Although there are specific contraindications to the ingestion of chocolate by selected individuals, these do not apply to the general population with a frequency that is suggested by the pervasive mistrust of chocolate. These contraindications and mistrusts are reviewed.

Publication Types: Review PMID: 152075 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

That said, I do know a woman who used to have no problem eating chocolate, but in her teens began to break out in hives after consuming even very small amounts.

Also: people who are allergic to nuts may have trouble with chocolate produced in a factory that makes nutty stuff, even if the chocolate does not contain nuts per se.

I am so glad I can eat chocolate with impunity. But it is not my favorite dessert-type food--I'm more of a fruity dessert fan.

Xpost

Who is Jack Klugman (perhaps this is a very, very stupid question)?

Ann Allergy. 1975 Feb;34(2):71-6. Related Articles, Links

Multiple food allergy.
Speer F.
This paper is devoted to a study of multiple food allergy, here defined as sensitivity to three or more foods. The purpose of the study is to report findings obtained from a study of 250 private patients and to show what type of persons develop this condition, how it affects them, and what their common allergens are. It was found that multiple food allergy occurs in both sexes and at all ages but is more common in boys than in girls and more common in women then in men. The clinical manifestations were much like those caused by the more familiar inhalant allergy but with a much more widespread constitutional disturbance. The great majority of patients (86%) also reacted to such air-borne allergens as molds, pollens, house dust, and animal epithelials. This indicates that food allergy and inhalant allergy are fundamentally the same phenomenon. The common food allergens were such everyday foods as milk, chocolate, corn, egg, tomato, peanut, and citrus fruits.
PMID: 1173207 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1976 Oct;58(4):471-6. Related Articles, Links

Cytotoxic testing for food allergy: evaluation of reproducibility and correlation.
Benson TE, Arkins JA.
Cytotoxic food tests still present conflicting opinions concerning their validity. Nine atopic patients with or without a history of food allergy were studied along with 5 nonatopic patients. All tests were conducted in a double-blind fashion with 6 determinations for each of 10 food antigens. Reproducibility of the test (5/6 positive or negative) was demonstrated with wheat, milk, yeast, chocolate, and orange. In the nonatopic group, reproducible results were obtained for wheat, egg, yeast, chocolate, and chicken. Clinical correlation with 11 foods in 7 patients was demonstrated. However, there were 46 positive tests without correlation and 2 negative tests with positive histories. Therefore, there appears to be reproducibility of the tests to only 3 foods but no apparent correlation with clinical symptoms. At the present time, cytotoxic tests offer no reliable help in establishing the diagnosis of food allergy.
Publication Types:
* Clinical Trial

PMID: 787048 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Ann Allergy. 1980 May;44(5):273. Related Articles, Links

Children with allergic rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma treated with elimination diet: a five-year follow-up.
Ogle KA, Bullock JD.
Three hundred and twenty-two children under one year of age with respiratory allergy and negative inhalant skin tests were placed on a six-week hypoallergenic diet consisting of Meat Base Formula, beef, carrots, broccoli and apricots. Two hundred and ninety-two or 91% showed significant improvement of respiratory symptom scores during the trial. On subsequent oral food challenge symptoms were reproduced in only 51% of the children. Milk greater than egg greater than chocolate greater than soy greater than legumes greater than cereals were most commonly involved. Skin tests with food allergens rarely correlated with challenge results. One hundred and seventeen or 40% later developed inhalant respiratory allergy. Only 6% of the children studied five years or longer showed any evidence of food sensitivity. The data suggest (1) infants with respiratory allergy will respond to hypoallergenic diet, (2) symptoms may or may not reappear on food challenge, (3) food allergy tends to be "outgrown" and (4) many "grow into" inhalant respiratory allergy.
PMID: 7189650 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1984 Feb 25;114(8):269-71. Related Articles, Links

[Acute recurring Quincke edema in allergy to malt extract]
[Article in German]
Wuthrich B.
The case is reported of a 19-year-old patient with recurrent Quincke edema with systemic symptoms. Based on observations of the course, diary entries and specific skin tests (scratch), sensitization to malt extract from germinated barley was diagnosed. The allergic reactions usually occurred after consumption of malt-containing chocolate drinks and malt-containing snack products. In cooperation with Prof. S. G. O. JOHANSSON, Stockholm, we have for the first time identified specific serum IgE antibodies against malt extract.
Publication Types:
* Case Reports

PMID: 6710112 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Allergy. 1994 Mar;49(3):189-91. Related Articles, Links

Occupational asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis from inhalation of dried cow's milk caused by sensitization to alpha-lactalbumin.
Bernaola G, Echechipia S, Urrutia I, Fernandez E, Audicana M, Fernandez de Corres L.
Allergy Section, Galdakao Hospital, Galdacano (Vizcaya), Spain.
A chocolate candy worker was diagnosed as having occupational asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis on the basis of clinical record and methacholine challenge. Positive conjunctival and bronchial challenge tests with lactalbumin showed that this protein was the pathogenetic agent. Type I hypersensitivity mechanism is demonstrated by means of skin prick test and RAST.
Publication Types:
* Case Reports

PMID: 8198251 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Rocz Akad Med Bialymst. 1995;40(3):544-9. Related Articles, Links

Allergic investigations in children with atopic eczema.
Silakowska Z, Rybak B.
Dermatology Ward, Municipal Hospital of Olsztyn.
In the study the results of allergic investigations in 36 children with atopic eczema were demonstrated. Prick testing with 22 allergens made by Bencard and 5 natural allergens showed an allergic reaction in 28 children (77.8%). The positive reaction was noted more often in children with a generalized form of disease compared to a limited one (81.85 and 76.0% respectively). Allergy to inhalatory allergens was observed in 72.2%, to food allergens in 38.9% and to other allergens in 27.8% of patients. Among inhalatory allergens, sensitivity to domestic dust (55.6%), inhalatory allergens A1 and grass pollen (both 50.0%) and Dermatophagoides pt. (44.4%) were most common. Food allergens were represented by grain (16.7%), uncooked milk and chocolate (both 11.1%). The conducted investigations indicate, that uncooked or cooked milk and milk cream seem to be more accurate indicators of milk sensitivity than milk allergen by Bencard.
PMID: 8775304 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Przegl Lek. 1998;55(5):239-41. Related Articles, Links

[Some clinical symptoms and allergens on asthma-prurigo syndrome]
[Article in Polish]
Rudzki E, Romanski B, Dynowska D, Kaczmarski M, Olendzka-Rzepecka E, Kurzawa R, Obtulowicz K, Blinowski J, Korzeniowska-Zuk E, Piela Z, Szmurlo A, Stroinski J, Doniec Z, Pulka G.
Kliniki Dermatologicznej, Akademii Medycznej w Warszawie.
The group of 146 patients suffering from asthma-prurigo syndrome (85 adults and 64 children) have been inquired in many various clinical centers. It was established that in 79.6% of the patients the first symptoms of illness appeared already in infancy and only 28.2% of the patients had negative familiar anamnesis on the allergy. In 73.2% of the patients with asthma-prurigo syndrome the symptoms of atopic dermatitis persisted longer than asthma symptoms and in 89.9% of them asthma-prurigo symptoms accompanied other form of allergic diseases. The most important causal allergens provoking asthma-prurigo symptoms were: house dust (in 64.4% of the patients), chocolate (in 42.2%), cat epithelia (in 40.2%) and cow milk proteins (in 29.5% of the patients).
PMID: 9741189 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Pol Merkuriusz Lek. 1998 Dec;5(30):338-40. Related Articles, Links

[Food allergy in children with pollinosis in the Western sea coast region]
[Article in Polish]
Czaja-Bulsa G, Bachorska J.
I Kliniki i Katedry Chorob Dzieci PAM w Szczecinie.
Type and frequency of allergy to food was analysed in groups of children sensitized to grass pollens (170 children), birch pollen (142 children) and cereal pollens (158 children) in comparison with children being not sensitised to pollens (432 children). It has been disclosed that the most frequent food allergens in the whole studied group as well as among the children not sensitized to pollens are: milk, eggs, beef, chocolate, nuts and cereals (positive skin prick tests and allergy manifestations after food consumption). In 10-20% of children sensitised to grass pollens, it was revealed that the prick tests for carrot, celery, apple, tomato and nuts were positive. Manifestations after their consumption are evidenced by 30-70% of the studied subjects. In 20-40% of children sensitised to birch pollen there were positive skin prick tests for celery, carrot, potato, tomato, apple, peaches and grapes. The manifestations after their consumption appear in 20% of children. Eighty-five per cent of children sensitised to cereals pollens display positive skin prick tests for cereal grains. Half of them have signs of food allergy, most frequently after ingesting wheat and rye.
PMID: 10101519 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I'll challenge you to a PubMed search any day!

(my allergy to rocket, however, is pronounced. Am I a rocketist?)

details pls?

At a recent office Christmas party, one woman brought in sliced apples and pears, with a dip of cream cheese blended with amaretto (too much for my taste) and a little whipping cream. This was very popular.

I have unpleasant reactions to cucumber; does this make me the gayest ILXor of all?

The irony being that Hersheys chocolate bars contain so little actual cocoa and therefore such a low caffeine content that she can eat an entire Hersheys bar with impunity.

But I work for a food intolerance clinic at the moment, so don't mind me...

perhaps i'm crazy, but i think that it's strange to consider gassiness, grogginess, and wild changes in blood sugar normal reactions to food. it's like some kind of twisted food machismo: "i spit upon you and your sissy insistance on avoiding discomfort/possible hospitalization!".