Life with Alpha-Gal Red Meat Allergy
Fast Facts
Alpha-gal syndrome or red meat allergy is an allergic condition. Those with the condition must forgo eating beef, lamb, pork, and wild game. Sufferers can still eat poultry, seafood, eggs, and plant-based sources of protein.
Symptoms can include gastrointestinal issue such as nausea, indigestion, and diarrhea and other allergic symptoms such as cough, hives, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the eyes/tongue/lips/throat, amongst others.
Alpha-gal is currently only known to be spread by the lone star tick, which is also the most commonly encountered species of tick in Kentucky.
Not every lone star tick bite will result in the red meat allergy. Allergic symptoms can appear 3-6 hours after eating red meat and sufferers will need to consult with a physician or allergist for diagnosis and management.
Continue reading to learn more, written by Heather Norman-Burgdolf.
March 11, 2025
Heather Norman-Burgdolf
Heather Norman-Burgdolf joined the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition as an Extension faculty member in January 2017. Her previous experiences span bench science research in the space of diabetes and obesity to community nutrition education in limited resource communities.
Her work includes translating nutrition science into Extension programming related to nutrition and diet-sensitive chronic disease prevention and management. The broader themes of her work focus on making healthy food choices easier for individuals residing in rural Kentucky communities, while respecting the unique challenges rural communities face when it comes to food access and health disparities. The programs she supports range from diabetes prevention to the role of nutrition in substance use recovery.
더 많은 콘텐츠 살펴보기
미디어 언급
A favorite of ultralight hikers, backpackers, bikers, and travelers, the Sawyer Squeeze filter is the gold standard in water filters for anyone concerned about weight and universal compatibility.
미디어 언급
In the morning before getting to the park, I applied insect repellent (Picaridin lotion by Sawyer).
미디어 언급
A Sawyer Squeeze water filtration system that blows any other system out of the — say it with me — water.
스쿼드에서
스쿼드 멤버와 앰배서더부터 브랜드 파트너와 소이어 팀에 이르기까지 다양한 커뮤니티와 캠프파이어 대화를 나눕니다.
