Overview
About Alpha-gal
Alpha-gal is a sugar found in mammals, and this metric flags beef, pork, lamb and game along with the gelatin, tallow and dairy derived from them.
In the data
Where you will find alpha-gal
- Alpha-gal syndrome, the tick bite acquired allergy to the sugar galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, covers all non-primate mammalian meat. Lamb and mutton count, and reactions are typically delayed by three to six hours after the meal, which makes them easy to blame on the wrong food
- Alpha-gal syndrome applies to veal. Reactions to mammalian meat are typically delayed by three to six hours, which is what makes them so easy to blame on the wrong meal
Examples
A few ingredients either way
Grading
How we grade alpha-gal
Every ingredient in the database carries one grade for alpha-gal, and this page, the checker and the app all read that same grade. It describes the ingredient as it is usually eaten. Portion size and preparation move it.
Practical
Working with alpha-gal
- Swap mammalian meat for poultry, fish or egg, none of which carry alpha-gal.
- Track dairy and gelatin separately, since only some people with alpha-gal syndrome react to them.
- Keep a detailed food and symptom diary to track your personal reactions
- Eliminate the suspected trigger completely for 2-4 weeks
- Reintroduce gradually to find your personal tolerance threshold
- Work with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian for guidance
- Remember that food sensitivities can change over time
Method
Test it with a diary
Most people find their own triggers by logging meals and symptoms for a few weeks and reading the result back. Three steps.
- 1Log every meal for a few weeks. Type it, say it out loud, or scan a barcode, and it lands as a list of ingredients.
- 2Rate how you feel through the day on whatever you are tracking, whether that is bloating, headaches, skin or sleep.
- 3Read the pattern back. Every ingredient you logged is scored against the days you felt worse, and the result ranks alpha-gal against everything else you eat.
Questions
Questions people ask
Can you eat lamb if you have alpha-gal syndrome?
No. Alpha-gal is present in the meat of all non-primate mammals, so lamb, mutton, beef, pork, venison, goat and rabbit are all affected. Poultry, fish and shellfish do not contain it and are usually tolerated. Reactions after mammalian meat are characteristically delayed by several hours rather than immediate, which is why alpha-gal is so often missed, and severity varies from hives to anaphylaxis. Some people also react to gelatin and dairy from the same animals.
More about lambCan you eat veal with alpha-gal syndrome?
No. Alpha-gal is a sugar found in all non-primate mammals, so veal carries it just as beef, pork and lamb do. Being younger meat makes no difference. Poultry and fish do not contain alpha-gal, which is why they are the standard replacements.
More about vealRead next
Where to go next
Get started
Tracking alpha-gal?
Log what you eat and how you feel, and the app finds the pattern for you. Or look an ingredient up here first.