Posted on February 13, 2009 in Latest News
Almonds belong to the family of Rosacea (apricot, peach, and apple). However, almonds are classified under tree nuts. Almonds are listed among the top 8 food allergens by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hence, it is important for those with tree nut allergies to completely avoid eating almonds.
Almond allergy is caused when our body mistakenly identifies certain proteins in almonds as harmful and reacts to it, resulting in various allergic symptoms. People with almonds allergies can be allergic to other nuts such as peanut, walnut, cashewnut and hence should be careful.
Sources of Almonds:
Almonds are available in various forms such as whole, paste or chopped. They are used in bakery for products such as cakes, cookies, pies. Some of the forms in which almond is available are:
- Almond paste
- Almond butter
- Almond cream
- Almond extract
The FDA requires food manufacturers to list almonds as allergens on packaged food products. Hence, it is important to read labels to avoid almond allergy.
Symptoms of Almond Allergy:
Symptoms of almond allergy can start with itching around the mouth, swelling, hives all over the body, watery eyes. This can lead to life threatening anaphylatic reaction which can be fatal. The symptoms of anaphylais are:
- Difficulty breathing and swallowing
- Shortness of breath
- Low blood pressure
- Loss of consciousness
To prevent an anaphylactic reaction, you should inject Epinephrine. Hence, people with almond allergy should always carry self-injectable Epinephrine such as Epi-Pen.
Managing Almond Allergy:
To determine if you have almond allergy, you can undergoe allergy tests. The only way to manage almond allergy is to avoid them completely in all forms. Reading the labels of the food products, asking about the ingredients while eating out, making sure there is no cross-contamination in the food are some of the ways to prevent almond allergy. It is also important to always carry an self-injectable epinephrine to avoid anaphylactic reaction
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February 13th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
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