Soy Allergy

Soy is in the legume family, and while whole soybeans may not be in your usual food rotation, many common foods are made from soy:

• Tofu
• Soymilk
• Edamame
• Soy sauce
• Miso
• Infant formulas

It can be a difficult food allergen to avoid, but soy is one of the top nine allergens identified by the FDA, so it’s required to be indicated on food labels. An allergy to soy is most common in infants and young children.

Soy allergy can cause symptoms like:

• Swelling in the lips, mouth, throat
• Upset stomach
• Hives or atopic dermatitis
• Shortness of breath

Soy can also cause a variety of other symptoms, also including anaphylaxis in severe cases. Reactions occur because the body determines proteins in soy to be harmful, when, they’re not to most people. Histamine is released into the blood stream to fight back against this “harmful” substance, and that causes symptoms.

Every exposure to soy can bring different symptoms – while an upset stomach may occur the first time, the next exposure might bring shortness of breath. Because of the unpredictability and the possibility of severe reactions, many people come to AAOL to treat the cause and add a layer of safety against soy allergy.

Providers at AAOL treat soy allergy, and other food allergies, with allergy drops following The La Crosse Method™ Protocol. They start by completing a history, exam, and allergy testing that pinpoints the specific level of sensitivity to soy and other food and environmental allergies.

They formulate allergy drop immunotherapy based on these results that contains a gradually increasing amount of soy antigen, and other food allergens that were identified. It safely exposes the body to problem allergens, so that the body learns to not interpret it as harmful. Over time, the amount of antigen is increased, and the body learns to manage more and more soy.

The results of successful treatment can vary based on how allergic the patient is – some may be able to add soy back into their diet, and others will be able to avoid life-threatening reactions if exposed to soy.

AAOL patient, Sabrina, was excited to add soy (and beef) back into her diet after years of avoidance and reactions. Eating more foods safely at birthday parties, school lunch, and restaurants is a big win for Sabrina – and her parents.