All you need to know about food allergies

Testing for food allergies
Tree nut allergies as an adult

 

Do you have any allergies? No.

But did you check yourself?  Probably no.

Neither did I.

Until recently.

Dark chocolate, raw protein bars, granola, nut-butters. Sounds very healthy and random. The common thing is, all of the above contain nuts.

All you need to know about food allergies

I am a big advocate of mindful eating and striving to be healthy day by day.

I had a small habit. Until I found that I am allergic to hazelnuts.

I would buy 85% dark chocolate with my coffee in the morning. Few pieces of the bittersweetness to kickstart my day.

Sadly, chocolate contains hazelnuts.

All you need to know about food allergies

I found out with a skin allergy test, which I didn’t plan on doing.

I am naturally very aware of how certain foods make me feel and I thought I knew myself better.

My allergist told me that even though I tested negative to almonds, for my wellbeing is better if I avoid nuts in general.

Easier said than done. When nuts are hiding in every prepacked food.

All you need to know about food allergies

Hazelnut allergy is one of the most common tree nut allergies.

The symptoms can vary from mild to severe.

COMMON SYMPTOMS IN ADULTS

From skin rashes to itching or swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat.

Trouble breathing, facial swelling and gastrointestinal distress.

 

I read somewhere that I could have developed it by consuming a large number of nuts, but I would probably never know.

Since the results of my allergy test, I tried to find more information on tree nut allergies. And even though they are one of the most common allergies in the world, the information around them is limited.

I know I am not alone in this.

Keep on reading if you have been diagnosed with a tree nut allergy or if you know someone who is. 

HOW TO READ A FOOD LABEL WITH A TREE NUT ALLERGY

Always read the entire food label.
Don’t skim it, sometimes companies will put nuts under a different name.

Look for:  ”May contain nuts” or ”Produces in the same facility as..”

Keep in mind that allergic reaction can occur from 24 to 72 hours within the nut exposure. 

All you need to know about food allergies

Watch out for:

  • Almond paste
  • Anacardium nuts
  • Anacardium occidentale (Anacardiaceae) [botanical name, Cashew]
  • Artificial nuts
  • Beechnut
  • Brazil nut
  • Bertholletia excelsa (Lecythidaceae) [botanical name, Brazil nut]
  • Bush nut
  • Butternut
  • Butyrospermum Parkii [botanical name, Shea nut]
  • Canarium ovatum Engl. in A. DC. (Burseraceae) [botanical name, Pili nut]
  • Caponata
  • Carya illinoensis (Juglandaceae) [botanical name, Pecan]
  • Carya spp. (Juglandaceae) [botanical name, Hickory nut]
  • Cashew
  • Castanea pumila (Fagaceae) [botanical name, Chinquapin]
  • Castanea spp. (Fagaceae) [botanical name, Chestnut (Chinese, American, European, Seguin)]
  • Chestnut (Chinese, American, European, Seguin)
  • Chinquapin
  • Coconut
  • Cocos nucifera L. (Arecaceae (alt. Palmae)) [botanical name, Coconut]
  • Corylus spp. (Betulaceae) [botanical name, Filbert/hazelnut]
  • Filbert
  • Fagus spp. (Fagaceae) [botanical name, beech nut]
  • Gianduja
  • Ginko nut
  • Ginkgo biloba L. (Ginkgoaceae) [botanical name, Ginko nut]
  • Hazelnut
  • Heartnut
  • Hickory nut
  • Indian nut
  • Juglans cinerea (Juglandaceae) [botanical name, Butternut]
  • Juglans spp. (Juglandaceae) [botanical name, Walnut, Butternut, Heartnut]
  • Karite (shea nut)
  • Lichee nut
  • Litchi chinensis Sonn. Sapindaceae [botanical name, Lichee nut]
  • Lychee nut
  • Macadamia nut
  • Macadamia spp. (Proteaceae) [botanical name, Macadamia nut/Bush nut]
  • Mandelonas
  • Marzipan
  • Mashuga nuts
  • Nangai nuts
  • Natural nut extract (for example, almond extract)
  • Nougat
  • Nu-Nuts®
  • Nut butter (e.g., Almond butter, Hazelnut butter, Brazil nut butter, Macadamia nut butter, Pistachio nut butter, Shea nut butter, Karike butter, as well as other nut butters)
  • Nut meal
  • Nutella ®
  • Nutmeat
  • Nut oil (e.g., Walnut oil as well as other nut oils), nut paste, nut pieces
  • Pecan
  • Pigñolia
  • Pili nut
  • Pine nut
  • Pine nut (Indian, piñon, pinyon, pigndi, pigñolia, pignon nuts)
  • Pinon nut
  • Piñon or Piñon nut
  • Pinus spp. (Pineaceae) [botanical name, Pine nut/piñon nut]
  • Pistachio
  • Pistacia vera L. (Anacardiaceae) [botanical name, Pistachio]
  • Pralines
  • Prunus dulcis (Rosaceae) [bontanical name, almond]
  • Shea nut
  • Sheanut
  • Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn. (Sapotaceae) [botanical name, Shea nut]
  • Walnut (English, Persian, Black, Japanese, California)

Always speak up. Better safe than sorry.

It’s your health at the end of the day.
Don’t be shy to ask in the restaurants about the ingredients. Tell the waiter, the chef. Tell your friends.

All you need to know about food allergies

COOK AT HOME WHEN POSSIBLE.

Eating home-cooked meals is always a better choice. It’s safer and you are in charge of the ingredients.

HAVE SAFE GO-TO PLACES WHEN YOU NEED TO EAT OUTSIDE

Go to places you trust. But don’t be afraid to double-check.

Life after being diagnosed with a tree nut allergy

From this day, I knew that my life would change.

I still have to make many diet adjustments, check everything and share it with friends and family.

It won’t be easy until I get used to it.
I would need to get used to say about my tree nut allergy to the waiter in the restaurant. To my friends when I get invited to visit for the holidays.
Because allergies could be life-threatening. It’s not a joke. 

What about you? Do you have any allergy that you are aware of?

Have you experienced any of the symptoms? Or do you know someone who is allergic to nuts? Share with me here

 

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