Tree Nut Allergies:
If In Doubt-Do Without!
Second only in occurrence behind the standard peanut allergy, tree nut allergies tend to be a life-long allergy that children and adults will never grow out of.
Do not be surprised either, if you have been diagnosed to one variety, it is not uncommon you will find you must avoid several.
The following varieties of nuts are all encompassed under the tree nut allergies category.
- Almonds
- Brazil Nut
- Cashew
- Chestnut
- Filbert
- Hazelnut
- Macadamia
- Pecan
- Pine nut(Pignolia)
- Pistachio
- Walnut
Recently, the FDA has also classified coconut oil under the tree nut category. This is a misconception to a lot of people since coconut oil is not a tree nut- it is a palm oil. To date, all reported reactions have been from people that are not allergic to tree nuts. It is highly recommended though you do check with your doctor to determine if coconut oil is safe for you before you try using it.
Hidden Sources of Tree Nut Allergens
Again, as with most food allergens, tree nut can show up in some of the most unusual places. Several of these include the following:
- Artificial Nuts on an ingredient label generally signifies a peanut which has been de-flavored and then re-flavored with tree nut oils, hence tree nut proteins are present.
- Tree nut oils are used in the preparation of BBQ sauces, ice cream, energy bars, flavored coffees, cereal, crackers, cookies, marinades and candy. Check ingredient labels carefully. Just because a product does not contain nuts, does not always mean it does not use nut oils for flavorings. Commonly found on many ingredient labels is the words natural flavorings. These must be checked with the manufacturer.
- Natural almond or wintergreen(hazelnut-filbert) extracts
- Natural flavorings on an ingredient label generally means tree nut oils
- Many non-edible items are hidden sources of tree nuts. Check dog food and dog treats, hamster food and bedding, ant/mouse traps, bird feed, some novelty furniture (bean bags use nut shells) or toys. Cosmetics also are a source commonly using shea nut oil in lotion or soaps.
Common Foods- "Safe or Not Safe" by their Name
Many people with a tree nut allergy assume, because of their name, that
the following items are off limits also. If you are a devoted fan of water chestnuts, butternut squash or nutmeg feel free to go ahead and use these items freely. None of these three are a member of the tree nut family.
Commonsense Security Measure
For your own safety and security regarding this allergy,
check and double-check all ingredient labels carefully. This allergy can result in one of the most severe of allergic reactions known as anaphylactic shock. This reaction can be fatal. Your new motto with this allergy has got to be "if in doubt-do without".
Return to "Types of Allergies"
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*Disclaimer*This site is not intended to replace the advice and supervision of your professional medical treatment plan. Although all of the information is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge, we still recommend you carefully check all food labels before consuming any food product. We can not assume any legal responsibility for any illness obtained while following the advice contained on this site.
