Many people who want to eat less or no meat at all turn to plant-based alternatives based on legumes. However, allergies to soy or peanuts are common and can be dangerous. A team from the University Hospital Utrecht has examined more closely how great the danger is.
People with allergies to peanuts, soybeans, green peas, lupins, lentils or beans often showed sensitization to several legumes in tests – almost a quarter of them even had antibodies to all six. Most people with an allergy to beans, green peas, lupins, or lentils also have reactions to other legumes. This was less common in people with an allergy to peanuts or soybeans. However, despite their frequency, clinical symptoms of “co-sensitizations” were rather rare. An exception was peanuts, where symptoms occurred more frequently. An allergy to only one legume was only found in people with an allergy to soybeans (17 percent), peanuts (10 percent) and peas (3 percent).
“Pulses are an attractive sustainable source of protein, but allergic reactions cannot be ruled out as antibodies in the blood of patients with legume allergies often react to different legumes. However, this reaction does not always result in a clinically relevant food allergy,” said Dr. Thuy-My Le. She recommends that new food launches be examined more closely to better assess the risk of food allergies.
In the case of a food allergy, the immune system forms IgE antibodies against food proteins (allergens). This is called sensitization. If you come into contact with the same food again, allergy symptoms can occur. Patients who react to one food often also show a cross-reaction to another allergen.
Which: DOI 10.3389/falgy.2023.1115022