Tree-nut allergy questions (coconut? palm oil?)
Posted on December 1st, 2008 by alison
Tree-nut allergy confusion? Hope this helps…
Is coconut considered a tree nut?
There is conflicting information on whether coconut must be avoided by people who are allergic to tree nuts.
Coconut has not in the past been considered a tree nut, but in 2006, the FDA began to define coconut as a tree nut. However, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, “the available medical literature contains documentation of a small number of allergic reactions to coconut; most occurred in people who were not allergic to other tree nuts. Ask your doctor if you need to avoid coconut.”
According to Allergy New Zealand, “coconuts are not tree nuts but are monocotyledonous plants of the palm family Arecaceae. Nut bearing trees, on the other hand, are dicots and are only distantly related to the palm species. Coconut rarely causes allergy. Most allergists will not suggest coconut avoidance unless there has been an allergic reaction to coconut.”
My daughter, who is allergic to cashews (and we don’t know yet about other tree nuts), eats coconut. We have never avoided it and never had a problem. I think that some people may have a coconut allergy in addition to a tree nut allergy, but whether the two are related remains unclear.
What about palm oil?
A friend told me that a pie she saw in a store had on the ingredient label “palm oil (a tree nut allergen)”. This is a case of the manufacturer not understanding what constitutes an tree-nut allergen, because palm oil does not come from a tree nut.
Palm oil comes from directly from the tree but has nothing to do with a tree nut. In addition, palm oil does not contain any [tree nut] proteins to which people are allergic. I verified this fact on the phone with FAAN. Palm oil is safe for tree-nut allergic individuals, unless they also have an allergy to palm oil (highly unlikely). [Correction: I meant to say that palm oil does not contain any tree nut proteins, but someone could be allergic to palm oil as a separate allergy from tree nuts.]
Is a water chestnut a nut?
A chestnut is a nut, but a water chestnut is a vegetable. No problem for the tree-nut allergic!
Does nutmeg come from a nut?
Nutmeg comes from the seeds of a tropical tree. It is not a nut and therefore safe for nut-allergic people. Someone might be allergic to nutmeg for other reasons, but a nutmeg allergy is probably rare.
Any other questions? Comment below and I will try to answer!
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I have an allergy to Acai Berries. I am slightly allergic to tree nuts almonds, walnuts. Also peanuts. Not pignolas (pinenuts). Also, not allergic to Coconut. I understand Acai Berries are a small fruit from the Palm tree. Is there something related in these berries that is a kin to the tree nuts that cause allergies? Sadly, I am also allergic to strawberries, raspberries, blackberries (yum!). But thankfully not blueberries or cranberries or pomegranates.
Thanks!
Hi Tiffany,
The acai berries don’t have anything to do with tree nuts.
But after some research, it seems that many people have a reaction to acai berries. Here is one forum where people are talking about it:
Allergy to Acai Berries
I’m glad you asked this question, because everyone talks about acai as being a superfood. I will be on the lookout for allergy to this in my family!
I’m interested in your statement that people are not allergic to palm oil. My four-year-old grandson gets a terrible rash on his bottom if he eats anything containing either palm oil or cottonseed oil. He comes from a long line of people with food allergies. I have wondered, however, if his sensitivity might be to the pesticide/herbicide chemicals used on the plants rather than to the plant itself. I know that cotton crops are raised with massive amounts of pesticides. Have you heard of this before?
My daughter has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy. She recently has been interested in trying pomegranates - some children at her school have been eating them. I’m concerned - are they at all related to any nut? Are they safe for her to eat?
Catherine,
Good question - I really don’t know how much of the chemicals get into the oil itself. Definitely something to check out! I is possible that he is allergic to both palm oil and cottonseed oil - and you are sure you have been able to isolate it to just those oils, and not the foods that were eaten with them?
Rhe,
Regarding pomegranate, it seems that there could be “a cross-reactivity between pomegranate, hazelnut and peanut”, according to an article in the publication Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2006 Jan;96(1):122-3. I was not able to find the contents of the article, but found another article about the pomegranate where they mention the same thing:
Pomegranate
Thanks for asking this question - not sure what I will do with this information (my daughter is also allergic to tree nuts and peanuts).
There is something in Red Palm Oil to which people can be allegic because I am. I used it from a bottle and could not eat the food. It made my mouth feel like it was sunburned. I also bought some Smart Balance, not realizing they had a new formula, that now has red palm oil and had the same reaction. This leads me to believe it is something in the Red Palm Oil and not the version I bought.
I just now this week developed a severe allergy to coconut. I was sharing a chunk of raw coconut with my daughter when I had an anaphalactic allergic reaction and almost died. Now I am trying to figure out how my life is changed other than carrying an epipen with me everywhere and being fearful of hidden coconut… am I at risk with fragrances or soaps or palm oils or coconut oils? I am trying to get information if there is anyone out there like me help would be appreciated. Thank you
Oh my gosh Debby! That sounds frightening. I would think that if you had such a severe reaction you should avoid anything with coconut in it just to be safe, but don’t you think that you have been using products for years with coconut in it?
My daughter is allergic to tree nuts and sun flower seeds.We live in the mountains of West Virginia and she likes to hunt deer and squirrel.These animals eat lots of tree nuts, is it safe for her to eat the meat? Noboby so far can say yes or no, do you have any info on this?
I have to disagree with you in regards to allergies to pure palm oil. If i consume anything that has “palm oil” in the contents within 5 minutes I am nauseated,severe stomach cramps, diahrrea and larthargic. blood pressure drops, requires a shot of adrenlin. This has happened 5 times and only when I have eaten something with “palm oil” in the food. Now I have to check every thing I eat to make sure it has no “palm oil” in the food. Including restaurants. This allergy can be very devastating to very few people.
Kelly,
Wow — I have no idea on that question! I would think this wouldn’t matter since it seems the allergenic protein wouldn’t make it through like that. But I’m no scientist!
Pauline,
I have corrected my sentence in the original article… what I meant was that palm oil does not contain tree nut proteins, but a person could have a separate allergy to palm oil. Thanks for pointing out my mistake.
My three year old is allergic to peanuts. Should I avoid the coconut? Not sure of the severity of the allergy as it was found out during a test for his milk allergy. I do have an epi-pen as it could be that serious. Is it worth the risk to try?
I just recently discovered that I am allergic to both palm oil and cottonseed oil. This site came up in a search for those two allergens, and I see that the boy mentioned in the comment above is also afflicted by these same two allergies. I wonder about the pesticides. It’s worth investigating. I’m also allergic to peanuts, by the way.
My son has a palm oil allergy that we dicovered when he ate a natural peanut butter that contained palm oil. Before seeing his reaction (spots then blowing up like a balloon) we had only noticed that he seemed foggy brained. About a year after the peanut butter incident we discovered that milk and many cereals are fortified with vitamins a and d, from palmitate. Now we are more vigilant to keep any type of palm product away from him. After less than a week, we noticed a dfferent kid: less whining, more attentive, and for getting less than he ever had. I hope this helps someone.
Hello,
My 3 year old son just had a allergic reaction to what they think is the peanuts..Ive been calling all over to manufatcutres to make sure that the foods I am feeding him are peanut free or made in a peanut free facility. One of his favorite lunch foods are Pizza pops that I notice have cocanut in them… Is cocanut considered a nut, should I avoid giving him this???
Chelsie,
It seems clear that people have allergies to coconut and palm oil. I would speak with your allergist have him tested specifically for coconut and palm oil.
My son (5), is allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and coconut. My question relates to the coconut allergy. I have not gotten a clear answer to this question - even from my pediatric allergist … should my son avoid palm oil, palmitate because of the coconut allergy? He has never actually consumed coconut, but prior to the diagnosis, he had consumed items with coconut oil, palm oil and palmitate and experienced no visible reaction. That said, I am very careful about palm because of the coconut allergy - I am just wondering if I really need to be. Any input would be helpful. Thanks.
Elene,
What kind of testing was done to determine the coconut allergy? I would verify that your son is allergic to coconut specifically. And then I would ask if he could be tested for an allergy to palm oil. When my daughter did skin testing, even if the extracts weren’t available for certain foods, I was asked to bring in the real food itself and they put it into the skin, just as they would the extract. This is how we confirmed my daughter’s avocado allergy. She actually didn’t react to avocado extract, but given her history with a reaction to fresh avocado, he had me bring in fresh avocado and sure enough she had a big skin reaction. She was also tested with fresh banana when she was younger and even fresh raw fish.
If your son doesn’t react, ask if it would be possible to do a food challenge with your doctor. That was going to be our next step with the avocado if she didn’t react to the skin test.
Can a person eat vanilla extract,or pure vanilla when they have tree nut allergies.I understand this is a bean but are they any relation to tree nuts,would it be safe to eat.
I have never heard that someone with a nut allergy should avoid vanilla. My daughter is allergic to peanuts, cashews and pistachios, and she has vanilla all the time.
I feel like I have had blisters in my throat for about 10 days now. I am allergic to peanuts and I have been eating (for 10 days) Paul Newman chocolate cookies which are made with “palm fruit”… is that considered part of the peanut family?
Hello, my son is 4 and has an epi-pen for tree nut and cat allergy. He has numerous other allergies as well, including wheat, soy, and corn. These 3 are a class 2. Now they are considering to test him for celiac disease. Does anyone know if a mild wheat allergy would be the same as gluten allergy, in which causes celiac? Just trying to see his chances of being a celiac, and if I should be worried before he even takes the test. If anyone could shed some light on this for me I would greatly appreciate it.
Hi Shenola,
My son is 3 1/2 and he had a wheat allergy at age 1–so we avoided all wheat, gluten etc. When he was re-tested the following year he had outgrown it and now does fine with all products containing wheat and gluten. I believe that a wheat allergy and celiac disease can be 2 different things. Does your son have any other symptoms of celiac or is there a history in the family? I know how you feel–as soon as they said wheat allergy I thought of celiac.
are palm dates tree nuts?
My teacher son has a tree-nut allergy and his daycare called and asked if he could have coconut and she said no becuase she didn’t know if a coconut is a nut so she went on google and checked if a coconut is a tree-nut but she found the best thing to do is talk to the allergy doctor. So if you have a kid that has a allergy of tree-nuts check with the allergy doctor.
I think coconuts are fruit
katrina
It is vital that all people with food allergies (or any intense allergy, like bee stings) carry one or two “EpiPens” with them at all times. They now distribute “practice” EpiPens (no needle, no epinephrine) so the real injector isn’t a strange device. I expect that the EpiPen is probably painful, but it’s got to be an improvement over not breathing.
If you have, or think you have, allergies, find a good allergist. Ask your internist or family doctor, and your friends and neighbors, who they’ve seen and who they think is a good allergist.
Keep in mind that even doctors can recommend some real losers. An outstanding internist I had a number of years ago recommended a gynecologist for me to see; she was also listed in a local magazine as one of the best doctors in the area. When I woke from the gyn’s surgery on me, my abdomen looked like I’d been hit by a truck and felt worse. I had nearly identical surgery two more times with no bruising.
If you have any question about an allergist’s competence or interest, you have no reason to return to see that doctor again. You don’t have to explain to anyone why you’re changing to another doctor. Doctors are actually employed by us “patients” and we are under no obligation to return to a doctor we don’t feel comfortable with.
There are insurance policies that limit which doctor(s) you can see, but push the insurance company if you don’t feel that available doctor(s) are competent.
NEVER underestimate a food allergy. They can be quickly fatal. They can be dramatically worse each time you’re exposed to the allergen, so don’t assume that you’ll be safe because you only had a few hives last time you ate the offending food.
If you are allergic to sunflower oil and seeds can you eat safflower oil.
I am very new to this now, I had to take my son to the ER today because he had a allergic reaction to a Brazilian Nut. He has never had a reaction before to mixed nuts or any kind of nut until today. I decided to take him to the ER and I am so glad I did. He would have died if I hadn’t, and on top of having asthma. My question is on sunflower oil and any other oil that may contain nuts. I have to wait until Monday to talk to his doctor. I am allergic to certain nuts now also. He has been eating peanut butter since he was one or two. Could you advise me on what to look out for on ingredients labels? I have somethings that contain coconuts and sunflower oils. Thank you from a mom that never had to deal with this in any of her kids until now. Any suggestions I would be greatly indebted to you.
Thank you,
Jennifer M.
Jennifer,
That is really scary about your son.
Sunflower seeds are not nuts, but some people have an allergy to seeds, such as sunflower, sesame and poppy.
Coconuts are also different from tree nuts, but people could also have an allergy to coconut.
Here is a Tree-Nut Allergy Guide to help you:
http://surefoodsliving.com/diet-guides/tree-nut-free-diet-guide/
I hope this helps and good luck.
Alison
Hi… My 17 yr old son is allergic to Peanuts and tree nuts. Also Chicken and turkey… Over the last cpl of months we have found that he has an allergy to baked beans!….. Is it well known that once u have anaphalaxia you will become more ‘prone’ to other things! Thanks
First of lets be clear so there is no misunderstanding by the readers here. Red Palm Oil or palm oil does not come from a nut so the prospects of someone being allergic to it is not true. Red Palm Oil/Palm Oil comes from the outer layer of the palm fruit that is indigenous to the equator/tropical regions of the world. Palm is considered a vegetable in terms of classification.
Palm Trees of this kind do produce a nut with a hard shell. This shell is more rigid than that of the walnut shell and would require a nutcracker to get to the core of this nut. The core can be used to produce palm kernel oil which can be found in ice cream and store shelf products. Even so because this oil is from a vegetable it is difficult to classify the core as a nut since it is nothing like a peanut, or related nuts.
Palm oil is considered a vegetable oil like olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, etc. It is not a tree nut. There is some degree of misinformation going on here and there is usually underlying intent as a reason to misinform people. So, just to be factual, palm oil comes from a vegetable so if you are allergic to that you must be allergic to vegetable oil in general.
my son has been allergy tested and it has said he is allergic to trees, quite high. my husband has been growing palm trees and cultivating them, and is very successful, mr doctor seems to think that these trees are ok, but surely trees are trees, does any one know if this is correct. my husband has them growing around the house.many thanks.lisa
Dear Alison,
I have a 20 year old daughter who has had peanut allergy ever since she was 2 years old, also allergic to other nuts as well. Please are you able to tell me if palm oil would be safe for her.
Many thanks
Rose
Rose,
To my knowledge, palm oil has nothing to do with peanuts. I have heard of people having an allergy to palm oil, however. The safest thing would be to get her tested first.
How come I’m allergic to tree nuts but not peanuts?
Barb,
Peanuts are legumes, not tree nuts! For some reason, some people can be allergic to both tree nuts and peanuts.
I had a bad allergic reaction to using tea tree oil on my skin and just had the same reaction when I found coconut oil in my Vit E oil. Are they related?
Hello,
My 3 year old son was just diagnosed with severe peanut and tree nut allergies. He has been eating food that “may contain peanuts or nuts” since he could eat real food and he has never had a reaction. Do you know what the chances are of actually having a reaction from a product like this? Can he absolutely NEVER eat these foods again?
Hi, Would love to hear people’s opinions on if there is any connection between tea tree oil and tree nuts. My daughter is allergic to both peanuts and tree nuts . . . but I want to use tea tree oil on her–for yeast diaper rash and or when she gets cuts etc. Can I?
Of course I know she could be allergic to tea tree as well (separately) but–is there a connection between tea tree and tree nuts?
Mary,
I can’t imagine why tea tree oil would have anything to do with tree nuts. Tea tree oil comes from the leaves I think.
Hi Heather,
This is an excellent question. The problem is that there is no standard law for the use of allergen statements. They are working on these standards which should make it easier for all of us. I would call the company and ask about their processing. If they say that they have dedicated lines for the peanut vs. non-peanut products, you might feel safer about your child eating it than if they say that they run everything on the same line.