Pediactric Allergists Take Questions From Readers

Pediatric allergists Harvey L. Leo, MD, and Neal Jain, MD, answer questions about allergies and food sensitivities.

Coconut is not related to tree nuts nor is it related to peanuts. Coconut trees are part of the palm plant family Arecaceae, considered monocots. Trees that produce tree nuts are dicots, only distantly related to monocots. Although there are reports in the medical literature of some cross-reactivity between certain tree-nut proteins (like hazelnut and walnut) and coconuts, an allergy to coconut in nut-allergic patients is actually rare. A recent study found that patients diagnosed with a tree nut or peanut allergy had no increased risk for developing an allergy to coconut.