Why Food Allergies Are More Common in the United States Than In Nigeria

If you grew up in Nigeria, you probably never heard of a child carrying an EpiPen, a school banning peanuts, or anyone saying they were “allergic” to foods like eggs or nuts. But here in the United States, food allergies are everywhere; from classrooms to restaurants to emergency rooms. It naturally raises the question: why does the U.S. seem to struggle with life-threatening food allergies, while Nigeria appears almost untouched?

This question has stayed with me for years..... Are food allergies truly more common and more dangerous in America? Or do we simply not recognize or record them the same way in Nigeria?

And why are so many babies in the U.S. diagnosed with severe allergies before their first birthday?

As a mom who discovered my son's multiple food allergies when he was just six months old, this isn’t just a medical topic, it is personal. His reaction was frightening, and it has taken me years to understand why allergies look so different depending on where you live.

Before we explore the “WHY", let’s look at the numbers.

What the Statistics Show

Food allergies are well-documented in the United States. An estimated 33 million Americans live with at least one food allergy. About 8% of children and over 10% of adults are diagnosed with food allergies, and many are at risk of severe, life-threatening reactions like anaphylaxis. Because of this, U.S. schools, hospitals, and families have systems in place for managing allergies. including EpiPens and emergency protocols.

Nigeria, on the other hand, reports far fewer cases. Severe allergic reactions are rarely diagnosed, rarely labeled as allergies, and almost never recorded.

Research from various African regions shows that while allergies do exist, they are underreported due to limited testing, fewer specialists, and cultural differences in how reactions are understood.

Why Allergies Show Up So Early in American Babies

Many parents are confused when a baby develops allergies at five or six months old, but this timing is completely normal.

My own son was diagnosed at six months after reacting to noodles that had egg in them. That was the moment we found out he was allergic to eggs, nuts, shellfish, and more. It didn’t come from what I ate during pregnancy. Babies are not “born allergic.”

Food allergies develop after birth, when the immune system is first exposed to food proteins, through the mouth, skin, or environment.

The U.S. environment has several factors that increase early risk:

• Higher rates of eczema in infants

• Indoor lifestyle

• Cleaner, more sanitized environments

• Delayed introduction of common allergenic foods (historically)

• More processed foods and additives

• Less sun exposure, leading to lower vitamin D levels

All of these contribute to higher allergy risk in American children compared to Nigerian children.

Nigeria’s Environment Offers Some Protection

The lower rate of allergies in Nigeria is not just about lack of testing, it's also about lifestyle.

Nigerian children are exposed early to:

• Wide range of foods

• Diverse natural microbes

• Sunlight

• Outdoor environments

• Fresh, minimally processed meals

This early and consistent exposure helps the immune system learn tolerance.

In contrast, children in the U.S. often encounter food proteins later, encounter fewer natural microbes, and live in more sterilized environments, all factors linked to higher allergy development.

Why Don’t We Hear About Life-Threatening Reactions in Nigeria?

They genuinely happen less often

• Nigerian lifestyles naturally reduce the risk of severe allergic sensitization.

When they do happen, they’re rarely recognized as allergies

A reaction might be labeled as:

• Food poisoning

• Asthma attack

• Choking

• Sudden collapse

• Or simply “he reacted to something he ate”

Without allergy testing or autopsies, many cases never get correctly classified.

These two realities together create the impression that Nigeria has “no food allergies,” even though the story is more complicated.

My Son’s Story

When my son was around 6 months old, he was introduced to noodles that contained egg, something millions of babies eat without issue. Within minutes, he reacted with swollen eyes. That day changed everything. We learned he was allergic to eggs, nuts, shellfish, and more. I wondered if it was because of something I ate during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Growing up in Nigeria, I had never met a child with severe food allergies, let alone a six-month-old. What I eventually learned was that you cannot “transfer” food allergies to your child during pregnancy. Babies are not born with food allergies. They develop allergies after birth, when their immune system encounters certain food proteins for the first time, through the skin, the environment, or early feeding.

In fact, that first visible reaction often reveals an allergy that had already been developing silently. Looking back, it made sense: babies with sensitive skin or eczema, babies growing up in very sanitized environments, or babies who encounter allergenic foods later rather than earlier are all at higher risk of developing allergies. At the time, I didn’t know any of this, I was just a new mom trying to understand why my baby was reacting to food I had eaten all my life without a problem.

His experience made this topic very real for me. It also opened my eyes to how differently Nigeria and the U.S. approach and understand food allergies. Here in America, we received a diagnosis, resources, and a clear plan almost immediately.

In Nigeria, that same reaction might simply be described as “food poisoning” or “your body didn’t accept the food,” not out of neglect, but because allergy testing and formal allergy terminology are not as commonly used. Most people rely on practical explanations based on what they know, and true allergy cases may never be identified as such.

Final Thoughts

The difference in food allergy prevalence between Nigeria and the United States is influenced by environment, lifestyle, early feeding practices, and the way each healthcare system recognizes and documents allergic reactions.

Food allergies are genuinely more common, and more severe in the U.S., while Nigeria’s natural exposures and limited diagnostic tools create a very different experience and understanding of the condition.

By recognizing these differences, families, especially those navigating life between both cultures can make better decisions about feeding, testing, and keeping their children safe. Awareness empowers us, and the more we understand, the better prepared we are to support our children no matter where we live.

Food allergies may look very different across cultures, but understanding them is a key part of preventive health, which is at the core of our work at WellSpring VitalHub. By educating families on early signs, environmental factors, and how allergies develop, we help reduce risks and support healthier outcomes. Awareness is often the very first step toward prevention, and our goal is to equip families with knowledge that empowers them to make informed decisions for their children.

If you found this discussion helpful, I encourage you to share it with other parents, caregivers, and families in our community. The more we understand how food allergies work and why they appear differently across cultures, the better prepared we all are to protect our children and support one another. Awareness saves lives, and education is one of our strongest tools.

Sources

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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Food allergies and anaphylaxis statistics. CDC.gov