Allergic to Lettuce?!

Some information on lettuce allergies

Lettuce.  It’s a staple food for vegetarians, gluten intolerants, raw foodies and health nuts alike.  We’ve all been told we should eat it, it’s good for us, we need it.  But what if eating lettuce caused anaphylactic shock?

 

 “Horror upon horrors!!” you say, “Could it really be true?!” 

The answer: Yes. 

I became curious about the possibility of lettuce allergies a little over a month ago when a reader commented on my Oral Allergy Syndrome page that she was allergic to raw lettuce.  I hadn’t heard about this before and so set off to do some research about whether or not lettuce is related to oral allergy syndrome. 

First things first: What is Oral Allergy Syndrome? 

Oral Allergy Syndrome (a.k.a.food-pollen allergy syndrome) is a combo of food allergies related to pollen allergies.  People who are allergic to pollens such as birch, grass, mugwort, ragweed and latex (I’ll be adding cypress to this list too, based on the research I found in relation to lettuce), can experience allergies to foods related to these pollens.  The most common OAS food allergies are apples, peaches, kiwi, banana, wheat, soy and nuts. For a chart of OAS related foods, head on over to my Oral Allergy Syndrome page.

Symptoms of OAS and lettuce allergies include lots of fun things!  (irony here)  

Like itchy and swollen lips, tongues and throat, hives, eczema, indigestion, and even… wait for it… anaphylactic shock! 

All of the symptoms of OAS have been seen in lettuce allergies as well. For example, a Japanese study reported a case of a cook who experienced tingling in his hands and had a hard time breathing after handling and washing lettuce. 

In another reported case, lettuce has caused dermatitis, which has been made worse by eating the lettuce. 

This study reported that a man had hives and perennial asthma related to his lettuce.  During testing, he also experienced itchy lips, dry cough and stomach pain about half an hour after eating lettuce.   

And of course, anaphylactic shock has been associated with lettuce allergies.  This study looked at 14 people who suffered from lettuce allergies, some of whom experienced anaphylactic shock after coming in contact with lettuce. 

So yes, there is such a thing as a lettuce allergy.  It’s unclear what percentage of the population has it, but clearly several scientific studies have shown that lettuce allergies do exist!   

So what pollen is lettuce related to? 

From what I can gather, lettuce seems to be related to several different pollens.  Various studies have linked lettuce to Cypress (along with peach, mustard and hazelnuts), latex, mugwort, and plane trees, as well as grass.  Furthermore, I found that lettuce is part of the Asteraceae family.  This family includes sunflowers, and sunflower seed allergies are associated with birch pollen allergies.

Sooo, basically from what I can gather, this
means that if you are allergic to any of the above pollens, you stand a chance of being allergic to lettuce.  

It’s not a huge chance.  I mean it’s unlikely you’ll see lettuce in the top 8 on your foods’ ingredients list any time soon, but it does mean there’s a small chance your child isn’t just being sneaky when they say they can’t eat their salad with dinner because they’re allergic to lettuce!  

What to do if you suspect a lettuce allergy?  

You’ll probably want to get tested if you're experiencing symptoms.  See a doctor or allergist and do a prick test and elimination diet.  It’s always a good idea to be sure of what your allergies are.  Avoidance is the safest bet, but if you’re willing to risk it, do so with an epi-pen handy and a bucket of water to help flush it out! (I confess I frequently play with fire and try things I might be allergic to, but then again, I always carry an epi-pen in my purse and my husband thinks I'm a little nuts)

What can you eat INSTEAD of lettuce if you are allergic?

Steamed greens, such as Swiss Chard, might be alternatives to lettuce

If you’re still looking for a salad, there are other greens of different families that you may find easier to eat, like swiss chard, collard greens, kale and mustard greens.  All of these greens are also great steamed or even boiled and the process of heating them helps to denature allergen proteins, making them less likely to cause an allergic reaction. 

I frequently eat steamed green salads.  They’re delicious warm or cold.  If you’re looking for some ideas, check out some of these steamed greens recipes:

Steamed Kale and Beet Salad with Sweet Tamari Dressing

Tropical Butternut Squash Salad

Quinoa, Beet and Bocconcini Salad (substitute with steamed greens)

Steamed Greens and Poached Eggs

Do you have an unusual food allergy outside the top 8? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

 

Looking for more research like this? Check out my book Living with Oral Allergy Syndrome: A Gluten and Meat-Free Cookbook Wheat, Soy, Nut, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Allergies or Order from Amazon.com here.

Need more info on Oral Allergy Syndrome? 

Check out some of these articles!

Oral Allergy Syndrome, Wheat Allergies & Your Cosmetics
Celiac Disease, Wheat Allergies, Oral Allergy Syndrome & Sprouted Grains 

The Oral Allergy Syndrome Page





*As always, please note that my posts are not intended as medical advice, or an alternative to seeing a doctor.  It's always a good idea to work with your doctor to deal with food allergies.  I'm just a girl with a lot of food allergies who likes to do research and can access some medical journals !