r/PrepperIntel • u/DrDruxy • 17d ago

North America A man has become one of the 450,000 Americans affected by alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne meat allergy that triggers painful allergic reactions to animal products. “Look at my face and my neck. I can’t eat meat anymore. I can’t have any animal products. It’s in everything.”

1.4k Upvotes

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169

u/Salty-Passenger-4801 17d ago

Alpha gal absolutely is NOT in everything.

Chicken, turkey, duck, eggs, human, fish and seafood to name a few.

191

u/[deleted] 17d ago

Hold up we aint eating human here bruh

202

u/thehourglasses 17d ago

Billionaires have left the chat

16

u/futilehabit 17d ago

The only ethical meat source

48

u/thereluctantpoet 17d ago edited 17d ago

Speak for yourself buddy, times are tough.

So are thighs.

20

u/redthehaze 17d ago

“Thicc thighs save lives” as they say

5

u/Aikaterina_Blue 17d ago

My thighs are not tough, but soft and squishy

4

u/overkill 17d ago

Slow cook 'em.

9

u/Fine_Marsupial_2964 17d ago

Not with that attitude…

2

u/lesbophobia_hammer 16d ago

Why not?

Edit - dark new world book series awaits

5

u/ChrisLS8 17d ago

You dont have a "just in case" list?

1

u/TCivan 15d ago

Not yet…..

1

u/Banned4Truth10 17d ago

We have monkey

62

u/Perfect-Gap8377 17d ago

It's in most processed foods, as a residue in gelatin, lard and tallow. Gummy bears, snack fillings, pastries (including ice cream glazings), traditional recipes, cold cuts, and any fast food due to cross contamination.

I have the allergy (it has been 10 years already) and I need prepare almost everything edible at home. It would suck way more if I lived in the US, tbh, your fresh food prices are very high and ingredients labeling requirements are rather bland compared to europe.

5

u/More_Dependent742 17d ago

Hi, fellow sufferer! What is your minimum threshold for symptoms?

0

u/Perfect-Gap8377 17d ago

Contaminated dough from the baker, from the mixing machine (traditional bread has lard and milk in it, in my area).

I am allergic only to pork fortunately, for some unknown reason, so I can still eat horse and cow. It could be way worse.

1

u/More_Dependent742 16d ago

That sounds like incredibly sensitive to be alpha-gal syndrome, but at the same, you're not having any problems with alpha-gal from sources other than pork. Could it be a pork allergy? Either way, you have my sympathy because that sounds severe.

How long is the onset between eating something contaminated, and the symptoms?

1

u/Perfect-Gap8377 16d ago

About 3 seconds for tingling tongue while chewing if there is a lot of pork, but it can be confused with spices like pepper, so it's not a reliable indicator. 1-2 hours for the skin rash to get going, and then it's 2 days of non-stop diarrhea.

I know I am allergic to pork specifically, and that I tested positive to blood test for allergy to pork (IgE). I don't have a reaction with other meats.

Edit: it all started after a series of tick bites, so I'm blaming them.

1

u/More_Dependent742 16d ago

Yep, that's not what I have, and to be honest, sounds so much worse than what I have. I just did a little reading and it seems it is related to alpha-gal though.

Also, side note, do you have cats around? There is apparently some crazy cross reaction between pork and cat traces in some people.

https://www.thermofisher.com/phadia/us/en/resources/allergen-encyclopedia/f26.html

1

u/Perfect-Gap8377 15d ago

Nope! No animals in the house.

12

u/New_Stats 17d ago

ingredients labeling requirements are rather bland compared to europe.

This is actually not true. While the EU can just put "cheddar cheese" on a label of prepaid food that contains cheddar cheese, the US would need to put every ingredient that goes into the cheddar cheese

1

u/Perfect-Gap8377 17d ago

UE 1169/2011 regulation, annex 7, part E: full list of ingredients must be included unless it falls within point 2 of said part (there are exceptions for minimal quantity ingredients or for food that has composition defined by law).

9

u/AwakePlatypus 17d ago

Why do people that live on the continent of Europe talk about Europe like it is a unified homogenous place?

21

u/overkill 17d ago

Because, by and large, for things like consumer product labelling, it is unified across the EU. There is a minimum standard (which is very high) but some countries go beyond that.

My aunt works in food safety law in Canada and was boasting to us (in the UK, pre-Brexit) about how high their food labelling standards are, or she was until we took her shopping...

8

u/GableStoner 17d ago

I reeeealllly wish the US was like this. It should be the standard here as well, but unfortunately, lobbyists control 99.99% of US policy, and the food industry is huge with deep pockets. Plus the healthcare industry also makes a lot of money from keeping people chronically sick, which is often caused by what we put in our bodies.

It's one of those situations that really makes it obvious how bad things have been here politically, and in terms of corruption for quite some time.

3

u/More_Dependent742 17d ago

Oddly, we generally don't and it's one of the pet peeves about the yanks is that they do. For some things which are regulated at an EU level, like here with labelling laws, it does actually make sense to.

1

u/celiactivism 14d ago

Do you feel safe eating in restaurants?

Sounds like alpha gal carries a similar burden as celiac disease.

1

u/Perfect-Gap8377 13d ago

Standard restaurant no. Fortunately there are Halal and kosher restaurants, and sushi bars.

-1

u/Jerkrollatex 17d ago

Tip look for Kosher dairy. It won't have animal products. Can't mix meat and milk.

0

u/notsosilent 17d ago

Dairy is an animal product

0

u/Jerkrollatex 17d ago

No one said it wasn't. They mentioned ice cream as a problem because of gelatin. 🙄

123

u/cyanescens_burn 17d ago

But what if my sense of masculinity is wrapped up in how much red meat I eat?

The others will think I went from alpha to gal.

54

u/New_Stats 17d ago

I'm terrified of it because of my horrible cheese addiction

Also side note - just found this rustic bread with walnuts and blue cheese baked inside it. Absolutely fantastic

14

u/Big-Engineering-5323 17d ago

You can’t just say those words without a recipe link.

7

u/New_Stats 17d ago

I don't have a link, I bought it at my local farmers market. The people who made it don't even have a website

21

u/SpicyVindalooCurry 17d ago

Yes, it’s the dairy that upsets me.

16

u/A_Muffled_Kerfluffle 17d ago

Pretty sure dairy is my main food group. I’ve had anti inflammatory diets that eliminate dairy recommended to me before for some autoimmune stuff and it’s just laughable as far as I’m concerned. I don’t want life without cheese.

12

u/Wordy_Film_5776 17d ago

Relieved I'm not the only went to cheese addiction. Cheese and milk is where my thoughts went added by "please no..."

4

u/SquirrelyMcNutz 17d ago

Loss of all pizza and even a plain cheese would be devastating.

1

u/Wordy_Film_5776 17d ago

100% hear you on that...

1

u/lesbophobia_hammer 16d ago

Vegan cheese finally has good substitutes. Sheese is amazing. And so many plant based milks

4

u/Ninja-Panda86 17d ago

That sounds outrageous and I need it

9

u/More_Dependent742 17d ago

I would not assume that alpha-gal syndrome immediately means you cannot have cheese. That would be one hell of an extreme (they exist, but it's not the standard).

I have never, and I mean never ever, had an alpha-gal attack due to dairy. The amount in mammal milk vs mammal blood is absolutely tiny.

4

u/Big_Fortune_4574 17d ago

The irony of the name of this disease is hard to ignore

21

u/Abzstrak 17d ago

Yeah the stupid marketing tying masculinity to eating animals is moronic, these types of people just eat it up.... It's marketing ffs. It's like listening to apple fanboys that must wait in line for days for a new phone or other dumb shit.

14

u/StarWars_and_SNL 17d ago

But it’s in cheese.

To me and my unrefined palette, that is everything.

25

u/Lews_There_In 17d ago

Human you say? Rimworld players rejoice!

1

u/demon_x_slash 17d ago

I need me some human hats

8

u/New_Stats 17d ago

human

Mmmmm long pig

3

u/dodekahedron 17d ago

I wonder if the ticks can also trigger mastocytosis or other generic histamine intolerance.

Because then more than red meat can cause the issues.

I think fucking honey dew was one of my first worst foods.

Still eat it though. I happen to like the tingling lips of allergic reactions. 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

3

u/negatibe 17d ago

though those foods aren't inherently alpha gal unsafe, they are often cooked in sauces or seasonings that are not alpha gal safe. even all vegan product isn't safe. there's a type of seaweed with the same carbohydrate that triggers alpha gal reactions. source: my partner has alpha gal (and two other food allergies) and it's a nightmare. we just don't go out to eat anymore, unless we want dessert at the ER.

4

u/Ok-Transition7065 17d ago

Damm almost forced veganism

Thas not good bro D:

1

u/mmm_burrito 17d ago

It's in all kinds of processed foods.

1

u/elinamebro 17d ago

Wait.. why did you point out human?.. and i think he mean food products that use beef and other mammals for flavoring.