ANAHEIM, California — Allergy to flaxseed is rare, but with the booming popularity of the seed it should be on allergists’ radar, specialists suggest. The seed and its oil are increasingly in foods, art supplies, cosmetics, lotions, and animal feed.
Two challenging flaxseed-related cases were presented Friday at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Meeting. The cases add further evidence that flaxseed can cause allergic reaction after both ingestion and contact with the skin.
In one case, an 18-month-old toddler had an allergic reaction after eating oatmeal premixed with flaxseed.
The boy developed a rash over his face and chest 20 minutes after eating the oatmeal, which contained about 1,800-2,200 mg of flaxseed protein. It was the first time he had eaten flaxseed and the rash went away in 4 hours. After blood immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were tested, the boy was diagnosed with IgE-mediated reaction to flaxseed.
Flaxseed allergy has been reported in adults, but rarely in children, said Alana Xavier De Almeida, MD, a resident in the Jackson Health system in Miami, Florida, who presented the case.
The toddler’s parents were offered an oral flaxseed challenge test to confirm but they declined.
De Almeida told
