COCONUT ALLERGY

Key Allergens

Coconuts are part of the Aracaceae family of plants and are more similar to palm plants, banana and pineapple than they are to tree nuts. Coconuts are not classified as tree nuts, they are classified as fruits.

Coc n 1 is a major allergen associated with allergy to coconut - it is classified as an inhalent allergen rather than an ingested food allergen. It is a protein which is vicilin like, these types of proteins are usually found in nuts, seeds and legumes and are referred to as 7S seed storage proteins.

There is some evidence that coconut can cause allergic contact dermatitis - this is due to cocamide diethanolamine (Cocamide DEA). These are fatty acids found in coconut which are used in many cosmetic products. If sensitised to cocamide DEA you will still be able to eat the fruit from a coconut without any reactions.

Food Intolerances

Coconut is a low FODMAP food. FODMAP stands for Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. Foods high in FODMAPs can cause symptoms of food intolerance, affecting the gastro intestinal system and this can be mistaken for a true IgE food allergy.

Coconut contains a moderate amount of 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

Coconut allergy is most commonly associated with contact urticaria (hives or welts) and atopic dermatitis.

Cross Reactivity

Vicilin-like proteins are usually classified as food proteins, other foods containing a similarly shaped protein are peanuts, cashews, pecan, hazelnut, walnut, pistachio, soya beans, sesame seeds, buckwheat and mung beans.

Cross Reactivity Tool

Resources

Websites

Allergen Encyclopedia - Coconut

DermNet NZ - Coconut Diethanolamide Allergy

Anaphylaxis Campaign - Coconut

Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology & Allergy - Coconut

Allergy information for: Coconut (Cocos nucifera)

FODMAPedia - Coconut

ATP Science - Salicylate Foods

Articles and Journals

Sensitization and allergy to pineapple and coconut juice in patients followed up for allergic diseases in Parakou, Benin, 2024

Bathing in Atopic Dermatitis in Pediatric Age: Why, How and When, 2024

Prevalence and Burden of Coconut Allergy in the United States, 2023

Occupational Skin Dermatitis among Healthcare Workers Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of the Literature, 2023

Clinical features of children with coconut allergy and its sIgE profiling using immunoblot analysis, 2022

Occupational allergic contact dermatitis to sodium metabisulfite in shredded coconut, 2022

Analysis of Protein Sequence Identity, Binding Sites, and 3D Structures Identifies Eight Pollen Species and Ten Fruit Species with High Risk of Cross-Reactive Allergies, 2022

Anaphylaxis and allergy to coconut: An Australian pediatric case series, 2020

Coconut Allergy Revisited, 2017

Association of tree nut and coconut sensitizations, 2016

Allergic contact dermatitis caused by cocamide diethanolamine, 2016

Mining Novel Allergens from Coconut Pollen Employing Manual De Novo Sequencing and Homology-Driven Proteomics, 2015

Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by coconut fatty acids diethanolamide, 2014

Cross-reactivity between coconut and hazelnut proteins in a patient with coconut anaphylaxis, 2004

Systemic allergic reaction to coconut (Cocos nucifera) in 2 subjects with hypersensitivity to tree nut and demonstration of cross-reactivity to legumin-like seed storage proteins: new coconut and walnut food allergens, 1999

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 or Twitter - links at the bottom of the page.

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