Why you should be happy if you are allergic to something

Do you turn purple as soon as you come within 8 meters of a strawberry? Do your eyes water when you look at a nut? Just be glad.

Because it's good if you're allergic to something. Hay fever, always looking for bread without that nasty gluten, or do you get the hiccups from anything that has touched cow's milk? It's certainly not something to be ashamed of. Because if you're allergic to something, you would have a higher IQ. In fact, research shows: the higher your IQ, the greater the chance that you are allergic to something.

To confirm this, people who work at Mensa were studied. Pay attention, dear friends: Mensa is still a real thing in the world of smart people. You can't just apply or come work there. Only the smartest on earth can become members. The average IQ there is around 140, 150? Something like that. And it turns out that the Einsteins and the highly gifted often struggle with ailments and thus also with allergies. The reason for this is not yet fully known. Who knows, it might have to do with evolution. Because look: if you're not strong, physically speaking,, then it pays off to be extra smart. Someone with a lot of muscle mass who never catches a cold doesn't need all those brain cells at all. He can win a mate just by showing off his muscles. He can scare away all the bears with his fist. If you're not strong, then it makes sense to dive into the books, so they thought back then, because otherwise you end up totally lonely.. If you're smart enough, you will never come face to face with that bear. And then the females will also want you as a partner.

Anyway. That's enough of the history lesson because by now we no longer need to catch bears to score a partner. Yet allergies occur more often now than ever before. What exactly is an allergy? An abnormal reaction of your immune system to harmless things. Because for most, a strawberry is not really something to be afraid of, but for you it is. In principle, any food that contains proteins can cause a food allergy. And you can also be allergic to other things than food, of course. Just think of those fine pollen in the air. Or to perfume, for example. Not fun either. But well, whatever you miss because of your allergy, you can be happy with your brain. That's more important than that Chanel scent around you. Yes, really.

FACTS

• When they are allergic to something, most people are allergic to cow's milk, chicken eggs, peanuts, nuts, and fish, shellfish.
• At least 25% of the people in the Netherlands have an allergy.
• It doesn't happen often, but still... 1 in 23 million people is allergic to water. Hooray for the wine.