Entomophagy and allergy: Immune reactions to ingested arthropods

The gastrointestinal tract promotes immunologic tolerance to consistently ingested proteins; exposure through the skin or respiratory tract promotes reactivity. Homologous invertebrate proteins can induce reactions in sensitized people. Orally administered mite extract mitigates mite-induced rhinitis. Consistent entomophagy may prevent allergy by inducing tolerance to cross-reactive proteins implicated in additional reactions.