Food allergies: key aspects for their definition, diagnosis and nutritional treatment
López M.C.D.; Restrepo-Mesa S.L.; Burgos-Salazar A.M.; Chinchilla C.; Salinas C.H.T.; Becerra-Granados L.M.; de León G.M.; Roldan C.H. · Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutricion (2025) · DOI: 10.37527/2025.75.3.005
Resumen
Introduction: Food allergies (FA) are increasingly prevalent and have a significant impact on the nutritional status of patients. It is characterized by cutaneous, respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal symptoms, whose initial treatment is focused on the elimination of the food allergen. Objective: document key aspects of the definition, diagnosis and nutritional treatment of AA. Materials and methods: narrative review (2023-2024) of scientific articles found in Pubmed, Dialnet, ScienceDirect and Emberber, in addition to books and management guides, using descriptors such as “food allergy”, “child nutrition” and “elimination diet”. Results: 921 documents were used, 65 were included in the analysis. The worldwide prevalence of FA in pediatric age varies between 1-8%. The most common allergens are milk and egg, depending on dietary patterns. Diagnosis includes skin testing, specific IgE and oral challenge test. The main treatment is dietary elimination, in addition to immunotherapy, and pharmacological treatment to ameliorate symptoms. It was found that FA can affect nutritional status and alter the growth and development of children. Discussion: FA compromises children's nutritional health, associated with nutritional deficiencies caused by malabsorption and low nutrient intake due to elimination diets, avoidant and restrictive practices. Its diagnosis and treatment require interdisciplinary teams and family accompaniment. There are still gaps in protocols and research on nutritional impact. Conclusions: FA is classified according to the immune mediator involved and requires diagnosis and treatment guided by an elimination diet. Timely medical and nutritional care adapted to the context is key to preventing malnutrition.
Instituciones: Universidad Continental