OTHER FORMS OF FOOD ALLERGY: OTHER FOODS THAT CAN TRIGGER MAST CELLS
Although lectins are probably the best-studied, they are certainly not the only food components that can trigger mast cells directly. Several foods contain peptides (small protein-like molecules) which also bind to mast cells and make them degranulate. Among the foods known to contain such peptides are egg-white, strawberries, crustacean shellfish (prawns, shrimps, crabs, lobsters), tomatoes, fish, pork and chocolate.
Pineapple and papaya both contain very powerful protein-breaking enzymes that can attack the membranes of any body cell, including mast cells. This again may cause the mast cells to degranulate. It is not certain whether some individuals are more susceptible than others, but it is not advisable for anyone to eat raw pineapple or papaya on an empty stomach because of the damage done to the stomach lining by these enzymes. Tinned pineapple is safe because the heat used in canning inactivates the enzyme.
Yet another group of foods contain substances that appear to trigger mast cells but whose chemical identity is unknown. The foods in question are buckwheat, sunflower seeds, mango and mustard. The offending ingredient -which is assumed to be a peptide or protein – binds to the IgE of susceptible individuals.
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