You're listening to Brains On, where we're serious about being curious.
Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Oof, it's so hot outside today, Gemma.
I feel like we're on the surface of the sun.
I feel like an egg sizzling on a griddle.
I feel like a marshmallow that someone toasted in the campfire too long.
I'm way past pleasingly brown and toasty.
I'm burning up. Lemonade, get your lemonade here.
Today, and today only, quench your thirst with Sandin's super satisfying handmade lemonade.
Sandin? Since when do you have a lemonade stand?
Oh, I've always had this lemonade stand.
I mean, since 10 minutes ago when I decided I was going to become the world's first self -made lemonade cajillionaire.
And this isn't just any lemonade stand.
It's a lemonade stand for people with food allergies.
You mean like people who can't eat certain foods because they're allergic to them?
Correctamundo, Molly.
This lemonade is peanut -free, dairy -free, wheat -free, shellfish -free.
It's free of everything and anything someone might be allergic to.
That's cool, but it's probably not that hard to make shellfish -free lemonade.
And that's not all.
This lemonade isn't just free of stuff that causes food allergies.
Oh, no. It's also free range.
Yeah, the lemons used to make it were free to wander all around the farm before being harvested.
And it's also free thinking.
Yeah, this lemonade loves to have deep conversations about the mysteries of the universe.
The lemonade talks?
And it's a freeloader.
Buy this cup of lemonade and it'll move into your basement, never pay rent, and eat all your food forever.
Actually, Gemma, why don't you just go get some rip -ear floats from the ice cream shop over there?
Mmm, sounds great. Sorry, Sandin.
Yeah, this allergen -free, free -range, free -thinking, freeloader lemonade is just a little too much.
Wait! I forgot to tell you the best part.
This lemonade is also free.
Like, it doesn't cost anything.
Sandin, if it doesn't cost anything, how are you going to become the world's first self -made lemonade gajillionaire?
Ugh, I knew I was forgetting something.
You're listening to Brains On from APM Studios.
I'm Molly Bloom, and my co -host today is Gemma from Springfield, Missouri.
Hi, Gemma. Hi, Molly.
Lots of us have allergies, like how pollen from plants can give us runny noses in the springtime when flowers are blooming.
Or how some of us sneeze and sniffle when we're around searching animals, like dogs or cats.
I personally am allergic to dust, pollen, cats, and mold.
So many things. But today, we're just focusing on food allergies.
These happen to some people when they eat or are near specific types of food.
We've gotten a lot of questions about food allergies from you over the years.
Hi, my name's Maddie, and I'm from Stoneman, Massachusetts.
My question is, why do we have food allergies?
Hi, I am Logan, and I have a question.
Why are people allergic to foods, and some aren't?
My question is, why do some people develop food allergies, but some people don't?
That last question was from you, Gemma.
So why did you decide to send in this question?
Well, I've always wanted to know why, let's say, my friend does not have a food allergy, but I do.
I'm just curious about that.
So what food allergies do you have?
I have an anaphylactic allergy to tree nuts, which are like cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.
And anaphylactic, what does that mean?
It means a very serious kind of allergy, like some people have food allergies where they just get a stomach ache, but anaphylactic is really serious.
Like it can make it hard for you to breathe and stuff.
Yeah. And we need to breathe.
So when did you or your parents first realize you had this tree nut allergy?
When I was two years old, I was at my friend's house, and I used to be able to eat cashews, and they're actually one of my favorite snacks.
So I ate some of that, and then I took a nap.
And when I woke up, my babysitter said that I was so puffy that if I didn't have the clothes on that she put on me that morning, she would not have recognized me.
Oh my gosh. So your face got all puffy?
Yeah. Wow. That sounds really scary.
So they took you to the doctor then, I'm guessing, to figure out what was going on?
Yeah. And the doctor told my parents that I had an anaphylactic tree nut allergy.
And so you've known that since you're two years old.
How old are you now?
I am 11 years old. So you've been living with this for a while?
Yes. So what does it feel like in your body if you accidentally eat one of those foods?
Well, I get hives all over my body.
And my voice pipes, the lung pipes, start to close up so I can't breathe.
And then I have to be rushed to the hospital.
Oh my goodness. That's really scary.
And hives are like red kind of bumps on your skin?
Yeah. And they're pretty itchy as well.
So how often has that happened to you over the last nine years where you've accidentally had a tree nut?
Thankfully, I've only had it once when I was two.
But I have had a few close calls, or I have eaten some tree nuts, but some medicine, I think, Benadryl helps clear that up in a few minutes.
Nice. So when you have one of those accidental bites where you're not really expecting a cashew to be in that thing or something, how does it start to feel like?
Do you start to feel like little scratches in your throat?
Or how does your body know what's happening?
I usually start, like, it's like getting harder to breathe.
And then I tell my mom and then she checks the ingredients.
So you're like a detector.
You can detect those things.
Yes, I can. So you're like, oh, nope, something in here is not right.
And she's like, yep.
And then gives you some Benadryl.
Yes. Do you have an EpiPen too?
Yes, I do. I carry it everywhere.
Like, even if we're not eating, I still have to bring it just in case.
Have you had to use it?
No, never. Well, except when I was two.
But thankfully, no.
Not yet. So what do you wish people knew about food allergies?
Well, I wish people knew that we're not that different from everybody else.
You don't have to, like, treat us that special.
But if, like, you know, a kid with allergies, just be careful around them.
Because what you think is annoying because they just can't have it, it's really life threatening and it's pretty scary.
That's really good advice.
Well, not everyone has a food allergy, but they are really common.
About one out of every 13 kids has one.
So chances are, if your class has 26 kids in it, at least two of your classmates are allergic to a food.
It could be eggs, milk, peanuts, or lots of other foods.
But why do we have food allergies?
Well, it has to do with a special system inside your body that helps keep you safe and healthy, your immune system.
This system helps your body fight off germs.
Your immune system is like a tiny army inside your body.
It's made up of cells.
Cells are the microscopic building blocks that make up all living things.
Some cells in your immune system move around your body in your bloodstream.
There are all different kinds and each one has an important job.
Some immune cells come to the rescue when you get hurt, like if you scrape your knee.
These cells rush to the injured spot and help seal it up so it stops bleeding.
Others watch out for intruders.
These immune cells are always on alert, checking out everything they come across inside your body to make sure it's something that's supposed to be there.
Hmm, what's this? Okay, looks like a red blood cell.
Uh, that checks out.
Sometimes these immune cells come across something that they don't recognize, like a new germ or a virus.
Hey, what's that over there?
Uh, definitely never seen one of those before.
It's a germ! Wee, wee, wee!
This is not a drill.
I repeat, this is not a drill.
These cells have a special way of fighting off intruders inside your body.
They pump out tons of tiny little proteins called antibodies.
Antibodies! Assemble!
It's go time! Don't even try to mess with us.
I can't even make a wrecking ball.
The antibodies swarm around the intruder and stick to it so it can be destroyed.
Woohoo! Take that! And that!
And that! Go, go, go!
Another one, bust, bust!
Our immune system is working hard all the time to keep us healthy.
But Molly, we're talking about food allergies today.
Not germs. The immune system is the whole reason why we have food allergies in the first place.
Nice use of a dramatic sound effect.
Thank you, I've been practicing.
Okay, I'm officially intrigued.
Go on. Like we mentioned, your immune system is super duper important for fighting off germs and other things that could make you sick.
And usually it ignores other stuff inside your body like the foods you eat.
But sometimes it gets a little overactive and responds to a new food as if it were a threat to you.
Sort of how it responds to a germ or virus?
Yeah. For a small number of people, it can start the first time they try certain foods.
Like, say, a person eats shrimp for the first time.
After that person chews and swallows the shrimp, some immune cells find it in the body.
And these cells might not recognize the shrimp as food.
What in the what is that?
Nope, nope, nope. That is definitely an intruder.
You've never steered us wrong before.
Release the antibodies!
Did somebody call for backup?
Time to suit up. I'm coming out.
I want the world to know.
Gonna make it show.
Do you always have to sing?
These shrimp -hating antibodies hang out in the blood even long after the shrimp is out of the person's system.
So the next time that person eats shrimp, their immune system has been trained to see shrimp as a baddie.
Ah! It's back, it's back!
Get that shrimp! The immune cells jump into action and start releasing a special chemical called histamine.
Histamine can make a person feel itchy or sneezy or cause other kinds of symptoms.
That's called an allergic reaction.
Right. For some people, like you, Gemma, an allergic reaction can be pretty serious.
Eating a food they're allergic to might make them start coughing or make it harder for them to breathe.
Or we might get itchy hives on our skin, like a rash.
But luckily, there are medicines a person can take when they're having an allergic reaction.
One medicine you might have heard of is an EpiPen.
It helps a person's muscles relax so it's easier for them to breathe when they're having an allergic reaction.
So, Gemma, you carry an EpiPen with you, right?
Yes. Can you describe what it looks like?
So an EpiPen is a cylinder with a blue cap on like the top.
So if someone's having an allergic reaction, you pull that blue cap off and then stab it into their muscle by their thigh.
And then that sends the life -saving medicine into the person's bloodstream so it can calm them down while they get to the hospital.
Excellent description.
Thank you. So just to recap, an allergic reaction happens when a person's immune system mistakes a kind of food for a threat.
That triggers the immune cells to start releasing histamine, a chemical that makes us sneezy and itchy.
But not everyone has food allergies, right?
So why do some people have them and others don't?
Great question, and we're going to get to it in just a bit.
But first, it's time for the...
Are you ready for the mystery sound, Gemma?
I am. Here it is. What do you think?
Oh, so at first I thought it was like someone hitting a bag full of water, but then it sort of sounded like someone shoveling snow or like gravel.
Excellent guesses. Do you want to hear it again?
Yes, that would be nice.
Okay, here it is. All right.
What do you think now?
I'm going to stick with my answer of like shoveling something maybe outside like gravel or snow.
Excellent work. All right.
Well, we're going to hear it again.
Get another chance to guess and hear the answer after the credits.
So stick around. We are working on an episode all about animal leadership, and we want to hear from you.
What animal do you think would make an excellent leader and why?
In my opinion, I think sloths would be excellent leaders because they're very chill, but very responsible beings.
That's my thought. So Gemma, what do you think?
Which animal would you pick as a leader?
I think I would pick a lion because they're really good at leading their pack.
I think they would be maybe good at leading humans if they didn't eat some of them.
Do you think there's anything our human leaders could learn from lions?
I mean, not to eat us, obviously, but are there other things that like traits that lions have that you think humans could learn from?
Maybe sticking as like a pack and not splitting up into groups and fighting with each other.
Maybe just sticking in one group to lead their pack or country to success.
Teamwork. I love that.
Listeners, we want to hear from you.
Record yourself describing which animal you think makes a good leader and why, and send it to us at brainson .org slash contact.
While you're there, send us your mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.
Like this one. What happens when parts of your body fall asleep?
You could find answers to questions like these on the Moment of Um podcast, a short dose of facts and fun every weekday.
Find Moment of Um and more at brainson .org.
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Brains On. You're listening to Brains On.
I'm Molly. And I'm Gemma.
Today we're talking all about food allergies.
We just heard what happens in someone's body when they're allergic to a certain kind of food.
It has to do with the immune system.
The immune system helps fight off germs and keeps a person healthy.
But sometimes it responds to a new food as if it were a threat.
It releases tiny proteins called antibodies into a person's blood.
And when that person eats a certain food, their immune cells pump out a special chemical called histamine.
Histamine can make them feel itchy or sneezy.
But why do some people like me have food allergies and others don't?
I want to know. Excellent question.
Here to help us is Dr.
Adora Lynn. She's an expert on allergies.
Hi, Dr. Lynn. Hi, Gemma.
Hi, Molly. Why do some kids like me have food allergies?
Well, we don't really know yet.
You know, there's a lot of different factors.
We know that genetics can be a part of it.
So if someone's mom or dad has allergies, then that person has a slightly increased risk of having food allergies.
And there's also some evidence to suggest that other things like having eczema when they're a baby, or how old someone is when they first eat a food, or whether or not they grow up on a farm or in the city can have some effect on whether or not someone will develop food allergies.
But we haven't figured out how much all of these different factors fit together and whether or not they apply to all kids or just some kids.
Can food allergies change over time?
They definitely can, but it depends on the food.
So most kids with egg and milk allergy and a majority of kids with wheat allergy and soy allergies, they will outgrow their allergy and eventually be able to eat that food without any issues.
But only about 10 % of kids with a peanut allergy and about 10 % of kids with a tree nut allergy will outgrow those allergies.
And unfortunately, we don't understand yet why some kids outgrow their allergies and some don't.
And we don't really have a way yet to predict who will and who won't outgrow their allergies.
Are there treatments for kids with food allergies?
Yeah, there are treatments, but there's nothing yet that I would call a cure.
I would say that there's three treatment strategies for food allergy.
One's just not eating the food that you're allergic to.
Another is protecting against reactions in case someone accidentally eats the food.
And then the third one is training the immune system not to react to the food.
So like I said, the first one is just simply not eating the food that you're allergic to.
You can avoid having allergy symptoms simply by not eating the food.
But this is something that's really hard to do perfectly.
And so a lot of accidents happen and people end up accidentally eating something they're not supposed to.
And then they can have symptoms.
But fortunately, symptoms of food allergies can be treated with medications like antihistamines and epinephrine.
And that's the medicine that's inside EpiPens.
That's so cool. The second treatment strategy is protecting against severe reactions in case someone accidentally eats the food.
And so a medicine that was approved for food allergy earlier this year is called Omelizumab or Zolair.
And this treatment binds up a lot of the antibodies that stick to the food.
And without those antibodies around, the immune system isn't going to go haywire after a little bit of the food is eaten.
But it is important to note that Omelizumab isn't necessarily going to provide protection against eating more than just a little bit of an accidental exposure.
And so the third treatment strategy I think is really cool.
And that's by training the immune system not to react to the food anymore.
And there's a lot of research that's looking into different ways to do that training.
One way is by exposing the immune system to a small amount of the food that doesn't cause reaction and then gradually kind of building up to a bigger amount.
That's really cool.
And then there's some really cool research that's looking at training the immune system by showing it a version of the food that's changed just a tiny bit.
And so with that, the immune system thinks it's seeing the food.
But that little changed part tells the immune system that the food isn't a bad guy and the immune system doesn't need to fight it anymore.
What are some things kids can do in the lunchroom to help other kids who have allergies?
Yeah, I think there's a few things.
You know, they can try to keep their eating space as neat and clean as possible, which is difficult in a busy lunchroom.
But, you know, maybe helping them wipe it off before before their friend with food allergy sits down.
And then, you know, even just knowing what foods their friend is allergic to is is a really big deal because then they can help their friend look out for foods that might not be safe for them.
Those are really good tips for my friends, especially sometimes they don't really take a lot of precaution when they're around me.
What do you do at lunch, Gemma?
I usually ask my friends if they have a dessert to check the ingredients before they eat it around me so I can stay safe and just enjoy my lunch.
And Dr. Lynn, is there anything else that you would want kids to know on this topic?
I mean, I think it's important for kids and parents to know that people with food allergies can live a normal, healthy life and achieve all the things that people without food allergies can, too.
They may have to move in the world a little bit differently or a little more carefully, but it doesn't really stop them from doing anything.
Thank you so much for answering our questions.
Any time. Thanks so much for having me.
Bye. Bye. Bye. People can be allergic to all different kinds of foods, but some of the most common ones are eggs, milk and peanuts.
And food allergies are common.
You might have a friend with one or notice kids at school who can't eat some foods.
So, Gemma, we talked a little about your food allergy earlier.
What do you want people to know about what it's like being allergic to different foods?
It's a little scary to be allergic to different foods because you never really know if something that you're eating has the food that you're allergic to in it.
And it's just a constant reminder in your head that you can't have this, and it's sometimes scary.
So, what would you say people can do to help you with your food allergy?
Well, if you know that your friend has a food allergy, you can not pack the foods that they're allergic to to keep them safe.
So, you can be around them at lunch and just be a good friend.
Excellent advice. Well, food allergies are something a lot of schools have to plan for.
Our friend, brains -on producer Ruby Guthrie, visited a school lunchroom in Minnesota to talk with kids about their food allergies.
Hey, this is Ruby. I am at Webster Elementary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and we're about to go talk to some kids eating lunch.
And the lunchroom is probably going to be really noisy, but that's just how lunchrooms go.
You said you have some allergies.
Can you tell me your name?
Xavier. I'm 12. Very nice to meet you.
And what kind of food allergies do you have?
I mixed the peanuts.
One time, my friend had given some popcorn, and I didn't know he mixed it with peanuts.
So, I ate one, and I just started, like, my body felt like I couldn't taste no peanuts.
It was like a weird taste in the back of my throat, so I had to get my everything.
Is there anything you wish kids who don't have allergies knew about having allergies?
It's like, I want to have certain things, but I can't, because I know, like, I can flare up and stuff like that.
What's your name? Grayson.
I'm allergic to peanuts.
It makes my throat swell up, and it's hard for me to breathe.
Do you remember when you found out you were allergic to peanuts?
I was eating a bunch of candy.
I don't know which one, and then my throat started to swell up.
Was that scary? Yeah.
When you're going to school, are there, like, any special rules about if you're allergic to peanuts or if you're not?
No, they don't sell any peanuts there at my school.
That's good. I'm Sarai.
I'm nine years old.
I'm allergic to kiwi, and it's my tongue, itchy, and everything.
Is there anything you want other kids to know about having allergies?
Well, if you don't have allergies, you're kind of lucky, because other people can't eat other things that you can eat, so, yeah.
Thanks so much for talking with us.
Thank you. Bye. So, Gemma, is there anything you heard from these kids that you relate to?
Uh, yeah. The first kid, I think his name was Xavier.
Mm -hmm. I related to him by saying that, you know, you want to eat these things, but you really just can't.
And I never knew someone could be allergic to kiwi.
That's something I just figured out.
I didn't know that either.
There's lots of different foods people can be allergic to.
I know someone who's allergic to tomatoes.
Oh, that is hard. So, if someone just learned they had an allergy, like, they just found out, oh my gosh, I can't eat tree nuts anymore.
What advice do you have for them?
Well, it's completely normal to be shocked when you realize you have an allergy, because you feel like you're going to be missing out on a lot of stuff.
But, trust me, it's, it's, like, not as bad as you think.
Trust you can't have some of the good foods, like, most, like, trail mixes or granola bars for kids with tree nut allergies.
Mm -hmm. Well, lucky for us, there are so many different foods in the world.
So, if you can't eat, some of them.
There are lots of other ones to try.
Lots of people are allergic to some foods, like peanuts and dairy.
An allergic reaction happens when the immune system in someone's body responds to a new food like it's a threat.
Immune cells release histamine.
Histamine can make a person feel itchy or sneezy, and sometimes it can cause more serious allergic reactions.
But luckily, there are medicines out there to help, like EpiPens.
That's it for this episode of Brains On.
This episode was written by Shayla Farzon, with production help from Beth Perlman and Ruby Guthrie.
It was edited by Molly Bloom.
Fact -checking by Jess Miller.
We had engineering help from Nick Sibley and Derek Ramirez with sound design by Rachel Breeze.
Original theme music by Mark Sanchez.
We had production help from the rest of the Brains On universe team.
Brains On is a non -profit, public radio program.
There are lots of ways to support the show.
Subscribe to Brains On Universe on YouTube, where you can watch animated versions of some of your favorite episodes, or head to brainson .org.
While you're there, you can send us mystery sounds, drawings, and questions.
All right, Gemma, are you ready to hear the mystery sound again?
Yes, I am. All right.
I don't know what it is either.
This is a tricky one.
So let's hear it again.
All right. Last time you thought shoveling gravel, shoveling snow.
Something like that.
Yeah. I think I'm going to stick with my answer.
Okay. That's a great answer.
I'm going to say I think it's someone eating a really big slushy.
Yeah. Maybe. I don't know.
Maybe sticking a straw in a slushy a bunch of times.
I'm not sure. Let's hear the answer.
My name is Elgin. I am from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Out of the time of me stomping on ice in my backyard.
Oh, stomping on ice.
Not close. You were so close.
Well, we both heard ice.
I'm proud of us. I'm proud of us.
Now it's time for the brains honor roll.
These are the incredible kids who keep this show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high fives.
Louisa and William from St.
Paul, Minnesota. Ben from Denver.
Josie from Torrance, California.
Alex from Kingston, Ontario.
Summer from Monroe, New York.
Alfie from Manchester, UK.
Tatum from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Olivia from Virginia Beach.
Brianna from Lorton, Virginia.
Pollux from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Aisa and Jabril from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ethan and Dylan from Noonan, Georgia.
Fletcher and Welker from Hampstead, North Carolina.
Leah from Stratham, New Hampshire.
Siwu from Seoul, South Korea.
Evelyn from Portland, Oregon.
Maura and Oscar from Aberdeen, Washington.
James, Lewis, Max, and Harvey from Mossy Point, Australia.
Aston from Hyde Park, Utah.
The Pashwin from Upper Hutt, New Zealand.
Miriam from Berwyn, Pennsylvania.
Aaron from New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Everett Hudson and Fenton from Amarillo, Texas.
Cathens from Victoria, British Columbia.
Merlin from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Bridger from Lincoln, Texas.
Lucy from Baskin Ridge, New Jersey.
Alish from Washington, DC.
Milo from Reedsboro, Vermont.
Emma from London, UK.
Gabe from Melbourne, Australia.
Winston from Durham, North Carolina.
Hannah and Olivia from China and Taiwan.
Matthew from Wuxi, China.
Zoha from Bothell, Washington.
Raiden and Eva from Lubeck, Germany.
Cornelia from Beijing.
Elise from Macalla, Alabama.
Veronica from Barcelona.
Jasper from Tuxedo Park, New York.
Chewy, Jordan, and DJ from Oceanside, California.
Victoria from Weehawken, New Jersey.
Zelda and Jerome from Columbia, Missouri.
Adam from Richmond, Virginia.
Toby from Johnstown, Ohio.
Arav, Ariane, and Arvin from Toronto.
Camille from Cope -Quitlin, British Columbia.
Owen and Connor from San Diego, California.
Maddie and Jackson from Temecula, California.
Kobe from Bedford, Nova Scotia.
Maddox and Emmett from Zumbrota, Minnesota.
Gwen from Greensboro, North Carolina.
Wendy from Edgewater, Maryland.
And Nathan from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
We'll be back next week with an episode all about how the internet works.
Thanks for listening.
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