Some People Are Being Forced To Turn Vegan Thanks To Small Insect

There has been a huge increase in the tick-borne Alpha Gal syndrome in the US, causing many people to switch to a vegan diet instead.

What is Alpha Gal? The syndrome causes a problem within a person’s digestive system. A small sugar molecule changes the way the body behaves with meats and dairy. Rather than both of them being healthy, they can, instead, result in life-threatening sickness.

• The symptoms can range from hives and itchiness to swelling and anaphylaxis. These aren’t always, but can be, life-threatening. Commonly, people with Alpha Gal syndrome will have it for the rest of their lives. There is no cure, but some people are lucky, and their symptoms will decline over the years.

How is Alpha Gal Spread: The meat allergy disease is commonly spread by the Lone Star tick. These little blood suckers can be found in the northeast and have seen a huge increase in the last few years. The disease-carrying ticks will live on white tail deer and transmit the disease from animal to humans.

Alpha Gal Spread Results In Vegan Uptick

At Martha’s Farm, one vegan stall owner noted how many more people were visiting his vendor due to the Alpha Gal syndrome. In August, the owner of You Enjoy My Vegan was surprised at how many new faces they had.

• “They tell us, ‘I have alpha-gal,'” the vegan truck owner said. “A lot of them are like, ‘We never go out to eat’ because they struggle to find restaurants they can truly trust.”

It’s great news for the vegan retailers out there, but not so good for the general population. It is suspected that around half a million people in the US have been infected with Alpha Gal syndrome. However, the exact number isn’t known and could be much higher.

What to Do About Alpha Gal: There really isn’t anything that can be done about the syndrome. If you’ve got symptoms, then head along to your nearest doctor. If it’s found that you’ve got it, then an EPIPen will be given. It’s then advised that you avoid all meat-based products and animal products. This includes everything from steak to eggs.