Antacid Pills May Cause Allergies

A new study by Austrian researchers indicates antacid tablets may produce food allergies.

A study involving approximately 300 people was done in Austria, with surprising results. The study found that those individuals who took antacid medications were more likely to suffer from an allergic reaction to some foods than those individuals who didn't take this type of medication.

The scientists stated, during the World Allergy Organization congress in Vancouver, that antacid medications may interfere with digestion, thereby causing food to enter an individual's intestines before it's fully broken down, triggering an attack.

Professor Erika Jensen-Jarolim and her colleagues at the University of Vienna gave half the volunteers in their study a drug call ranitidine, which acts in the same way as indigestion tablets. The rest of the volunteers were given placebos.

The scientists found people taking the drug developed signs of food allergy symptoms, while none of those in the placebo group showed any of these symptoms.