Poinsettia Plants and Latex Allergies.

I learned something pretty interesting over the holidays.  Did you know that poinsettia plants and latex have a lot in common.
So if you or someone you know has an allergy to latex you may have already noticed that poinsettia plants bother you in some way.  Surprised?  Well so was I.

First a little information on latex.  Most of today's natural rubber comes from the Hevea brasiliensis species of tree. It's actually the fluid that's contained underneath the bark. While synthetic rubber is actually a petroleum based product.
And of course latex can be found in a whole lot of things that we use in our day to day lives.
Here's just an example of some of the things you can find it in.

Rubber glove/Latex gloves
Plastic handles on tools and sports equipment
Switches and buttons on electronic devices
Erasers
Pacifiers, diapers
Balloons
Elastic bands
Toys
Carpet backing
Paint
Soles of shoes
Some clothing including raincoats, elastic on undergarments
Medical devices
Condoms
Diaphragms
Sanitary napkins and other similar items
Bandages

Poinsettia plants are the most common latex producing plants found today.  This particular plant comes from the Euphorbiaceae family, the same family as the rubber tree.
As it turns out two of the proteins found in natural latex are also found in the poinsettia plant.

So what other plants are related to this plant family besides the rubber tree and poinsettia?
Chenile plant (Acalypha hispida)
Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)
Jacobs Coat (Acalypha wilkesiana)
Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia splendens)
Tapioca (Minikot esculenta)

There are also a couple of foods that contain some of the same proteins as latex that you may want to be aware of as well.  They include bananas, avocado, and chestnuts.







Sources:
allergyasthmanetwork.org/can-poinsettia-plants-cause-latex-allergy-reaction/
webmd.com/allergies/news/20031124/latex-allergy-beware-poinsettias
medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000500.htm
mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/poinsettia-plants/faq-20058304
foodsmatter.com/allergy_intolerance/latex/articles/poinsettias.html
madehow.com/Volume-3/Latex.html#ixzz6AlL1eRqq