Friend or Foe? The Chocolate Easter Bunny. Is it safe to eat chocolate if you have nickel allergy?

April 20, 2011 - PRLog -- Huntersville, N.C.  – It’s that time of year when the phones are ringing off the hook at NoNickel.com asking if chocolate is safe to eat.  

According to Michael Dow, owner of NoNickel.com, “Every Easter people call us panicked wondering if chocolate is ok to eat if they have nickel allergy.”  Chocolate, red wine and many other foods contain nickel. People are worried that if they eat chocolate it will make their nickel allergy worse.”

Nickel allergy is a very common form of dermatitis called allergic contact dermatitis or ACD. A red, itchy rash develops after contact with items containing nickel such as earrings, watches, rings, belts, eye glasses etc.  Nickel allergy affects between 10-15% of the U.S. population. Men and women of all ages can suffer from this skin allergy.

Mr. Dow went on to say “Nickel allergy has always been thought of as a rash that is isolated to the area where nickel makes contact with the skin. However, there is some evidence to say if a person has systemic contact dermatitis (a rash other than where the nickel makes contact) or itching on the hands and feet, lowering the amount of nickel in a person’s diet might be beneficial.”

Foods that are high in nickel are published on the NoNickel website along with other helpful advice on how to avoid nickel.  But Mr. Dow stresses “check with your dermatologist or allergist before giving up chocolate or any of the foods on the nickel allergy diet.  For the majority of individuals, nickel in their diet is not a problem. It is only people who are severely allergic to nickel that may benefit from this extreme diet.  Why give up chocolate if you don’t have to!”

NoNickel.com is the leading source for nickel allergy information and products. The company specializes in nickel free belts, buckles, watches, rings, earrings and nickel testing kits.  Michael Dow and his wife, Lea own and operate NoNickel and Athena Allergy. The husband and wife team are nickel allergy experts with nearly 50 years combined experience in medical fields of dermatology and allergy, specializing in allergic contact dermatitis.

For more information on nickel allergy, http://www.nonickel.com/pages/nickel_allergy_symptoms.html

For information on nickel free belts, buckles, watches, rings, earrings etc visit http://www.nonickel.com/

For information on foods that are high in nickel, http://www.nonickel.com/pages/nickel_allergy_diet.html

For information on nickel allergy and hand eczema, http://www.nonickel.com/pages/nickel_allergy_diet_hand_eczema.html

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NoNickel.com is the leading source for nickel allergy information and products. The company specializes in nickel free belts, buckles, watches, rings, earrings and nickel testing kits.