Touching a food allergen can cause a skin reaction just as surely as if you had eaten it – and now researchers think they have found the reason why (my emphasis in bold):
“More than 40% of children with atopic dermatitis (AD) have food allergy (1). Ingestion of food allergens can exacerbate AD and is accompanied by expansion of circulating T cells that express cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (2–4). Cutaneous contact with food allergen can also trigger skin flares in patients with AD (5). These observations suggest that T cells sensitized following antigen exposure via the gut might act to elicit allergic skin inflammation. “
In other words, the food allergy antibodies in the gut can lead to related antibody reactions to that same food in the skin. This is one reason why sticking stuff on your skin that contains one of your food allergens eg wheatgerm, corn etc, can elicit a reaction in the gut or the skin – despite what cosmetic manufacturers tell us (and I have had many conversations with those who deny it can happen). So, it is nice to see a proven link to be able to quote now!