Sunflower seed allergy reactions vary and epinephrine often underused
What it found
In 47 people with sunflower seed allergy, reactions ranged from mild to severe, and symptoms could change on repeated exposures.
Only 4 of 18 emergency cases received epinephrine.
What they found
Studies in people
Severe reactions common
23 out of 47 patients (49%) had severe or life-threatening reactions, including bronchospasm, laryngeal edema, gastrointestinal symptoms, collapse or hypotension.
Epinephrine underused
Emergency medical services were requested for 18 patients (38%), but only 4 patients (8%) received epinephrine.
Variability on repeat exposure
Among 16 patients with more than one reaction, 10 (62%) reported different clinical profiles on each exposure.
Other allergies precede
Most patients had a history of other food allergies before sunflower seed allergy, most often to peach (34%), peanut (30%), and nuts (walnut 25%, hazelnut 19%, almond 17%, pistachio 11%).
What the authors conclude
- They state that sunflower seed allergy should be considered as a potential cause of life-threatening reactions.
- They call for further research to investigate the allergenic content of sunflower seed, determine clinical cross-reactivity among different seeds and other foods, and develop component-resolved diagnostics.
How it was done
They evaluated 47 patients diagnosed with sunflower seed allergy at a hospital allergy department in Madrid over 5 years. They collected clinical history, skin prick tests, and specific IgE measurements.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a retrospective study of patients at one hospital, so it cannot show how common sunflower seed allergy is in the general population.
- It cannot prove that any particular protein or sensitization pattern causes severe reactions.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Spain
The paper
- Title
- Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Seed Allergy
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Galleani C, Diéguez MC, Cabanillas B, Martín-Arriscado Arroba C, Enríquez-Matas A, Crespo JF (2025). Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Seed Allergy. Journal of investigational allergology & clinical immunology. doi:10.18176/jiaci.0965PubMed 38085525DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error