Probably one of the worst things you could tell me is that I have a chocolate allergy. Okay, there are many things that are worse, but I canít imagine knowing that I could never eat chocolate again. I don’t eat a lot of it, but there are moments when nothing else will do. The good news for chocolate lovers is that a true allergic reaction to chocolate is very rare. Usually, the problem is that with another ingredient mixed with the chocolate. That is when many get confused, and claim to have a chocolate allergy.
Those who have a true chocolate allergy are allergic to the cocoa. This is very unusual, and there are many who make the mistake of thinking that is the problem. In most cases, the problem has come from something else, and these things are common things found in chocolate products like candy bars. One of the most common triggers is peanuts. Someone with a peanut allergy has to be very careful when they are eating candy. Though many US companies are very careful to keep peanuts away from products that are supposed to be peanut-free, or will label their products with a warning, some overseas companies are not up to snuff with these standard practices.
Nuts are not the only thing that might get labeled the problem in regards to a chocolate allergy. A person can have a reaction to the preservatives that are used, soy products, gluten, and some of the things that are used to add flavorings or colors. If you already have a known allergy to any of these things, you may be doing your best to avoid them while eating, but you may not have thought about what might be contained within a chocolate bar. Some assume plain chocolate bars are pure chocolate, and that is when problems can occur.
If you have eaten something, and think you are having a chocolate allergy reaction, or a reaction to an ingredient, you should get in to the doctor or the emergency room as fast as you can. A mild reaction can be treated at your leisure, though it is recommended you go in as quickly as you can, but something more severe will require a trip to the emergency room. Some common signs of a reaction are heartburn, rashes or hives, mental confusion, or in some extreme cases, restricted breathing.
You may find that you donít have a chocolate allergy at all. You may just be intolerant of something, and that has lead to the symptoms coming up that resemble an allergic reaction. An intolerance usually has some mild problems associated with it, but is usually not something that is life threatening. If it turns out that you do not have a chocolate allergy, but rather an intolerance for one of the ingredients, you can simply find a new type of chocolate without that ingredient, or put up with the symptoms. Discuss your options with your doctor.
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