Buckwheat
Allergy Facts, Symptoms, and Treatment

Buckwheat (aka common buckwheat) is high in protein and carbohydrates but also provides small amounts of vitamins B1 and B2 as well as rutin, an ingredient with antioxidant capacity.^1,2 Hulled buckwheat kernels are cooked and served much like rice, and buckwheat flour can be mixed with wheat flour to create a variety of dishes, including popular options such as crepes and noodles (e.g., soba, ramen, somen, and udon).^1,3 However, buckwheat is considered a serious food allergen because it can cause severe reactions such as anaphylaxis in allergic individuals.² Various forms of allergic reactions may occur via ingestion, occupational exposure, and domestic exposure through pillows filled with buckwheat husks.⁴ For those allergic to buckwheat, inhalation of buckwheat flour can also cause a reaction.²

In the United States, much of Western Europe, and Australia, buckwheat-sensitization prevalence is 2.8 percent overall and 2.2 percent excluding those with sensitivities to birch pollen.⁵ However, buckwheat is the sixth most common source of food allergy in Japan, where it's also the fourth most frequent cause of food-related anaphylaxis.⁶ Although the median ages of buckwheat allergy in children in Korea and Japan are 7 years and 7.4 years, respectively, most children eventually outgrow it. One study in Japan demonstrated that 72 percent of children with a buckwheat allergy had acquired tolerance by a median age of 7. What s more, two-thirds of children with prior anaphylactic reactions to buckwheat developed tolerance after a dietary elimination period of a median 10.5 years.⁷

Are there other allergens I could be sensitized to?*

Some people with buckwheat allergy may also experience symptoms when eating other seemingly unrelated foods. This is called cross-reactivity and occurs when your body's immune system identifies the proteins, or components, in different substances as being structurally similar or biologically related, thus triggering a response.⁵ Several case studies have revealed cross-reactivity between buckwheat and latex, coconut, and poppy seeds.²

If you experience an itchy mouth or ears, scratchy throat, hives on the mouth, or swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, or throat after eating buckwheat or other related fresh fruits, raw vegetables, or tree nuts, you may suffer from Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome (PFAS) also called Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS). This condition is caused by your immune system's reaction to similar proteins, or components, found in foods and pollens.¹⁰ It is quite common, as one study suggests that up to 25 percent of 8-year-old children with allergic rhinitis (aka hay fever) also suffer from PFAS.¹⁴ Common pollen allergies that could cause OAS when eating buckwheat include tree (e.g., birch), grass, and weed.¹¹

Do I need to avoid all forms of buckwheat?

Some of the allergenic proteins in buckwheat are stable to both heat and digestion. A buckwheat allergic person may therefore be at risk of reacting to any form of buckwheat (cooked, baked, processed, or raw).⁵

*These products may not be approved for clinical use in your country. Please work with your healthcare provider to understand availability.