A recent article published in Annals of Allergy Asthma and Immunology discusses a case of a 10 year-old girl who had an anaphylactic reaction after eating blueberry pie. She had a history of asthma and seasonal allergies and known allergies to penicillin and cow's milk but she was not aware of being allergic to any of the ingredients in the pie.

After much testing it was discovered that the reaction was caused by streptomycin-contaminated blueberry. Streptomycin is a well-known antibiotic but it is also used as a pesticide in various types of fruit. While this is a very rare allergic reaction it is something doctors need to be made aware of.

I selected this article for this week’s Science Update because environmental triggers are what integrative doctors like us often work with in functional medicine. These can be food triggers like gluten or other food sensitivities as well as any substances taken in with food such as toxins molds etc. as seen in this case of the young girl.

The issue of environmental toxins is global and is one that adversely affects our health. The average person consumes anywhere from 5000 to 10000 plant toxins per year. We are exposed to pesticides herbicides chemical solvents xenobiotics and industrial chemicals of all kinds through the food we eat the water we drink and the air we breathe. The goal is to reduce our exposure to toxins but we all live in an ever-increasing toxic environment and often cannot avoid them. Thus we can all benefit from detoxification. It is essential to follow a program that provides us with the proper protein nutrients and antioxidants that safely support the detoxification pathways in order to decrease the total toxic burden in the body and help eliminate many food sensitivities.

Source: American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). "Allergic reaction to antibiotic residues in foods? You may have to watch what your fruits and veggies eat."