CARROT ALLERGY
Key Allergens
Most people react to the main allergen in carrot, which is Dau c 1, it is homologous to the Bet v 1 protein found in Birch pollen which can cause oral allergy type symptoms to multiple fruits and vegetables.
Dau c 4 is a profilin protein. These proteins are considered to be a panallergen and can cause issues over many groups of foods.
Dau c 5 is an isoflavone reductase protein involved in plant defense mechanisms.
Associated Syndromes
You may have Pollen-Food Allergy Syndrome if you suffer from carrot allergy with oral allergy symptoms to 3 or more of the foods mentioned in the cross reactivity section. There is a big crossover between foods containing Bet v 1 like proteins and those containing profilin proteins. Generally if you cook a food and it no longer causes symptoms then you are more likely to have Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome as the proteins are denatured quickly with heat.
Carotenaemia is a skin condition where the excessive consumpton of certain foods, including carrots, or nutritional supplements causes the skin to turn yellow or orange.
Cross Reactivity
If sensitised to birch pollen you may have Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome and may also react to apple, kiwi, pear, peach, plum, nectarine, apricots, cherries, tomato, celery, potato, parsnip, pepper, dill, cumin, peas, coriander, fennel, hazelnut, walnut, almonds, peanuts, lentils and beans.
If sensited to mugwort pollen you may have Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome and may also react to apple, celery, dill, parsley, fennel, coriander, cumin and sunflower seeds.
Other foods containing plant profilins are kiwi, pineapple, celery, peanut, chilli, watermelon, orange, hazelnut, melon, strawberry, soya, barley, walnut, lychee, lupin, apple, banana, date, cherry, almond, peach, pear, mustard, tomato, aubergine and wheat.
Other foods containing isoflavone reductase proteins are hazelnuts, olives and pears.
Resources
Websites
Allergen Encyclopedia - Carrot
Dermnet NZ - Carotenaemia
Healthline - Carrot Allergy
Allergy information for: Carrot (Daucus carota )
Anaphylaxis Campaign - Allergy to Vegetables
Articles and Journals
Occupational Rhinoconjunctivitis Induced by Unusual Allergens of Carrot, 2020
Food Processing Does Not Abolish the Allergenicity of the Carrot Allergen Dau c 1: Influence of pH, Temperature, and the Food Matrix, 2020
Food cross-reactivity in patients with pollen allergies, 2020
Food allergen sensitization patterns in a large allergic population in Mexico, 2020
Carrot allergy: double-blinded, placebo-controlled food challenge and identification of allergens, 2001
Molecular characterization of Dau c 1, the Bet v 1 homologous protein from carrot and its cross-reactivity with Bet v 1 and Api g 1, 1999
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