Acid-indigestion medicines such as Zantac have contributed to an alarming rise in food allergies, a new study claims.
Scientists at the University of Vienna found that acid-reduction remedies allow food that has been only partially digested to enter the digestive system.
This can trigger allergic reactions ranging from a rash to fatal anaphylactic shock.
“These products are very important for patients with conditions such as ulcers,” lead researcher Erika Jensen-Jarolim said. “But for other people – particularly those who buy these medicines without prescription – a warning should be put on the packets.
“Food allergy can be very, very serious. We’ve all heard of life-threatening anaphylactic shock [as a result of eating] nuts.”