Nuts are packets of energy. They are rich in fat and protein and contain vital vitamins and mineral nutrients. Yet as healthy as nuts may be, they cause problems for many people. They can trigger allergic reactions and reactions that are similar to allergies. If your throat swells closed immediately after eating a peanut, you probably have an immediate allergy. As the name implies, immediate allergy is an allergic reaction triggered directly after consumption of a food which is not tolerated.
With a delayed food allergy, hours or days may pass before symptoms appear. For instance, the bloating or diarrhea that you have today could have been triggered by hazelnuts in the nut cake that you ate on the previous day. In the case you have no immediate reaction the ImuPro blood test will help you find out what is triggering your reaction. Find out more about ImuPro here.
Some types of nuts also play a role in histamine intolerance. The typical symptoms, such as headache, gastrointestinal problems, and skin problems, occur usually a half hour to two hours after eating. If you have this type of intolerance, you should be careful when eating cashews and walnuts.
You should note the following information if you have a nut allergy.
It is important to know which processed foods can contain nuts. Be careful with the following items:
- Trail mixes, snack mixes, muesli
- Baked goods: nut bread, cake, cookies, stollen (fruit bread)
- Fillings in pasta, for example, tortellini
- Sliced cheese or meats, salads, pot pies
- Spreads: nut-nougat creams, vegetarian spreads
- Sweets: marzipan, nougat, brittles, chocolate, chocolate and muesli bars, pralines, ice cream, pudding
- Nut oils
Nuts must be declared on all food items according to (EU) Food Information Regulations. Pay attention to food labels, especially for the words “nut”, “marzipan”, and “nougat”. Also be careful foods that are labeled “may contain traces of…” and for non-packaged products, ask the butcher or baker whether the products contain nuts.
