Does anyone know if wasabi Wasabia japonica is related to the rubber tree Hevea? I'm trying to figure out if wasabi might cause allergies for someone with a latex allergy.
wasabi Wasabia japonica is in the mustard family cruciferae (Brassicaceae) and not related to rubber Hevea which is in the euphorbiaceae. this does not mean there are or will not be any cross reactivity to someone that has a reaction to latex! the active constituents in wasabi are called glucosinolates and are the active compounds that give the 'Mustards' (brassicaceae) their characteristc smell and taste Pierrot
Wasabi is not in the same family as the rubber trees that produce natural latex. Wasabi japonica is a wet lands semi-aquatic Brassicaceae, in which family the mustards and cabbages belong (hence the "mustard" or "cabbage" family). It is very closely similar to the horseradishes. Hevea brasinliensis, on the other hand, is a Euphorbiaceae - same family as the poinsettias, spurges, etc. Latex is a general term referring to the milky exudate obtained from plant parts. The basis for the allergic reactions to these milky substances are usually specific plant proteins contained in the latex. For example, it is now known that a proportion of people (40%) with latex allergy will react to poinsettia - even have itchiness and other symptoms if there is a poinsettia in the same room. Researchers have recently found that two specific proteins are found in both natural rubber latex and poinsettia plants that are responsible for the allergic reactions. Such proteins are called "cross-reactive allergens". These proteins, however, may also be found in other plants. For example, the two proteins mentioned above (Hev b 6.01 and Hev b 10) are also present in banana, kiwi, chestnut. Hence, people with latex allergies are potentially also allergic to those foods. In addition, they have also been associated with the latex from certain figs. The moral of the story is that plants do not have to be in the same family or be similar to each other to share the phenomenon of allergic cross reactivity. It is the presence or absence of specific allergenic protein that determine if a person who is allergic to one plant or plant part may or may not be allergic to another plant or plant part. Or course, if the plants are botanically very similar, cross reactivity is more likely. But the distance between the Brassicaceae and Euphorbiaceae does not preclude cross reactivity. Interestingly, if you were to do a google search on Wasabi and allergies, you are more likely to get results describing it as a "remedy" rather than a trigger. The pungent hotness that rams straight up the congested nasal passages of a hayfever sufferer is purported to be a sure-fire way of drying up the nose in an instance.
The spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) and cabbage family (Brassicaceae/ Cruciferae) are indeed quite distantly related. Under current classification schemes (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II, APG II,, 2003, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 141, 399-436) the former 'rosid' family is placed in the large and diverse order Malpighiales, the latter in Brassicales. For a reasonable overview of the APG II scheme, see: http://www.botany.wisc.edu/Garden/orders.htm
Wow, wonderful information. Thanks! I too found more claims of wasabi as allergy cure (complete rubbish, of course) than as a trigger. But a couple of studies out of Japan seem to have found some correlation between the wasabi and latex allergy. Given the consumption rates of wasabi in Japan, however, there could easily be other factors involved.
Just a note, almost all the wasabi sold in the USA is not Wasabia japonica but just the common horseradish with a few other ingredients mixed in.
I don't like it myself so I don't know, but check the list of ingredients on the package, that is where they must tell the truth. I never have liked horseradish so when I found this out it made sense of the fact I didn't like wasabi either.
I am allergic to latex and (only after years and years of weekly consumption) allergic to wasabi. I think I have recently developed an allergy to tannins in wine as well, also sad. That may sum up my allergies..... The latex allergy is far from severe just a little redness and irritation. I dont know what level of reaction you have. Contrary to common belief, Wasabi is a sinus irritant. I do not have hayfever or anything even close, but wasabi causes me to have repeated debilitating sneezing fit appx. 20-40 minutes after the meal for about the last year. Absolutely dreadful. I love wasabi, and other forms of horseradish. But, I can no longer eat it. Hopefully you will not suffer the same fate. If you enjoy hot spice in your food you would likely enjoy it.
*Especially* the powdered version. The odds of getting real Wasabi in *any* product in North America are as close to 0% as makes no difference. I'm growing some Wasabi plants and the taste is completely different, the only thing wasabi such as you find in a western sushi restaurant and a real wasabi plant have in common are the pungency, the taste is much more refined and interesting in a real wasabi. The green goo, paste or powder advertised as "Wasabi" is far hotter and intense and flavourless. Also a real wasabi root loses most of it's pungency and flavour almost within minutes after being grated so you basically need to grate it and eat it immediately, it's also *very* difficult to cultivate in a production sense which explains why you will rarely get the real thing in North America.
