Alpha-Gal Syndrome, the tick-borne “Red Meat Allergy”
About this episode
This episode discusses alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne allergy that can prevent individuals from consuming certain meats and dairy products.
878. A tick bite you may not even remember getting can leave you unable to eat a hamburger, a slice of pizza, or a bowl of ice cream. That's alpha-gal syndrome, and it's turning up far outside its original range. Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in the cells of most mammals but not in humans. When a lone star tick injects it under the skin, the immune system can start treating it as a threat. After that, beef, pork, lamb, venison, and sometimes dairy or gelatin can trigger a reaction three to six hours later, which is a big part of why this food allergy goes undiagnosed for years. Today, Monica breaks down what the research actually shows: Why the lone star tick's range is expanding into the Midwest, the Northeast, and eastern Canada How alpha-gal syndrome differs from Lyme disease, and why they get confused What the CDC's estimate of 450,000 cases means, and why the "1 in 4" figure circulating on social media isn't measuring the same thing What a diagnosis means for your diet, including collagen, gelatin, organ meats, and why tolerance varies so much from person to person Why symptoms can be worse on some days than others Whether the condition is permanent, and what happens…
More episodes of Nutrition Diva
- The science of hydration and the electrolytes you actually need
- Why is everyone talking about L-Theanine?
- Vitamin K2: Is a supplement a good idea?
- Touching GRAS: What 'generally recognized as safe' really means
- Could eating more calcium lead to kidney stones?
- Do food dyes cause hyperactivity?
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Nutrition Diva podcast page.