Traditional And New Foods, Diet Patterns In Prevention And Management Of Food Allergy In Children And Their Immunomodulatory Role

The worldwide incidence of food allergies continues to increase especially in children therefore, prevention remain a public health priority. Introducing common allergens early in a child’s diet can reduce the risk of allergies. Complementary feeding plays a crucial role in an infant’s development and the nutrient exposure has potential immunomodulatory effects. Component diversity, the specific way of their combining and preparing, as well as a regular exposure in different patterns to them, are important elements of children's food strategy both for the prevention and for treatment of food allergies. In the last years, the typical avoidance diet for the treatment of food allergy has been completely reconsidered and the early exposure to food antigens seems to influence the development of immune tolerance. The role of traditional foods in immunomodulation of food allergies has not been extensively researched as well as the importance of different diet strategies in treatment of food allergy.

In this Research Topic, we will aim to discuss the potential role of different foods and in prevention as well as in treatment of food allergy. Also to explore some dietary strategies and habits for preventing and managing food allergies.

In order to achieve our aims, we encourage submissions including but not limited to:

Interactions between food matrices and proteins.

Effects of prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics in prevention and management of food allergy.

Bioactive components and functional foods in baby meals and their role in immunomodulation.

The role of fermentation and other technological processes in converting food proteins in small molecules through enzymatic action.

Progresses in Protein Modification in order to reduce allergenicity.

Immunomodulation through introduction of progressive increasing quantity of certain foods – different type of food ladders.

Oral immunotherapy for food allergy as emerging treatment for food allergies.

Weaning strategies and complementary feeding patterns.

Optimal infant’s and children’s nutrition for the best immunological modulation in order to prevent or to treat food allergy is still subject to debate. Certain dietary components and micronutrients have specific roles in the development and maintenance of immunotolerance. The strategic modulation of the immune response through dietary patterns and different traditional or new foods, represents a promising path for the prevention and treatment of food allergy.

Keywords: food allergy, immunotherapy, immunomodulation, diet patterns, foods

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.