Cinnamon Allergy
Cinnamon is a common spice used in both savoury and sweet recipes. It is also used as a flavouring in products such as toothpastes and chewing gums.
Tremblay and Avon note that allergic inflammation of the mouth (contact stomatitis) is a rare disorder that is unfamiliar to most clinicians. The vast majority of cases are associated with consumption of products containing cinnamaldehyde or cinnamon essential oil as a flavouring. In their report they outline the case of an individual diagnosed with allergic contact stomatitis due to cinnamon-flavoured chewing gum. (6)
Miller et al presented fourteen new cases of cinnamon-induced stomatitis and Siqueira et al present the case of a fifty three year old man with allergic inflammation in his mouth that was found to be caused by cinnamon in chewing gum. (3, 5)
Pentinga et al looked at the use of cinnamate UV filters in sunscreens. They did not find significant problems with the filters but did note that many sunscreens contain cinnamon-related fragrances which, in some people, could cause allergic contact dermatitis.
In their study, Ackermann et al had six individuals with problems relating to cinnamon in the workplace. The allergies were contact allergies leading to dermatitis. Three people had contact dermatitis on their hands caused by handling cinnamon. One had dermatitis on the face and neck. In the latter case and their exposure to cinnamon was found to be airborne.
One of the others did have a sensitivity to cinnamon but it was not the cause of their dermatitis and in the other person cinnamon allergy was considered to derive from cross-allergy to fragrances. Five of the individuals reacted to cinnamal* separately and in fragrance mix. They concluded that occupational contact allergy to cinnamon needs to be considered in workers handling foods and that cinnamal is possibly the main allergen in cinnamon. (1)
A seventy four year old woman experienced dermatitis on her arms and legs twenty four hours after having a mud bath with cinnamon oil at a spa. She was found to react to fragrance mix, cinnamon essence, eugenol, cinnamic alcohol and cinnamic aldehyde. (2)
* Cinnamal is a yellow mobile liquid with a strong, sweet, balsamic odour. It occurs naturally in essential oils such as Cinnamon.
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You can find out more about food allergy and food intolerance in Change Your Diet and Change Your Life.
REFERENCES
(1) Ackermann L, Aalto-Korte K, Jolanki R, Alanko K. Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from cinnamon including one case from airborne exposure. Contact Dermatitis. 2009 Feb;60(2):96-9.
(2) García-Abujeta JL, de Larramendi CH, Berna JP, Palomino EM. Mud bath dermatitis due to cinnamon oil. Contact Dermatitis. 2005 Apr;52(4):234.
(3) Miller RL, Gould AR, Bernstein ML. Cinnamon-induced stomatitis venenata, Clinical and characteristic histopathologic features. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1992 Jun;73(6):708-16.
(4) Pentinga SE, Kuik DJ, Bruynzeel DP, Rustemeyer T. Do 'cinnamon-sensitive' patients react to cinnamate UV filters? Contact Dermatitis. 2009 Apr;60(4):210-3.
(5) Siqueira AS, Santos CC, Cristino MR, Silva DC, Pinheiro MG, Pinheiro JJ. Intraoral contact mucositis induced by cinnamon-flavored chewing gum--a case report. Quintessence Int. 2009 Oct;40(9):719-21.
(6) Tremblay S, Avon SL. Contact allergy to cinnamon: case report. J Can Dent Assoc. 2008 Jun;74(5):445-61.