Beyond eggs and nuts: Rice allergy gains spotlight after actress' revelation

An actress from Taiwan, Bea Hayden Kuo, has sparked online discussions about a lesser-known allergy: rice. Kuo's disclosure on the reality show Sisters Riding the Winds and Breaking the Waves about her struggles with rice allergy during adolescence has ignited curiosity and shared experiences.

Kuo's revelation, including experiencing acne breakouts and cracked mouth corners during allergic reactions, quickly became a trending topic on Chinese social media. The hashtag "#BeaHaydenKuoRiceAllergy#" garnered over 200 million views on Sina Weibo by Wednesday. While some netizens expressed disbelief, others shared their own experiences or those of family members who manage rice allergies with substitutes like potatoes and other coarse grains.

Doctor Yang Liting from Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital confirms that rice allergies are not uncommon in Asian countries. They are typically triggered by proteins present in rice. Yang cites examples from 2022 and 2023 — a child with chronic cough diagnosed with rice allergy and a man with persistent diarrhea who discovered rice as the culprit through allergy screening.

According to Health Times, a publication affiliated with China's National Health Commission, more prevalent food allergies in China include eggs, milk, seafood (fish, shrimp, crab), oilseeds (soybeans, peanuts, sesame), and certain nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

For those with rice and wheat allergies, the health portal 39.net suggests alternative staple foods like sweet potatoes, corn, oats, quinoa, and potatoes.