Allergy to tomato: symptoms and causes. Do you suffer from it too?

People can develop allergy to any kind of food, but there may be some that are not considered a true food allergy. A true allergy is one in which the immune system reacts abnormally to an otherwise harmless substance (known as an allergen) and triggers the symptoms of the allergy.

However, there is another form of allergy, called Oral Allergic Syndrome (SOA), in which the symptoms are caused by cross-reacting allergens. With SOA, a person with a ‘Allergy to pollen often becomes sensitive to foods that have a similar protein structure.

One tomato is a great example of this. Those with an allergy to grass pollen may also become sensitive to tomatoes because they both contain the to your profile, a type of protein responsible for the allergic response. Although the profilins in tomatoes are not identical to those in pollen, they are similar enough to potentially trigger an allergic reaction.

The relationship between SOA and tomatoes

When it is due to SOA, tomato allergy is not considered a true allergy because it is a consequence of the reaction to grass pollen. A person with a grass pollen allergy will likely have a tomato allergy, but the reverse is not true. SOA tends to be a one-way street where pollen is the true allergy.

The reason is that pollen allergies are seasonal: Over time, the immune system can become increasingly sensitive to other substances (such as fruits, vegetables, spices or nuts) that contain similar protein structures.

This is the reason why SOA does not usually affect young children. It most commonly develops in adolescents and young adults, even if they have eaten certain types of fruit or vegetables for years without problems. As the body becomes more and more sensitive to seasonal allergies, triggered year after year, the symptoms of SOA will begin to develop.

In addition to tomatoes, grass pollen allergy sufferers may also develop sensitivity to peaches, celery, melons or potatoes.

SOA and tomatoes: symptoms

Since tomato proteins are slightly different from those of grass pollen, i symptoms of SOA tend to be milder and may include:

• A slight sensation of itch, burning or tingling
• dear swelling lips, mouth and tongue
• Congestion nasal, sneezing, or nasal drip

Symptoms of SOA usually they only last a few seconds or minutes and they rarely progress to anything more serious. They are also more likely to occur when seasonal pollen counts are high.

Also, as the immune system is reacting to the profilins present in the raw tomato, cooking this fruit will break down these proteins and make them harmless. This is why some people can tolerate tomato sauce, but not the fruit eaten in salads. Peel the fruit before eating it can be useful, as the harmful protein is often concentrated in the skin.