Over half of Brits believe wheat allergy is a common illness, says report

Research shows that up to 20% of adults think they suffer from a food allergy or food intolerance. However evidence suggests that the real prevalence of food allergy and intolerance in adults is less than 2%. Those living alone and those aged 35-44 were most likely to report an allergy or intolerance. But the report highlights that confirmed wheat allergy is less common than other food allergies such as peanuts and other nuts, eggs and milk. Dr Carina Venter, senior allergy dietician at The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre on the Isle of Wight, said: "Our concern is that people are self-diagnosing allergies which is very unreliable and could even mask a different illness which would remain undiagnosed and untreated." Dr Heather Mackenzie from the School of Health Sciences & Social Work at the University of Portsmouth, added: "We know that only 1.4 - 1.8% of UK adults are allergic to any food and that wheat allergies are less prevalent so it's a concern that many people are avoiding wheat unnecessarily which may have an adverse impact on their nutritional intake and quality of life." Wheat is found in many foods including bread, pastry, pasta, noodles and biscuits and wheat-based products form a key part of our diet with 76.4% of the UK population eating bread once a day or more. For the small proportion of the population who suffer genuine food allergies the affects can be serious.