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Aaron MacKinnon Ms. Ingram English 1102-025 November 1, 2012 The theories of allergies There are many things that kids like you struggle with. You have to deal with who to sit with at lunch? What should I wear? Does that person over there like me? These questions and others just like it might seem trivial after reading about a serious problem that you could have and some others do. Those children I am talking about are the ones that are struggling with food allergies and these numbers have rapidly increased in the last decade or so. Today I pose this question to you, why? Why are these allergies on the rise? I am going to give you multiple possible answers to this question and then I will leave it up to you to decide what is right or to say that they are all nonsense. However, I believe that all these different possible sources come together each having effect on children and their food allergies. Since there is no definite reason why allergies are on the increase I think that it can possibly come multiple factors each causing circumstances allowing the allergies to exist. Like I said earlier the choice is yours, one, multiple, are all of the options its up to you to decide. To give a clearer idea of what each group believes I will place scenarios throughout the paper so it is easier to understand. The first point of view we are talking about is related to our hygiene. This theory comes from a group of college students at UCLA researching the idea of why allergies are on the rise. What they believe is that allergies are on the rise due to humans excessive need to be clean. The

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fact that people have such superb hygiene our immune system is beginning to attack harmless allergens in the air. Now dont get the wrong idea, not having allergies does not mean that you are a dirty person. Not having allergies may just mean that certain factors in your daily environment have caused your immune system to mature properly. Some factors that can be the reason why some people are less affected by allergies are growing up around a big family, going to daycares, just being out and about around allergens that you just cant avoid and bombard your immune system on the daily. So having factors like this in your everyday life helps prevent your body from attacking harmless allergens. The group of students believes allergies are on the increase because of their theory called the Hygiene Hypothesis. The hypothesis explores how hygiene might be causing the rise in allergies; however, they also observe other reasons why allergies might be on the rise. Some of their other thoughts are delayed introduction to foods and the form of food we eat. This group is stating that good hygiene and getting rid of parasitic infections may be fueling the epidemic of allergies. (These scenario results are not guaranteed to happen it is just showing a an example of what the group of people believe could be happening) Scenario time: TH1 and TH2 responses. On the left, we see that exposures to germs, "dirt" and certain types of infection are part of the natural development of our immune response from a "default" TH2-based system at birth to a "mature" TH1-based system. (UCLA)

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From birth Tyler and Clark were born on the same day in the same hospital. They were both to perfectly healthy baby boys. They both started with the TH2 immune system. Both boys go to the same school but lead two different life styles. Tyler grew up with six siblings, eating everything he could, and loving to play outdoors and with friends while at daycare and afterschool. Clark on the other hand grew up as an only child who preferred to just come home and study after school was out. Clarks mother introduced certain foods late into his diet worrying about side effects. Who has a more likely chance to get allergies? In this scenario Clark would be the one to have allergies. Due to Clark being separated a lot from every day dirt and allergens and being introduced to foods late his immune system never matured from its TH2 system to its TH1. Another viewpoint of allergies is urban area versus rural area. Some believe that living in the city can cause a higher right of allergies. It is believed with this theory that living in urban areas in such a close environment with others can cause a higher rate in allergies. This is opposite to the prior theory because the one before believes that being in close vicinity to people strengthens your immune system while in this theory it is believed that close proximity to a lot of people has a negative effect. This study is the first to map childrens food allergies geographically. In urban areas 9.8% of children had food allergies while there are only 6.2% of children in rural areas with food allergies. (Whyte)

Scenario time: Bobby and Kenny were inseparable when they were younger they did absolutely everything together. However, at the age of 3 Bobby moved to the city and Kenny remands in a

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rural area. Even though they were separated they lived very similar lives. They played sports, had many friends, and were always out and about. Bobby began to develop allergies and Kenny did not. Those who believe this theory, in this scenario, would probably state that because Bobby moved to the city his chances for allergies increased and unfortunately he became a part of the 9.8% due to moving into an urban area.

There is another viewpoint that involves genetically modified (GM) food. Some believe that GM foods might be the reason why food allergies are on the rise. They believe since other genes have been placed in the DNA of soy, corn, cottonseed, and canola plants that it can cause serious life threatening side-effects. They have found evidence that these genetically modified foods have caused a dramatically higher rise in allergy rates.(Smith) Their theory is that the reason why new allergies are created is because when the new genes are intertwined with the old ones it causes a new protein to form. Since genetically modified crops can change the DNA of the plant in significant amounts causing the original plants DNA to be mutated or turned off completely, this may cause an increasing level of an allergen.(Smith) Scenario time: True event The researchers who believe this have found evidence of its adverse effects. People tried to make the soybean healthier they turned it to one that is more fatal. They did this by trying to

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mix a brazil nut with the soybean; however, due to the deadly effects this new strand of soybean was never sent into production. (Smith)

These theories are only a few out of many on why allergies are on the rise. I believe that all of these idea combined could be the answer to my inquiry. Since there is no definite and exclusive reason that could be found they could all be factors. Each one could cause a boost in the likelihood of allergies in a child. You cant think my child isnt in the city or my childs around people every day so they will not get allergies. Discovering whether or not a child will have or not have allergies is just a role of the genetic dice. I hope that this has made you think and even gain a curiosity to why this is. You dont have to take my final decision as your own go out discover the true truth make history!

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On the right, we see how some cultural choices can interrupt the course of the immune system, and allow the TH2 response to continue to dominate and promote allergic conditions. Therefore, many of the advances of modernization, such as good sanitation and eradicating parasitic (helmith) infections, may actually be fueling this epidemic of allergies (UCLA)

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Work cited "About Allergies / Why Are Allergies Increasing?" Why Are Allergies Increasing? UCLA Food and Drug Allergy and Care Center, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.

Smith, Jeffery M. "Institute for Respsonsible Technology." Institute for Responsible Technology. N.p., May 2007. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.

Whyte, Chelsea. "Food Allergies More Common in City Kids than Rural Children." International Science Times. N.p., 8 June 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.