Cross-Reactivity in Food Allergies

Cross-reactivity in food allergies occurs when the immune system confuses proteins in one food with similar proteins in another. For example, if someone is allergic to certain nuts, they might also react to seeds or other nuts due to shared protein structures. This can happen because the body mistakenly identifies these similar proteins as the same threat, triggering an allergic reaction. Understanding cross-reactivity helps people manage allergies by recognizing which foods to avoid, even if they haven't reacted to those foods before.