Spices are one of the most widely used products found in
foods, cosmetics and dental products. The spices are not regulated, meaning
they often are not noted on food labels, making spices possibly the most
difficult allergen to identify or avoid. According to rough estimates, spice
allergy is responsible for 2 percent of food allergies. However it is
underdiagnosed, particularly due to the lack of reliable allergy skin tests or
blood tests. According to allergists at the American College of Allergy,
Asthma and Immunology(ACAAI) 2 to 3 percent of population lives in a world
where you could never dine away from home, wear makeup, smell of sweet perfumes
or eat a large percentage of food on store shelves, lives with a spice allergy.
While spice allergy seems to be rare, with the constantly
increasing use of spices in diets and a variety of cosmetics more people will
develop this allergy. Women are more likely to develop spice allergy due to the
wide use of spice in cosmetics. Makeup, body oils, toothpaste and fragrances
can all include one or more spices. Those with birch pollen or mugwort (a
traditional herbal medicine used to relieve inflammatory conditions) allergy are
also more prone to spice allergy.
Common spice allergy triggers include cinnamon and garlic,
but can range from black pepper to vanilla. Several spice blends contain
anywhere from three to 18 spices, and the hotter the spice, the greater the
chance for allergy.
Boiling, roasting, frying and other forms of applying heat
to spices may reduce allergy causing agents, but can also enhance them
depending on the spice. Because of this allergy’s complexity, allergists often
recommend a treatment plan that includes strict avoidance which can be a major
task.
An allergic reaction can be caused from breathing, eating or
touching spices. Symptoms range from mild sneezing to a life-threating allergic
reaction known as anaphylaxis. Spice allergy should be suspected in individuals
that have multiple reactions to unrelated foods, or those that react to foods
when commercially prepared but not when cooked at home.
Even someone that is allergic to only one known spice can
have a reaction to several spice blends. There are several unique
characteristics about spice blends, including:
- A Five-Spice blend has
seven spices, yet Allspice has one
- The same blend name
doesn’t mean same components
- There are several types of
Curry, each is a different blend of many spices
