Frequently Asked Questions
Should I be concerned about nut allergies with pistachios?
Should I be concerned about nut allergies with pistachios?
It's important to know that the true prevalence of food allergy in the U.S. is not as great as the public perceives it to be. According to the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (AAAI) estimates for 2006 suggest that food allergy of all types affects about 4% of the total population, with prevalence in children generally higher than that for adults. About 90% of food allergies in the US and in many other parts of the world derive from milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. Diagnosis of food allergy, including allergies to nuts, can be problematic because no single laboratory test available today can conclusively confirm that a person will exhibit clinical symptoms in response to consumption of a suspect food. For most people with food allergies, symptoms that occur after consuming the offending food are merely annoying such as a runny nose or itchy skin.
Tree nut allergies are rare in the general population. The best estimates available suggests that allergy to no single tree nut exceeds about .4% of the U.S. population, whereas separate estimates for peanuts suggest the prevalence is about 0.8 percent. If you're concerned about any food allergies, consult your physician.
References
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- American Chemical Society, "Sunflower seeds, pistachios among top nuts for lowering cholesterol," Dec. 7, 2005.
- Wu et al, "Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States," J. Agric Food Chemi, 52 (12), 4026-4037
- Institute of Medicine, 2004. "Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate." Washington DC
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- Painter, J. The Pistachio Principle: Calorie Reduction Without Calorie Restriction. Weight Management Matters, 6(2),8.
- U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. (2007). USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18. Beltsville, MD: USDA Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory.