Understanding the difference between atrue allergy and a food sensitivityis important as the treatment and risks are very different.
Carrying a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector is recommended for people with life-threatening food allergies.
Food Allergies
A food allergy involves a specific immune response to an allergy-causing substance (allergen).
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When exposed to the allergen, the specific IgE binds to it and sets off a chain reaction.
This causes the immune cells to release an inflammatory chemical calledhistamineinto the bloodstream.
Food Sensitivity
In contrast, food sensitivities do not involve IgE or histamine.
Instead, when certain foods are eaten, the body is unable to break them down as they should.
With food sensitivity, the response is often limited to the digestive tract.
In those with food intolerance, anaphylaxis will not occur no matter how much of the food is consumed.
Symptoms
Chocolate allergies are rare.
Symptoms range from mild and transient to life-threatening.
There is little data on how common chocolate sensitivities are.
If you have a known allergy to dairy, you may be able to eat bittersweet ordark chocolate.
Peanuts and Tree Nuts
Some chocolates are filled with peanut butter or whole nuts.
Even when they aren’t, they may be manufactured in plants where peanuts and tree nuts are used.
In such instances, cross-contamination can occur, placing people withpeanutortree nut allergiesat risk of exposure.
you’re free to also buy chocolate from nut-free manufacturers like Vermont Nut-Free.
Wheat allergies are relatively uncommon, affecting around 1% of the general population, mostly children.
Most utilize some form of emulsifier to keep the chocolate solid at room temperature.
Among the most common is soy lecithin, which may be problematic for people withsoy allergies.
Be especially alert for the presence of corn in white chocolate.
However, if you are highlysensitive to caffeine, chocolate can cause a reaction.
Dark chocolate has far more caffeine than milk chocolate.
NGCS is a food sensitivity that occurs in response to eating gluten.
If you have celiac disease or NGCS, most plain chocolates are safe as they don’t contain gluten.
Problems may arise when you eat filled chocolates made with wheat binders.
The same can occur with crisped rice which often includes barley malt (another rich source of gluten).
Gluten-free chocolatiers include Endangered Species Chocolate and Equal Exchange.
The reaction is resulting from an amino acid in chocolate calledtryptophanthat is converted into the hormoneserotoninin the body.
High serotonin levels are known to cause itchiness.
The reaction is seen primarily in people who eat a lot of chocolate regularly.
Managing Chocolate Allergies
The main approach to dealing with any food allergy is to avoid the allergen.
The avoidance of food allergens is the frontline approach.
Soy lecithin is also sometimes used.
By contrast, chocolate intolerance can cause food allergy-like symptoms but without the risk of anaphylaxis.
Allergy testing can reveal if you are truly allergic to chocolate or simply have a non-allergic food sensitivity.
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