The Histamines of Cooked Tomato Aroma

Allergies to tomatoes range from mild to severe.

People with tomato allergies experience symptoms when they ingest tomatoes. Allergic reactions may include a runny nose, cough and watery, itchy or red eyes. These symptoms occur because of the histamines released by the body's immune system.

Histamines

Histamines are chemicals released by the immune system during cells' inflammatory response. The response is intended to help the body flush out the dangerous ingested material.

Allergies

The seeds, skin and juice of a tomato are what cause allergic reactions to the fruit. Some people who are allergic to tomatoes are able to eat processed tomato products, but fresh tomatoes pose the greatest threat to them.

Reaction

Generally, a tomato has to be ingested for the histamine reaction to occur in a body's immune system. Simply smelling the aroma of cooked tomatoes should not inflict symptoms, unless allergies are very severe.

References

• Health and Nutrition Tips: Tomato Allergy
• Science J Rank: Histamines