ALLERGY RESOURCES

COMPREHENSIVE ALLERGY RESOURCES FOR EVERYONE - THE TOP 14 ALLERGENS AND BEYOND

COMPREHENSIVE ALLERGY RESOURCES FOR EVERYONE - THE TOP 14 ALLERGENS AND BEYOND
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CINNAMON ALLERGY


Key Allergens

Cinnamon is a food in the Lauraceae family of plants. Avocado and bay leaves are also in this family of plants.

Cinnamon is a spice made by grounding the inner bark of the Cinnamomum trees.

No allergenic proteins have been identified in cinnamon, it is usually associated with allergic contact dermatitis due to the high concentration of essential oils it contains. Cinnamonn contains eugenol which is a chemical compound which can also cause contact allergies - this is what gives the food flavour and fragrance. These contact reactions are sometimes mistaken for a true IgE food allergy.


Food Intolerances

Food is high in salicylates

Cinnamon is a food high in salicylates. Salicylates have the potential to cause worsening of asthma, swelling, itching and hives as well as food intolerance symptoms in people who are sensitive to salicylates.

You can read more about Food Intolerances on the dedicated Food Intolerance Page.

Associated Syndromes

Cinnamon is strongly linked to allergic contact dermatitis due to eugenol and other essential oils.


Cross Reactivity

People suffering from contact dermatitis from cinnamon essential oils sometimes also have contact reactions from Balsam of Peru, cocoa leaves and Tolu balsam which can be common ingredients in cosmetics.

Other plants which contain eugenol include allspice, bay leaf, basil, clove, turmeric, marjoram, mace, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, oregano and thyme.

You can read more about cinnamon and related herbs and spices on the Herb and Spice Page. These food lists are not exhaustive, the most up to date information is on the Cross Reactivity Tool.




Resources

Websites

Healthline - Cinnamon Allergy

Allergen Enclyclopedia - Cinnamon Allergy

DermNet NZ - Allergy to Cinnamate

Science Direct - Cinnamon Extract

Histamine Food Intolerance List

ATP Science - Salicylate Foods


Articles and Journals

Gingival hypersensitivity reactions to toothpastes: A case series and scoping review, 2024

Allergic reactivity for different dilutions of eugenol in repeated open application test and patch testing, 2023

Cinnamon allergic contact cheilitis, 2023

Application of direct peptide reactivity assay for assessing the skin sensitization potential of essential oils, 2022

Biological Properties and Prospects for the Application of Eugenol — A Review, 2021

Eugenol allergy mimicking burning mouth syndrome, 2019

Cinnamon: A systematic review of adverse events, 2019

Cinnamon Spice and Everything Not Nice - Many Features of Intraoral Allergy to Cinnamic Aldehyde, 2015

Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from cinnamon including one case from airborne exposure, 2009

Contact Allergy to Cinnamon: Case Report, 2008

Contact allergy to spices, 1990



Let me know if you found any of these interesting or useful. If you spot an article or research that you think is interesting you can message me or tag me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter - links at the bottom of the page.

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