Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Can Solid Wood Trigger Nut Allergies?
Don Stephan
Always been curious if exposure to unfinished walnut or cherry wood can trigger a nut allergy. I have seen reports of bowl turners over years developing an allergic reaction to walnut sawdust, but is that the same as a nut allergy? And can simply touching a piece of solid wood trigger sawdust or nut allergy?
Re: Can Solid Wood Trigger Nut Allergies?
Bruce, a MN Galoot
I can’t address the direct question, but I have a fairly strong reaction to walnut dust (flu-like symptoms almost immediately) and I have absolutely no problem with walnut nuts.
Re: Can Solid Wood Trigger Nut Allergies? *LINK*
Dick Coers Nonetheless, the lack of any study in this regard makes it impossible to give you 100% assurance of this. We do know, for example, that allergic respiratory tract reactions can occur to walnut (1-3). However, it is not known whether these reactions are IgE mediated as ar anaphylactic reactions to walnuts, and the underlying mechanism behind these respiratory reactions has not been clearly elucidated. We also know that contact dermatitis can occur to walnuts, and the allergens probably are juglones, but this, too, has not been clarified completely. In summary, the best we can say is that one cannot rule out the possibility of a reaction to walnut wood in a person highly sensitive to walnuts, but my opinion is that the risk of such a reaction would be very low.
The question you posed has been dealt with many times on lay websites but to my knowledge, and according to a literature search, there are no scientific studies addressing the issue of potential crossreactivity between the allergens found in walnut wood and the major allergens (juglones) of walnuts. It is known, however, that juglone is contained in walnut wood. Nonetheless, it is not very soluble in water, and since the cutting board has been dried, I would think that there would be little chance of a reaction to a walnut wood cutting board in a patient with walnut allergy.
https://www.aaaai.org/ask-the-expert/walnut-cutting-board
Re: Can Solid Wood Trigger Nut Allergies?
Barry Irby
I react to walnut and get nasal symptoms perhaps "flu like". I still work with it, wearing a mask and taking Zyrtec and showering afterward. Sometimes I wear a tyvek suit. As far as I know I am not affected by the nuts themselves, but I eat very few or none.
I believe it is a known sensitiser.
David Ellsworth had a strong reaction to it and will no longer turn it or have anything to do with it. That information is twenty years old and I don't know if he has modified it.