Allergy to black and red currants

An allergy to currants in a child can appear quite unexpectedly. It is generally accepted that currant berries rarely cause a negative reaction of the body, but in fact this opinion is erroneous.

Is currant an allergen?

Allergy to currant fruits is not so common, substances that can cause intolerance are present in relatively low concentrations in the berries. Because of this, one can come across the opinion that fruits are, in principle, a hypoallergenic product, but, unfortunately, this is not true.

Both red and black currant fruits can cause an individual negative reaction in a child and in an adult. Sometimes it is congenital and obvious, and sometimes it appears quite suddenly for no apparent reason.

Can you be allergic to blackcurrant?

When it comes to a child’s diet, many parents think that blackcurrant fruits are safer. It is believed that the most powerful allergens are any vegetables, fruits and red berries, due to the high content of carotene in them.

But in the case of currants, the opposite is true. Much more often it is black berries that cause intolerance. The fact is that they contain anthocyanin – a substance that gives the fruits a black color. Anthocyanin often causes a negative reaction of the body in both children and adults.

Allergen or not redcurrant

Red currant causes negative reactions not so often, however, it can also cause a negative reaction of the body. In red currant, allergies are most often provoked by the following substances:

• beta-carotene – the compound is useful for many body systems and especially for vision, but often causes the development of negative reactions;
• ascorbic acid – valuable vitamin C can also cause unpleasant symptoms and deterioration of well-being;
• lecithin, the substance is a strong allergen, to which children react especially sharply, but adults also experience its intolerance;
• anthocyanin, in red berries the substance is present in smaller volumes than in black, but, nevertheless, poses a certain health hazard.

If berries are planned to be introduced into the child’s diet for the first time, then care must be taken, regardless of which currant we are talking about.

Causes of currant allergy

Allergies can develop for various reasons. There are several main types of allergic reactions, depending on the origin:

1. Absolute intolerance to a particular substance. Most often, anthocyanin, beta-carotene or vitamin C become irritants for the body of a child or an adult. They are the most powerful and common allergens.
2. Weakened state of the body against the background of the disease. Sometimes allergies occur with diseases of the digestive or respiratory organs in people who have never suffered from diarrhea and nausea after berries before. Most often, a negative reaction of this kind passes simultaneously with the underlying disease, the condition returns to normal, and the body again begins to normally tolerate the product.
3. Cross allergy. In this case, unpleasant symptoms will appear not only from the use of currant fruits, but also when eating fruits and berries that are similar in composition to it. A positive aspect of cross intolerance can be considered that its development is easy to predict, if the child does not perceive berries with a similar composition well, then currant fruits are likely to do more harm than good.
4. Hereditary tendency to allergies. Especially often, negative food reactions in children are detected if one of the parents is allergic. Interestingly, the stimulus will not necessarily be the same, for example, the mother may suffer from a bad reaction to strawberries, but the child will subsequently not be able to eat red currant fruits.

Allergy to currant in an adult

Allergic reactions do not always occur in early childhood, they can develop throughout life. The high-risk group includes:

• people with a hereditary predisposition to intolerance to certain products, if the parents are allergic, then at any time a person may become allergic to any product;
• pregnant women – during the period of bearing a child, the female body undergoes strong hormonal changes, against which negative reactions to familiar products often develop;
• older people, with age, the hormonal system in men and women begins to work differently, the body stops or decreases the production of certain substances, which also often leads to the development of food negative reactions.

Intolerance often develops in those who suffer from chronic diseases of the stomach and intestines. When using even a small amount of berries, the state of health quickly and sharply deteriorates, since the substances contained in the fruits provoke a digestive upset.

Allergy to currant in a child

Intolerance is more common in children than in adults, since the children’s body as a whole is highly sensitive. Most often, currant fruits are not digested for the following reasons:

1. Allergy is hereditary, one of the parents suffers from food intolerance to currant berries or other products. In this case, it is necessary to offer the product to the child for the first time in very small quantities, anticipating the manifestation of intolerance in advance, the risk of its development is very high.
2. An allergy to blackcurrant in a child is caused by the fact that the digestive and metabolic systems of the baby have not been fully formed. Young children are not able to fully absorb organic acids, and fresh fruits contain a lot of such substances. If intolerance is caused by this reason, then most likely, as you grow older, the negative reaction to berries will weaken or even disappear completely.

Currant Allergy Symptoms

Finding out an allergic reaction to red or black berries is quite simple, especially if you study the photo of an allergy to currants. Intolerance to currant fruits is manifested by noticeable symptoms:

• allergic rhinitis, which develops without any connection with colds;
• tearing and redness of the eyes;
• rash on the skin, similar to hives;
• frequent sneezing;
• strong dry cough that occurs against the background of a sore throat;
• swelling of the face and throat.

A characteristic symptom of a blackcurrant allergy is skin irritation around the mouth, and a rash may also appear on the arms and legs. In addition to these symptoms, intolerance is most often manifested by digestive disorders, after eating the fruit, a child or an adult feels nausea, abdominal pain, and severe diarrhea develops.

As a rule, an allergic reaction after eating berries manifests itself very quickly, symptoms appear immediately or after a maximum of 2 hours.

Currant Allergy Treatment

If the body reacted negatively to the use of berries, intolerance should not be left unattended – especially for children. Without treatment, allergies can lead to serious consequences – up to Quincke’s edema and anaphylactic shock.

Treatment is reduced to the following actions:

• the use of the product is immediately stopped, it would be reasonable to refuse berries similar in composition, in case the intolerance is cross;
• orally take activated charcoal or other medicine with absorbent properties that will help bind and remove toxins from the body;
• to relieve allergy symptoms, an adult can drink any antihistamine with a minimum of side effects, it will help eliminate allergic rhinitis, coughing and sneezing;
• skin irritations can be lubricated with a hypoallergenic baby cream, it will help relieve itching and redness.

Conclusion

An allergy to currants in a child can develop quite unexpectedly, the same applies to adults. When consuming berries, you should always be careful and stick to moderate dosages.