Are wheat allergies real or a myth?

A review conducted by dietitian Linda Hodge, an expert in allergy and food sensitivity with the Dietitians Association of Australia, appears to confirm that the perceived high prevalence of wheat allergies is, to a large degree, a myth.

Go Grains, a nutrition initiative developed by BRI Australia, and supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, supported an international research review of more than 30 years of studies, to refute claims that wheat based foods are a major trigger in allergic reactions.

For triggering allergic symptoms the review found that wheat and other grains are ranked below nuts, shellfish, fish, milk and eggs. With less than 2 in 1000 people having a true wheat allergy.

The review also found that natural and alternative therapists using unorthodox tests often blamed wheat for allergies unnecessarily. Procedures used such as kinesiology, iridology, cytotoxic food testing, pulse testing and electrodermal and intradermal skin testing, are reported to have no scientific basis and are therefore ultimately useless in assessing food allergies.

The review also confirmed that the only recognised and reliable methods of detecting wheat allergies are skin prick tests and other specific blood tests conducted by physicians and hospital specialists, and following up with professionally controlled elimination diets.

Anyone suspecting that they have a wheat or grain allergy should consult with their physician or ask to be referred to their hospital to see a registered allergy specialist.

[Editors comment: So the research proving wheat allergies is largely a myth was funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation...]