Deaths from Food Allergies Are Rare - East Idaho News

Deaths from Food Allergies Are Rare

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GETTY 112713 FoodLabel?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1385549947975jdwfoto/Thinkstock(LONDON) — Although it’s not exactly a comforting thought, the chances of dying from a food allergy are far, far less than being a homicide victim or dying accidentally.

That’s the finding of a study from researchers at Imperial College London.

Lead author Dr. Robert Boyle admits that it is disturbing to hear about someone who succumbs from an allergic reaction to food known as anaphylaxis.  However, the study he conducted was intended to put things into perspective.

For instance, 11 people out of a million are murder victims in Europe each year while the number dying from accidental causes is 324 in a million.

Meanwhile, it estimated that fewer than two people in a million will die from an allergic reaction to food annually while the odds for those under 20 go up slightly to 3.25 in a million.

Boyle said the purpose of the study is not to discount the seriousness of anaphylaxis, but instead, to reassure people “that having a food allergy makes a very small difference to someone’s overall risk of death.”

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