Teresa Dupay blog

Celery is a well-known tasty vegetable made mostly of water. It is green and contains few calories and is mainly known for its crunchy, roots, leafy stalks as they are used widely in flavouring food throughout the world. They are also commonly used in stews, soups, and in salads too. Raw celery and celery spice are equally allergenic.

The seed of celery contains the highest amount of allergen.  Even its root which is commonly put into drinks or eaten raw also contains the content of allergen. Dried celery which is normally available in the market can also lead to an allergic reaction. Moreover, while cooking celery, the proteins which are present in celery that leads to allergenic reaction are not destroyed.

What Happens When You Suffer From Celery Allergy?

Celery allergy occurs when the immune system of the body wrongly treats the harmless proteins as viruses and bacteria and releases chemicals called antibodies against it which leads to an allergic reaction.

How to spot the symptoms of celery allergy

The very first sign of celery allergy after consuming it is the itching and tingling sensation of the lips, mouth, tongue and throat. It may also lead to skin rash. While excessive swelling in the throat may cause constriction of the airways and as a result in breathing problems, sneezing, wheezing and coughing. In many countries, it has also seen that celery cause oral allergy syndrome among adults. In severe situations, patients may also suffer from rapid pulse, slurred speech, sudden drop in blood pressure, and loss of consciousness.

Foods containing celery allergy

It is true that celery is hidden in many food stuffs. They are not only used in sandwiches, salads or soups but can be often found in sauces, stocks, cubes and gravy, spice mixes, crisp flavouring and various other hidden items. In restaurants, it becomes quite difficult to avoid it as celery is commonly listed in most of the food items. 

I am currently putting together a 'Celery Allergy Report', which you will be able to download from our website, very soon.