Kiwi - An Increasingly Common Allergen For Children
Author: Joe Fowler
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
The tasty and useful fruit causes allergic reactions, especially in children under 15 and those suffering from pollen allergies and asthma.
Originating in China, kiwi is an extremely useful fruit, popular around the world.
An average kiwi weighing about 80 grams contains: 46 calories, 0.3 grams of fat, 1 g of protein, 11 g of carbohydrates and 2.6 g of dietary fiber. The fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K and contains smaller but significant amounts of potassium, phosphorus, manganese and magnesium.
These factors make kiwi a very useful fruit, and its pleasant taste further stimulates demand and consumption. However, this fruit is becoming an increasingly common allergen, especially among children.
Researchers at the University of Southampton who study food allergies have found that the number of children sensitive or allergic to kiwis has risen significantly in recent years.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to kiwi include: tickling, itching and often - inflammation of the tissues in the mouth (tongue, palate, cheeks), shortness of breath, sweating, blue lips and even - fainting. Severe abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, vomiting, sudden drops in blood pressure and increased heart rate are also possible. The researchers also observed that the most dangerous symptoms occur mainly in children under 15 years of age.
If an allergic reaction is detected, especially if it occurs for the first time, urgent medical attention is required. The condition can quickly develop into anaphylactic shock, and if the sufferer has concomitant autoimmune diseases such as asthma, they may be further exacerbated.
The cause of the allergic reaction is a violation of the immune system. It does not recognize a certain protein from the fruit as nutritious, but as infectious, which leads to the implementation of a super-strong immune response - the release of huge amounts of histamine and antibodies.
Often, people who are allergic to kiwis are at increased risk for allergies to: olives, poppy seeds, avocados, hazelnuts, peaches and even latex. Allergic forms of asthma and pollen allergies are strong preconditions for avoiding kiwis, at least in children and adolescents.
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