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Allergic Reactions to Chocolate

If you are allergic to chocolate, it is most likely that you are allergic to one or more of the additives that chocolate is made with. Allergies to raw chocolate and cocoa are very rare, but do occur. Additives in the manufacture of chocolate can include upwards of 300 ingredients including syrup, corn, nuts, gluten from wheat and caffeine. Usually, the higher the quality of the chocolate you purchase, the less additives have been used in its manufacture.

  1. Effects

    • Symptoms of an allergic reaction to chocolate can range from mild to severe. After ingestion, your body's immune system will mount a defense to the proteins in chocolate that it finds harmful. The body will send histamines and antibodies to neutralize the proteins thereby triggering the allergic reaction. Symptoms can include rashes, hives, swelling of the facial area, difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis in severe cases.

    Time Frame

    • Signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction will usually occur within a few minutes, to a few hours from the time of ingestion. The more severe the reaction, the quicker and more severe the signs and symptoms will appear. Should the reaction be mild, a rash or hives will develop within a few hours.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Your physician can run a simple set of allergy tests to determine if you are, in fact, allergic to cocoa or pure chocolate. The test requires that you refrain from eating anything containing cocoa or chocolate for a period of two weeks. Once two weeks has passed, the physician will administer a regulated amount of cocoa or chocolate to you. If your allergic reaction is severe, it can be treated swiftly in the physician's office. Should your allergy be mild, the physician can advise treatment or preventions.

    Considerations

    • Carefully check the foods you are eating for additives or ingredients. Cocoa is widely used as an additive in a variety of foods, often undetected by taste. Due to the manufacturing of foods and their ingredients constantly changing, you should review the list of ingredients on the foods you buy at every purchase. Ingredient labels, by federal regulation, must include all ingredients used in the manufacture of foods--even preservatives.

    Warning

    • Determining allergies to foods must be done by a physician. You should never attempt to determine your own allergies by means of self--testing due to the inherent dangers of possible severe reactions, which can be life threatening. Your physician will provide a safe environment in which possible allergens can be introduced to you and immediately treated, if necessary.

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