Allergy to Eggplant

In the last one or two decades, the prevalence of food allergies and sensitivities in the world, especially allergies to fruits and vegetables, has increased significantly! The prevalence of food allergies and sensitivities is higher in children than in adults.
Currently, due to the general popularity of using vegetables and fruits in the diet, the incidence of allergic reactions caused by the consumption of some types of vegetables and fruits has increased.
Usually, the symptoms of allergy and sensitivity to fruits and vegetables are more concentrated in the mouth and throat area and include swelling, redness and itching.
Of course, in some other cases, an allergic person may experience more severe complications in the skin area (such as hives) and even a systemic anaphylaxis reaction!

Eggplant is commonly and mistakenly considered to be a vegetable, when in fact, like a tomato, it is a fruit.
But due to its high consumption in the kitchen and for cooking, it is considered as a kind of vegetable! In Iran and some Asian countries such as India, eggplant is one of the most popular vegetables in the diet of the people of these areas.
Eggplant is often eaten cooked, although some people eat it raw.
Eggplant is used in all kinds of foods and seasonings (pickles).
Eggplant is widely cultivated and consumed in countries such as China, India, Egypt, Turkey and Iran.
In India, eggplant is known as poor men’s meat. 
It is worth noting that eggplant has significant amounts of antioxidants such as phenolic compounds.
Of course, the oxidation of these phenolic compounds causes the eggplant meat to turn brown immediately after its meat is exposed to air!
Considering the significant consumption of eggplant in Iran and the many oral reports of allergic complications caused by the consumption of eggplant, therefore, the present article, which is prepared and edited based on reliable and available sources, informs the audience about the nature of the disease of sensitivity and allergy to Eggplant and the way to prevent and control complications caused by its consumption.

Eggplant, with the scientific name of Solanum melongena and the common English name of Eggplant or Aubergine, is an edible plant fruit from the Solanaceae family, or eggplants (or potatoes) in Persian. Eggplant is in the same family as other vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes and bell peppers.
The eggplant plant grows well in subtropical and tropical regions and its height is about 40 to 150 cm. The flowers of this plant are white to purple. Eggplant has different varieties that can be seen in different colors such as black, purple, white, yellow or green.
The types of eggplants in Iran are: regular or American eggplants, pen eggplants, short eggplants; Of course, commonly, eggplant types are divided into regular, pen, and scalloped types.
Each of these types of eggplants can be seen in different colors mentioned above!

So far, many cases have been reported about the reaction to the allergens found in the eggplant fruit, especially in Asian countries, including Iran! Some allergens are sensitive to heat and are largely destroyed while cooking eggplant. But some other allergens in eggplant are resistant to heat and after consuming cooked eggplant, they can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people.
It is worth mentioning that because eggplants (or tomatoes and some other vegetables or fruits) contain different amounts of histamine (the cause of allergic reactions), some of the reports about itching, redness and swelling of the mouth area and Lips after eating eggplant may be related to the effect of histamine on the tissues of the mouth and throat! Also, eggplants, tomatoes and potatoes have toxic alkaloid substances such as solanine, which of course are destroyed by heat! 

In general, the symptoms of eggplant allergy are similar to other food allergies. Oral Allergy Syndrome is one of the most common side effects of eggplant consumption. The symptoms of this syndrome include: itching of the lips, mouth and throat, as well as swelling in these areas. 
In addition, in some cases, a person may experience hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal and stomach pain, or cough after consuming eggplant.
In most cases, a person will experience allergic reactions immediately after consuming eggplant, especially in the mouth and throat area! But sometimes some side effects, especially digestive ones, start a few hours after eggplant enters the digestive system.
Fortunately, in many cases, the allergic side effects are mild and disappear gradually after stopping the consumption of eggplant. 
However, a person with an allergy to eggplant should be careful of the occurrence of severe complications such as anaphylaxis. This reaction is a severe and systemic allergic reaction that requires emergency medical attention!

To diagnose and prove allergy and sensitivity to eggplant, you should consult an asthma and allergy specialist.
In these cases, after clinical examination and medical history of the patient, the specialist doctor recommends performing skin and blood tests to accurately diagnose allergies.

After proving the existence of allergy and sensitivity to eggplant in a person, with clinical examinations and blood and skin tests, the most definitive way of treatment is to avoid eating eggplant.
People who are sensitive to eggplant should avoid consumption and contact with the flesh and skin of eggplant (to be careful and prevent skin complications)!
It is worth mentioning that, as mentioned earlier, eggplant belongs to the Solanaceae family, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers. Therefore, due to the similarity (cross-reaction) of some ingredients of eggplant and the mentioned vegetables, a person sensitive to eggplant should be careful when consuming tomatoes, potatoes, or bell peppers!
To treat the allergic symptoms caused by the consumption of eggplant when the said allergic side effects are mild and mild, a specialist doctor usually prescribes antihistamine drugs or topical steroid ointments.
However, in some cases where the allergic side effects are severe and there is a possibility of systemic anaphylaxis reaction, emergency medical care is needed, which is explained in the writing of emergency drugs for severe allergic reactions.

• If an allergy to eggplant is proven by an allergist, it is recommended to limit or stop the use of eggplant or foods that contain eggplant! It is worth mentioning that raw eggplant may have more allergenic properties.
• In general, cooked and heated eggplant is less sensitive than the raw type. As mentioned earlier, some sensitizing substances (allergens) of eggplant are sensitive to heat and disappear!
• People with severe allergies and sensitivities to eggplant should pay attention to the ingredients of commercially purchased foods and read their labels carefully.
• People who are allergic to eggplant should know the ingredients of the ordered food when they go to eat at restaurants. In cases of severe allergy to eggplant, small amounts of eggplant allergens can cause a severe anaphylactic reaction in allergic people.
• Due to the cross-reaction of allergens among some vegetables, people who are sensitive to tomatoes, potatoes, or bell peppers should be careful when consuming eggplant.
• Considering that different varieties of eggplant may be different in terms of sensitizing, so to prevent allergic reactions, it should be consumed
• Different types of eggplants should be careful!
• Some vegetables and fruits contain histamine (which causes itching, redness and swelling of the skin and tissues). Eggplants (like tomatoes) contain histamine, so it is better not to touch raw eggplants (meat and skin) with the skin!