Children, males and blacks are at increased risk for food allergies

A new study estimates that 7.6 million Americans or about 2.5 percent of the United States population, have food allergies. According to the researchers, food allergy rates were found to be higher for children, non-Hispanic blacks, and males,. The odds of male black children having food allergies were 4.4 times higher than others in the general population.

The research appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. It is the first to use a nationally representative sample, as well as specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) or antibody levels to quantify allergic sensitization to common foods, including peanuts, milk, eggs, and shrimp.