Comments on: Why does dark chocolate make me sneeze?

Question: Why does dark chocolate make me sneeze?

pt68 — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 09:55:13 -0800

Whenever I eat dark chocolate, I sneeze. The darker and more unadulterated the chocolate, the quicker I sneeze (and the more intense it is). Why?

By: DrSkrud

DrSkrud — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 10:13:22 -0800

This could be a case of Oral Allergies, where an allergy to a particular type of pollen (in my case to Birch trees) causes you to sneeze when you eat certain completely unrelated foods (in my case, apples). But afaik, those are usually only limited to fruit and nuts.

Do you have any allergies to trees/flowers/etc or could there be nuts (like hazelnuts) in your chocolate?

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 10:14:56 -0800

I notice the same thing with chocolate.

By: kookoobirdz

kookoobirdz — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 10:33:16 -0800

IANAChocolatologist, but wouldn't this suggest a cacao allergy? The darker chocolate is, the higher percentage of cacao it is. If your sneezing escalates in line with darkness, that's at least a correlation.

By: kookoobirdz

kookoobirdz — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 10:35:56 -0800

Milk chocolate, btw, has cacao % somewhere in the 30s, usually. I've seen dark chocolate as high as 78% myself. So maybe it's tolerable at lower levels.

By: pt68

pt68 — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 10:38:58 -0800

There is definitely a correlation between cacao concentration and severity of the reaction, and it happens with pure chocolate (no nuts, flavorings, etc.).
I guess the only reason I haven't been sure that it's just allergy is the near immediacy of the reaction (though I guess pollen reactions hit just as quickly).

By: Lord_Pall

Lord_Pall — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 10:49:38 -0800

I get this from milk with non-organic milk.

Interestingly enough, it doesn't happen in the UK with non-organic milk, so I suspect it's the bovine growth hormone.

By: mbrubeck

mbrubeck — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 11:00:46 -0800

I have the exact same thing, including stronger reactions to darker chocolate. It's very reliable—just after taking the first bite of dark chocolate, I sneeze violently. I assumed it was an allergic reaction, although (fortunately) I don't have any other symptoms.

By: scodger

scodger — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 11:20:08 -0800

Maybe it is a variation of this? The article briefly mentions the sneezing can be bought on by strong flavours (though only light works for me).

By: ajp

ajp — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:36:04 -0800

Ooh I get this with red wine if it's particularly....strong (nebulous terminology, I know). Just a one-time sneeze on the first sip. If a wine makes me sneeze, I usually think "damn, that's good wine".

By: pt68

pt68 — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:50:43 -0800

Okay, so now I'm thinking the variation on the Photic Response might be the answer (thanks scodger).
Like mrbrubeck, it's only after the first bite, and there are no other reactions.
What I've read about most nasal allergic reactions, the sneeze is combined with the production of mucus, because the body is trying to flush out and throw away the offending particle. But with dark chocolate, there's no mucus.
Roughly scientific . . . very roughly . . .

By: dudiggy

dudiggy — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:53:32 -0800

I found this topic interesting as it relates to a phenomenon that I experience; I sneeze when I become sexually aroused. So, I searched and came up with this.

By: dudiggy

dudiggy — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:54:01 -0800

this

By: dudiggy

dudiggy — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:00:18 -0800

Sorry, for some reason I can't link. Here's the sight http://www.universalreflex.com/article.php?story=20051027150722171

By: dudiggy

dudiggy — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:07:28 -0800

er, "site"...I'm batting a hundred for my first post ever. I hate to hijack this thread but, what am I doing wrong that I can't use the link at the bottom of the comment box?

By: dudiggy

dudiggy — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:15:36 -0800

Nevermind, I think I figured it out. [slowly backing out of the room, hoping nobody notices what a retard I am]