| ■ Reports of Pine Nut Syndrome Increasing | 2010.03.19 |
| As more Americans use pine nuts in salads, pesto and other foods, reports are increasing of pine mouth syndrome -- a bitter metallic taste that can develop a few days after consuming pine nuts and last for up to two weeks. Dozens of anecdotal reports are online, according to an article written by Marc-David Munk, a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, USA Today reported. Munk, who has firsthand experience of pine mouth syndrome, believes something in the pine nuts affects the signaling between the taste buds and the brain. His article appears in the Journal of Medical Toxicology. In the past year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received 51 complaints of "taste disturbances" linked to pine nuts, USA Today reported. |