According to Food Allergy Research & Education, up to 15 million Americans have food allergies. A May 2017 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology showed that women and Asian people are most affected.
For example, Emmy Rossum has a gluten intolerance. “I’ve always been gluten-free, so that helps me to not snack on things that, in theory, put on weight,” she told Shape magazine. “Not to say that I don’t eat crème brûlée on the weekend — I do! I think if you deprive your body of anything for too long, your body will crave it and be really miserable.”
Rossum is far from alone living a gluten-free life, either because of an allergy or by choice. According to Forbes, 3.1 million across the United States follow a gluten-free diet — and 72 percent of them are people without celiac disease avoiding gluten.
That said, let’s get into the surprising number of celebs who can’t eat gluten, dairy and other allergenic foods.
A version of this article was originally published in June 2017.
Emmy Rossum
Shameless star Emmy Rossum has celiac disease and an intolerance to gluten.
When she was a guest judge on Top Chef in 2014, her gluten-free diet proved to be a curveball for the cheftestants. "I still don't think it's cool," she said on the show. "I'm allergic to gluten. I have a mild celiac [disease], so I don’t think it’s cool. The chefs were definitely terrified."
Kelly Clarkson
In 2013, Kelly Clarkson tweeted that an allergy test revealed many allergies, including peanuts.
"News flash: I'm allergic to a lot of stuff. I am now officially going to live in a bubble. Look out Flaming Lips, I'm stealing your idea!" she wrote.
Miley Cyrus
While Miley Cyrus doesn't have any full-blown food allergies, she has sensitivities to gluten and lactose.
"For everyone calling me anorexic I have a gluten and lactose allergy," she wrote in a tweet in 2012. "It's not about weight it’s about health. Gluten is crapppp anyway!"
Steve Martin
Actor and comedian Steve Martin is allergic to shellfish. He's not alone: According to a May 2017 study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the most common food allergy was to shellfish, such as shrimp and lobster.
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has a gluten allergy.
"I'm a big believer in listening to my body's cravings," Clinton told The Telegraph in 2014. "I was a vegetarian for 10 years, a pescatarian for eight. Then I woke up one day when I was 29 and craved red meat."
Clay Aiken
American Idol star Clay Aiken is allergic to a number of foods, including coffee, chocolate, shellfish, tree nuts and mushrooms.
He told Rolling Stone in 2003 that chocolate, coffee and mint cause him "gastric spasms like I'm giving birth out of my chest."
Victoria Beckham
Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has a gluten intolerance. According to The Guardian, Beckham says her gluten-free diet is how she keeps her trim figure.
Ray Romano
Actor and comedian Ray Romano is allergic to peanuts.
Way back in 2001, Romano reportedly was rushed to the UCLA hospital after eating a snack that had peanuts in it.
Kelis
Her milkshake may bring all the boys to the yard, but hold the nuts — Kelis is allergic to peanuts.
According to The Sun, Kelis had an allergic reaction while eating at a restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland. A friend said, "Her face went red and puffy and she started spluttering for air. It's dreadful to think what could have happened — people can be killed by bad reactions to nuts."
Drew Barrymore
We're not sure how Santa Clarita Diet star Drew Barrymore lives with her coffee and garlic allergies — those are two of our favorite foods!
She told the Houston Chronicle in a 1997 interview that eating "can be a major pain" for her.
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton's diet is pretty restricted to accommodate his allergies to dairy and wheat.
"I've actually been eating well since the '90s, because I'm allergic to wheat and dairy. I'm a vegan who cheats — that's what I call myself," he told AARP last month.
Serena Williams
According to an interview with Fitness magazine in 2014, Serena Williams is allergic to wheat.
"I live with my sister, Venus, who has Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease. Before her problems, I ate a lot of junk. I also found out three years ago that I'm allergic to wheat, so I'm trying to eat a clean diet of natural, raw foods," she said.
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel has to really watch what she eats — she's allergic to eggs, dairy and wheat.
"I am the worst person to ever eat with because I have all these stupid food allergies," she told Vulture in 2011. "To be a gluten-free vegan is, like, the most difficult thing you can possibly be. And I lasted, like, six months. At a certain point, you just have to go, 'You know, this gets in the way of my living too much.' I think I was at a sushi restaurant and I was like, 'Oh. Fuck it.'"
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is one of many celebs with shellfish allergies, but she also has an unusual intolerance: bananas.
In 2011, she tweeted, "I just discovered that I'm allergic to bananas. How bizarre is that?? Haha.. Are any of you allergic to bananas too? #NoBananaClub xoxoxo"
Halle Berry
Hold the shrimp — actor Halle Berry is reportedly another star with a shellfish allergy.
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