Sesame allergies may not receive as much publicity as peanut allergies, but the reactions can be just as serious. Allergic reactions to sesame seeds or sesame oil can cause anaphylaxis.
An anaphylactic reaction occurs when your body’s immune system releases high levels of certain potent chemicals. These chemicals can induce anaphylactic shock. When you are in shock, your blood pressure drops and your airways constrict, making it difficult to breath.
Prompt, emergency medical attention is essential if you or someone you know has an allergic reaction to sesame. If caught in time, most food allergies can be treated without lasting consequences.
The number of people with a sesame allergy has risen in recent years. If you have a sensitivity to sesame, you’re not alone.
Understanding Sesame Allergies:
A sesame allergy is an allergy to the sesame plant, as well as any products that come from the plant (like sesame seeds) or that are made from the plant (like sesame oil). Normally, our immune systems protect our bodies from harmful invaders, like bacteria and viruses. When someone has a sesame allergy, though, their immune system treats the proteins in sesame seeds like harmful invaders.
The immune system over-defends the body against sesame proteins, and causes the body to develop an allergic reaction whenever the person eats a food that contains sesame.
Why does the body respond this way when someone is allergic to sesame?
People with sesame allergies’ immune systems make special allergy antibodies to help fight sesame proteins off.
These antibodies are called sesame-specific IgE antibodies, because they detect and respond only to sesame protein.
The IgE antibodies trigger symptoms of an allergic reaction seconds to hours after the person eats a food containing sesame.
Rise in sesame allergies
The increase in sesame allergies in recent years may be due in part to the growing number of products containing sesame seeds and sesame oil. Sesame oil is considered a healthy cooking oil and is used in various food preparations including certain vegetarian dishes, salad dressings, and many Middle Eastern and Asian dishes. The popularity of international cuisine may also be fueling the rise in sesame allergies.
Sesame oil is also used in many pharmaceutical items, as well as cosmetics and skin lotions. Ironically, sesame oil is used in these products because sesame produces little if any immune system response in most people.
If you have a reaction
Even if you’re careful, you may still come into contact with sesame. Here are some common symptoms to watch out for if you have a sesame allergy:
Difficulty breathing
Coughing
Low pulse rate
Nausea
Vomiting
Itchiness inside the mouth
Abdominal pain
Flushing in the face
Hives
Diagnosing a sesame allergy
If you have a reaction and suspect a food allergy, make a note of what you consumed just prior to your reaction. This will help the emergency healthcare provider and allergist narrow down the possible causes of the reaction and find an appropriate treatment.
A food challenge is often necessary to pinpoint the cause of the reaction. During a food challenge, a person is fed a small amount of the suspected food, followed by increasingly larger amounts, until a diagnosis can be made based on the reaction.
Treating sesame allergies
An injected dose of epinephrine (adrenalin) may be needed for a serious reaction. Epinephrine can usually reverse the course of an anaphylactic response. You may need to carry an auto-injector that contains epinephrine, like an EpiPen, if you have a sesame allergy. This will allow you to inject epinephrine into your arm or leg within moments of a reaction starting and, ultimately, might save your life.
Avoiding sesame
Some foods such as bread products containing sesame, sesame oil, and tahini, specifically list sesame as an ingredient. Avoiding contact with these items is a simple way to prevent an allergic reaction.
Sesame is a common hidden allergen, however. It’s not always listed on the food labels of products that contain it. Avoid foods that have product labels that are unclear or don’t specify ingredients.
Sesame as a Food Allergen
Sesame has been codified as a major allergen throughout Europe and the Middle East, as well as Canada and Australia, so international manufacturers are used to dealing with labeling requirements, as well as careful handling of the seed when making products.
Joining the league, US President Joe Biden recently signed legislation declaring sesame a major food allergen. The new law, called the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education and Research (FASTER) Act requires all products that use sesame seeds or items derived from them to be explicitly labeled after Jan. 1, 2023. Sesame seeds will now join dairy, soy, wheat, peanuts, eggs, tree nuts, fish and shellfish as an ingredient that must be specifically called out on food packaging.
The declaration of sesame as the ninth major allergen had been a widely expected move. The FDA issued a draft guidance to encourage manufacturers to voluntarily declare sesame in the ingredient list when it is used as a “flavoring” or “spice” or when the common or usual name (such as tahini) does not specify sesame. This will seemingly help consumers who are allergic or sensitive to sesame to avoid these products.
Key Takeaways for the Sesame Sensitive
• Check food labels
• Seek medical advice
• Carry prescribed medication at all times
• Learn how and when to use your adrenaline auto-injector
• Ensure that asthma is well managed
