Episode 53: The Tick Bite Behind a Hidden Food Allergy

What if a single tick bite could change the way your body reacts to food forever?In this episode, Nina sits down with Professor Sheryl van Nunen, the ground-breaking clinician who first uncovered the link between tick bites and mammalian meat allergy, now known as alpha-gal syndrome.Professor van Nunen breaks down how this condition was discovered, why reactions to red meat are delayed, and how symptoms can escalate from gut pain to life-threatening anaphylaxis. She unpacks the immune mechanisms behind alpha-gal, explains why large local tick reactions matter, and reveals why some meats are riskier than others.We also dive into what every clinician and patient needs to know right now, from evolving diagnostic tools and warning signs, to prevention strategies and the growing public health implications of tick-related disease.If you eat meat, live in tick-prone areas, or work in healthcare, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.