Relief From Allergies

Cilantro Allergies: Hard To Diagnose

June 5th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

People can develop allergies to almost anything, including foods, plants, animals, medicines and even other people. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise to you that some people suffer from cilantro allergies. The trouble with food allergies like this is that cilantro is found in many dishes at restaurants, salads and elsewhere. Therefore, it can be very hard to avoid for many people.

One thing I always ask people with any allergy to do is examine their diet. If you eat a lot of sugar and have a poor diet, then you are likely destroying your immune systems ability to fight off disease and illness. After all, part of an allergic reaction is the inability of your immune system to deal with it. Cilantro allergies shouldn’t be any different. Try cutting out sugar and grains from your diet and see if your cilantro allergies diminish or disappear. Also, everyone should be taking a probiotic everyday. Most of our immune system is in the GI tract. Probiotics, when taken in high enough doses, inundates our GI tract with good health bacteria. This bacteria can balance the GI ecosystem making your body more capable of fight of all kinds of diseases and maybe even your cilantro allergies.

People who discover they have cilantro allergies may be surprised to discover that such a small herb can have such a huge impact. Cilantro itself is the leaf part of the plant known as Coriander. This plant is included in the parsley family; and, it is also known as Chinese parsley. Historically, cilantro was one of the first cultivated plants grown in North America. It is also mentioned in the Medical Papyrus of Thebes that was written in 1552 B.C. This is a popular additive to many different types of foods, from Mexican, Indian, to Asian and TexMex. People with cilantro allergies have to be vigilant on what is in their food.

What Causes Cilantro Allergies?

Since cilantro is included in many recipes, it can be difficult to discover what exactly is causing an allergic reaction. Like other food allergy sufferers, people with cilantro allergies have a diverse reaction to this herb. People with cilantro allergies may discover that when they eat this they break out in hives, vomit, and have a tingling of the tongue sensation or stomach cramps and even diarrhea. In the most extreme cases, people with cilantro allergies can experience breathing difficulties, including an asthma attack or even anaphylaxis shock. If this occurs medical intervention is needed immediately and people with cilantro allergies may need an epinephrine shot to reverse the reaction.

When investigating what has caused any type of reaction to a food, a food diary may be the best place to start. Document what has been eaten and the reaction to the food. Getting a clearer picture of what foods seem to bring on food allergy symptoms can begin to narrow the field of possible allergens down. People with cilantro allergies may have a more difficult time with this process, as cilantro is added into so many foods. In the end, people with cilantro allergies may need to see a board certified allergist in order to get a skin-prick test done to really confirm this allergy.

How to Cope With Cilantro Allergies

The best long term approach to dealing with cilantro allergies is not to eat any foods that contain it. Don’t cook with it at home and if you are invited to friend’s house to eat make sure you let them know you can’t eat cilantro. Likewise, when eating out always ask them not to use cilantro when preparing your food.

Likewise, if you have an all around poor diet then it’s likely that some diet/lifestyle changes could help diminish your reactions to any item you have allergies towards. Eat more fresh foods and less processed foods and start taking a good probiotic everyday.