Coconut allergies, although not as common as peanut allergies, still pose significant health risks and require careful management. With coconut products becoming ever more prevalent, it’s important to understand how to avoid coconut and how to manage an allergic reaction if you’re accidentally exposed.

In this article, we get into the nitty-gritty about allergies to coconuts, including the symptoms to look for and which ingredients to avoid on common grocery store labels.

1. Coconuts Are Fruits, Not Nuts

Despite the name, coconuts are classified as fruits — specifically drupes — rather than true nuts. Drupes, which include peaches, cherries, plums, and olives, are fruits with a hard stone or pit encasing the seed. These fruits have a fleshy outer layer and a single hard pit inside.

While coconuts are distant relatives of tree nuts, they’re actually a member of the palm family. This means the proteins in tree nuts that trigger allergic reactions are different from the allergy-causing proteins in coconuts. So, generally speaking, people with tree nut allergies shouldn’t assume they’re also allergic to coconuts.

2. A Coconut Allergy Doesn’t Mean You’re Allergic to Tree Nuts

Coconut allergy is not typically cross-reactive with more common tree nut allergies such as almonds, cashews, or hazelnuts. Cross-reactivity is when the immune system confuses proteins in one substance for the proteins in another and causes an allergic reaction to them. It can affect both children and adults, and reactions are different for everyone​.

Because tree nuts and coconuts are not closely related, most people with tree nut allergies don’t need to worry about being allergic to coconut. That said, there have been a few rare cases in which people with allergies to tree nuts have had allergic reactions to coconut.

3. Coconut Allergy Is Relatively Rare

Coconut allergies are less common compared to other food allergies. According to a 2021 study, only 0.39 percent of the United States population — or 1 in 260 Americans — were considered to have a symptomatic allergy to coconut.

Although it’s rare, about half of those who have symptoms experience some form of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction can include restricted airways, swollen throat, a severe drop in blood pressure, rapid heart rate, dizziness, or loss of consciousness.

4. The Allergy Is an Immune Response to Coconut Proteins

A coconut allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly targets proteins in coconut as harmful invaders. This misidentification triggers an immune response — the release of an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE). The next time you eat coconut, the IgE antibodies recognize and bind to the coconut proteins, signaling your immune system to release histamine into your bloodstream, which causes the symptoms of an allergic reaction.​

5. Allergic Reactions Range From Mild to Severe

Allergic reactions to coconut can vary significantly from person to person. Mild reactions may include symptoms such as itching, hives, eczema, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

More severe reactions might include respiratory issues — such as wheezing or shortness of breath — and can lead to anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis is very serious and requires immediate medical attention. When someone goes into anaphylaxis, immediately dial emergency services (911 in the United States) and administer an epinephrine auto-injector (Adrenaclick, Auvi-Q, and Symjepi) as soon as possible.

6. Some Cosmetics May Cause Allergic Reactions

Eating coconut isn’t the only way you can be exposed to the allergen. Beauty products, like shampoo and conditioner, soap, facial and body cleansers, and moisturizers with coconut derivatives, can also be problematic. In fact, coconut is the most common food allergen in consumer cosmetics.

If you have coconut allergies, these cosmetics can cause allergic contact dermatitis: an itchy and painful rash that develops on the skin. The rash may have a delayed start, sometimes coming on a day or two after initial contact with the product. These rashes can sometimes take a few days to go away.

“I cannot even use shampoo or conditioner with coconut in it because my skin from my scalp to my toes becomes red and inflamed and burns,” one MyFoodAllergyTeam member wrote. “No matter how much I try to rinse it off, the pain doesn’t leave.”

It’s important to read the ingredients in beauty products and cosmetics if you have a coconut allergy. People with coconut allergies should look for and avoid all coconut-derived ingredients, including:

• Coconut diethanolamide
• Cocamide sulfate
• Cocamide DEA (cocamide diethanolamine)

7. Those Allergic to Coconut Should Avoid It in All Forms

To manage a coconut allergy, it’s essential to avoid all forms of coconut. That includes coconut-derived ingredients such as:

• Coconut oil
• Coconut milk
• Coconut water
• Coconut cream
• Dried coconut

People with coconut allergies should be careful around or completely avoid food products that use coconut, like macaroons and other coconut desserts, vegan cheese, vegan ice cream, Almond Joy candy bars, coconut rum, granola bars, and fruit juices that contain coconut.

Note that coconut is widely used in Southeast Asian cooking, including coconut curries and coconut milk-based desserts. Reading food labels diligently and informing restaurant staff about the allergy are necessary precautions​.

8. Emergency Planning and Prevention Are Essential

Having an emergency action plan is crucial if you have a coconut allergy, especially because it can cause anaphylaxis. The best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid foods containing coconut. This can be challenging, as coconut is often used as an ingredient in various dishes and products, especially in restaurants and social settings. So, having a solid action plan in place — as well as an emergency backup as a fail-safe — can help you be prepared.

In case of emergencies, carrying an epinephrine auto-injector for severe reactions and antihistamines in milder cases is a must for those with coconut allergies. Having your cell phone handy is also a good idea in case you need to call 911.

As for preventive measures, it’s good practice to read all food labels meticulously, clearly communicate with restaurant staff about your coconut allergy, and plan ahead before attending events or excursions where meals are prepared for you.

If you’re a parent of a child with a coconut allergy, your doctor will provide you with an emergency plan that you can share with caregivers or your child’s school or day care. Make sure to inform caregivers, school personnel, and other adults who interact with your child about the allergy and the potential severity of reactions. Talk to your child’s school or day care about how they manage food allergies and potential allergic reactions.

Having your child wear a medical bracelet or necklace to identify their allergy might give you even more peace of mind when you’re not with them. “Have been feeling a bit uneasy lately with my son’s allergies and the fear of him going into an anaphylactic reaction,” one MyFoodAllergyTeam member shared. “Today, I had to let go and let him go away for two days with Daddy and other siblings to visit Granny. I’m just happy I finally got him an AllerMates bracelet and he loves it.”

9. Coconut Allergies Can Be Effectively Managed

It’s impossible to know if or when a food allergy can develop. Most food allergies tend to become active during childhood, but an allergy to coconut can develop later in life, including during adulthood. Whether you develop a coconut allergy in childhood or adulthood, this allergy can be managed.

By strictly avoiding coconut and its products, seeing an allergy specialist, and having an emergency plan, people with coconut allergies can live safe and healthy lives. If you suspect you have an allergy to coconut but haven’t been diagnosed, speak with your doctor. They may recommend you get tested for coconut allergy by an allergist.

Find Your Team

On MyFoodAllergyTeam, the social network for people with food allergies and their loved ones, more than 41,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with food allergies.

Are you living with a coconut allergy? Is someone in your life trying to navigate living with a food allergy? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.