JeLuDa Allergy

Paraben Allergy

Parabens are a chemical preservative used in a multitude of different products, but most commonly associated with hair and skin products and medications.

They are very effective as antifungal and antibacterial agents to give products a longer shelf life, but unfortunately can act as an irritant in some people and can cause contact allergic reactions. Parabens are more commonly shown to irritate the skin after it has already been inflamed by another allergen. This is called the ‘Paraben Paradox’.

They have low toxicity compared to other preservatives and rarely cause allergic reactions from being ingested (in the form of medications).

Read the rest at ALLERGY RESOURCES.

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Jemma

Poplar Pollen – Allergy Resources

There is only one pollen allergen associated with poplar pollen, it is an allergen associated with airways. Poplars are in the same genus of trees as cottonwood.

Pop n 2 is a profilin protein, these are panallergens and can cause allergies across multiple species of plants and foods.

Propolis is the glue made by bees to build and repair their hives. In Europe the most common tree buds used by bees to make propolis are from the Poplar tree. Propolis is a mixture of tree waxes and resins, balsam, essential oils, pollen and other vitamins and minerals.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Poplar.php

The allergy resources page for poplar pollen covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with poplar pollen.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for poplar pollen allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

If you have multiple allergies and are interested in how they are linked or want to find out more about food allergies outside the usual top 14 then you can follow me on Facebook or Twitter, where I share a food allergy card every day of the week.

Food Allergy: Oleosin Proteins

What are they?

Oleosin proteins are a lesser known allergenic protein found in plants. The proteins are involved in preventing the build up of oil molecules and may have a role in lipid store degredation during plant germination.

Oleosin proteins have been shown to maintain their shape after thermal processing, for example, studies have shown that roasted peanuts (in their shell) had more allergenic oleosin proteins than peanuts which were not heated.

If you want to read more on the topic and access all the additional resources check out my website at – www.allergyresources.co.uk/Oleosin.php

The majority of my posts are no longer on WordPress – follow me on Facebook , Instagram or Twitter if you don’t want to miss my monthly round-ups or allergy card updates!

Jemma

Celery-Mugwort-Spice Syndrome – Allergy Resources

Celery-Mugwort-Spice Syndrome is essentially a sub-category of Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome. The body mistakes the shape of a protein that it is already sensitive to (a plant pollen) to a similarly shaped protein in certain fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, and nuts.

The sensitising pollen is from the mugwort plant and allergic reactions are to foods that contain proteins which are similarly shaped.

In Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome the most common sensitising pollen is Bet v 1, which is an allergen from birch trees. It is also sometimes referred to as a PR-10 protein (where PR means pathogenesis related). In Celery-Mugwort-Spice Syndrome the sensitising allergen is a profilin protein called Art v 4, sometimes also called Bet v 2 proteins.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/CMS-Syndrome.php

The allergy resources page for Celery Mugwort Spice Syndrome covers the key allergens and which foods which are commonly cross reactive.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for Celery Mugwort Spice Syndrome and the latest research papers on the topic.

Chives – Allergy Resources

Chives are in the Allium family, this group also contains onions, garlic and leek.

Patch testing using chives can cause false-positive reactions because of diallyl disulfide which is found in the garlic bulb. This chemical acts as an irritant on the skin. Diallyl disulfide is used as a garlic flavouring in food and garlic oil.

An allergy to chives after ingestion is more commonly linked to Non-IgE allergy than a true IgE allergy. It is important if you think you are allergic to complete a food diary to ensure you are not eliminating large groups of food unnecessarily. There are tips on how to make a Food Diary here.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Chive.php

The allergy resources page for chives covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with chives.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for chive allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

Benzoate – Allergy Resources

Benzoate is a preservative found in foods, drinks, beauty products and other household items which can cause a contact allergic reaction.

Sodium benzoate does not occur naturally in food, but benzoic acid is found in prunes, cinnamon, cloves, tea, tomatoes, plums, apples and cranberries.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Benzoate.php

The allergy resources page for benzoate covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with benzoate.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for benzoate allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

Guinea Pig – Allergy Resources

There is are 5 allergens associated with an allergy to guinea pigs, this includes their hair, dander (which is flakes of dry skin), urine and saliva. These are all allergens associated with airways.

4 of the allergens are lipocalin proteins, in other animal dander allergies this is the protein that most individuals react to. These proteins transport molecules like lipids and steroids around the body.

Cav p 4 is a serum albumin protein, people who are allergic to this protein are more likely to be allergic to other mammals and very rarely can become allergic to eating mammalian meats such as beef, chicken and pork, which also contain these proteins.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Guinea-Pig.php

The allergy resources page for guinea pig covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with guinea pig hair.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for guinea pig hair allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

Lilac Pollen – Allergy Resources

There are 2 pollen allergens associated with lilac pollen, they are all allergens associated with airways.

Syr v 1 is a glycoprotein and is often referred to as “Ole e 1-like” as it closely resembles the main allergen in olive pollen. It has high cross-reactivity with the main allergens of other plants in the Oleaceae family.

Syr v 2 is a polcalcin protein , these are calcium binding protein commonly associated with pollen germination. These proteins are highly cross reactive and also considered to be panallergens.

Lilacs are members of the Olive Tree family. Pollen season is between May and June. This varies from country to country. It is considered to have low allergenicity as they are insect pollinated rather than wind pollinated. It may be an issue if you have a lilac pollen allergy and have the flowers in the house.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Lilac.php

The allergy resources page for lilac pollen covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with lilac pollen.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for lilac pollen allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

Nickel – Allergy Resources

Nickel is a metal which is commonly used as a binding metal in jewellery, metal fastenings on clothings such as zips and buttons, cutlery and mobile phone casings.

Silver coins contain traces of nickel, occupational allergic dermatitis is common in people who work frequently with cash.

Nickel allergy has also been noted after transplantation surgery, mostly associated with hip and knee replacements and in dental procedures.

Nickel can also be found in foods if cooked with nickel plated cookware and traces are found in canned foods.

I have put together some more comprehensive resources at http://www.allergyresources.co.uk/Nickel.php

The allergy resources page for nickel covers the key allergens, which allergic syndromes are linked to this allergy and other foods which are commonly cross reactive with nickel.

There is also regularly updated links to useful websites specifically for nickel allergies and the latest research papers on the topic.

Food Allergy: Bet v 1 Proteins

What are they?

The scientific name for birch tree is Betula verrucosa. Bet v 1 is the name of the most common allergen found in birch tree pollen (Learn more about how allergy proteins are named). It is considered to be the sensitising allergen which can go on to cause allergies to multiple pollens and foods.

Bet v 1 proteins are also known as PR-10 proteins (pathogenesis related) as they are used by plants as a defence against disease and predators.

These proteins are considered to be secondary allergens as they only cause allergic reactions as a result of cross reactivity between similarly shaped proteins.

These proteins vary from species to species in how the allergenicity is changed due to heat. Most studies show Bet v 1 proteins are generally not heat resistant and will be broken down after cooking, processing or removal of fruit skin/rind.

If you want to read more on the topic and access all the additional resources check out my website at – www.allergyresources.co.uk/Bet-v-1.php

The majority of my posts are no longer on WordPress – follow me on Facebook or Twitter if you don’t want to miss my monthly round-ups or allergy card updates!