Need advice from someone who knows nutrition

elizabetholvera9
elizabetholvera9 Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
Most people do not believe me when I ask for advice on this topic but it is 100% true and verified by an allergist. My boyfriend is allergic to all fruits and vegetables. It has something to do with the protein make-up and how his body breaks it down. Even after cooking it, 99 % of stuff he still cannot eat. The allergist told us to just make sure he takes supplements and he should get the right nutrients. I am not sold on this as it is difficult for him to lose weight and he gets sick a lot. I feel his body is lacking everything you can get from fruits and vegetables. He is currently drinking V8-fusion (1 bottle per day) as it gives him close to what is recommended. We just started this but it is so high is sugar I am worried it is actually doing him more bad than good. We have reached out to many specialists but have had no good answer. Does anyone have suggestions? Any advice is welcomed!

Replies

  • babyluthi
    babyluthi Posts: 285 Member
    Seriously. You need to get a second opinion on that.
  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
    He can drink V8 but not other raw/cooked fruits & veggies? That seems weird.

    Just curious, what happens to him when he eats these things?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    I've heard of this once in our hospital gym. I believe the person ate dried fruits and dehydrated vegetables if I'm correct. I could be entirely wrong though.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • jayrudq
    jayrudq Posts: 475 Member
    To be frank, I am not huge into alternative medicine, but in this case, I would be. I would be looking at Chinese medicine and acupuncture or other practitioners. I think traditional medicine just has no space for something so fundamentally, well, wrong.

    Good luck.
  • elizabetholvera9
    elizabetholvera9 Posts: 5
    Yup. Not sure what it is about the drink. I bought it for me and he tried some and did great with it. Very surprising! When he eats most fruits his lip swells and his throat tingles. With fruits his throat closes and lip swells and he gets red in the face. With potatoes, it is even weirder. I had him peeling one, because touching the fruits never bugged him, and he broke out on his hands and had an asthma attack. It is not fun!
  • elizabetholvera9
    elizabetholvera9 Posts: 5
    I have looked into dehydrated stuff to try but it is all loaded with so much sugar. At least the brands of fruit I looked into. Do you know of any brands that have less sugar? I am not sure if I am just not up to speed on how much sugar fruits have but it seems outrageous!
  • elizabetholvera9
    elizabetholvera9 Posts: 5
    The first explanation was supposed to say vegetables. He has less of a reaction with vegetables than fruits but it still isn't good. Sorry, my hands got ahead of my brain!
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
    I have looked into dehydrated stuff to try but it is all loaded with so much sugar. At least the brands of fruit I looked into. Do you know of any brands that have less sugar? I am not sure if I am just not up to speed on how much sugar fruits have but it seems outrageous!

    Dearie, fruit it made up of carbs, ie sugar + fiber. And lots of water.
    sometimes a smidget of protein or fat.
    So if you dehydrate fruit (ie take out the water), you're left with sugar + fiber !!

    Food is made up of combo of the following
    1- Carb ( which is sugar + fiber)
    2- Protein
    3- Fat
    4- Alcohol
    5- and of course, water

    http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/macronutrients.htm
    http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0078022584/947562/SampleChapter08.pdf <- see pg 10 !
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    Have you tried juicing your own stuff similar to V8. More control over what goes in that way

    Is he allergic to legumes?
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
    . My boyfriend is allergic to all fruits and vegetables. It has something to do with the protein make-up and how his body breaks it down. Even after cooking it, 99 % of stuff he still cannot eat.

    He is currently drinking V8-fusion (1 bottle per day) as it gives him close to what is recommended.

    Doesn't make sense "he's allergic to all fruits and vegetables", and in the next sentence you state " he drinks v9 juice".
    "Never had a reaction with potatoes before, but now he breaks out & has a asthma attack."

    "Most fruit swells his lips, and throat closes, and face turns red." and then. THEN YOU GIVE HIM V-8 !!!???
    are you trying to kill him ??

    I think he needs to a 2nd opinion from a competent physician that runs tests.
    And a girlfriend that stops exposing him to fruits & veggies, until the doctor figures out the details of the problem.
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
    I've heard of this once in our hospital gym. I believe the person ate dried fruits and dehydrated vegetables if I'm correct. I could be entirely wrong though.

    My guess is the fruit & veggies weren't the problem. It was the drying method that was.
    Probably the sulfur & other preservatives that were used.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Isn't V8 Fusion made from fruits and vegetables? This doesn't make sense...
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    Not exactly an authority but here's an article I found that explains it in laymans terms after a quick google

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2057071/Oral-allergy-syndrome-Having-day-kill--Im-allergic-fruit-veg.html

    It recommends referal to an allergy specialist.

    Also says that cooking usually destroys the allergens - so something to think about
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I'd ask for a second opinion people are not allergic to ALL fruit and vegetables they are normally allergic to a select group.. ALL fruit and vegetables are not made up from the same proteins. A second opinion is needed
  • elebel82
    elebel82 Posts: 69 Member
    I have oral allergy syndrome which sounds very similar to the symptoms you describe... many types of raw fruit and vegetables cause me to get lumpy/tingly lips and some cause me to have breathing problems - similar to an asthma attack. Similarly, although I've never had any problems eating potato, peeling it (and carrots) does the same thing to me. There's the thing though - I only have a problem with raw fruits and vegies. Processed and cooked are fine. All of the symptoms you've actually described are to do with raw produce, but to what extent have you tried cooked/processed? I would suggest testing them with supervision of your allergist. An allergist may also prescribe the course of hayfever injections which can help some people (since the allergy is connected to hayfever and asthma.) It sucks, I know from experience, but it can definitely be lived with if you're willing to find out exactly what the problem fruit/veggies are.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    If he has the symptoms you described like itching throat and swelling lips please get him an EpiPen ASAP if he doesn't already have one. You inject it into your thigh then right and ring an ambulance.

    Not sure if you can get it a pharmacy or have to ask a doctor where you live but do it today because he could die from anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is where an allergy swells your throat so bad you can't breath. I know about it, I own an EpiPen because it happened to me twice. Once a hospital caused it! Luckily they could fix it as well.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    ...Also says that cooking usually destroys the allergens - so something to think about

    If that's true, then the V8 Fusion does make sense, since it's basically "cooked" during processing.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    V8 juice has fruits and veggies in it, so if he can tolerate that, then he should be able to tolerate juicing at home, I would think. I've juiced before, and loved it. It gave me a lot of energy, but it was a lot of work, and a little expensive. I will probably do it again in the near future, just took a break from it, but I would talk to the doc n see what they say about it. I got my juicer from Walmart, and I like it.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    sounds like salicylate sensitivity to me. this is very restricting and this is me.

    try looking at web site "food can make you ill" also there is a slaicylate sensitive site too. there was much research into the problem by an Australian hospital in a rush just now. cant' go into much detail now.

    briefly I eat mainly white main crop potatoes, onions white cabbage, leeks, some cauliflower, turnips English category, celery bananas and pears without skin ordinary cheese not the blue moulded kind any animal protein is fine too. Take a good vitamin pill with out filler every day. What you can eat depends on how badly you are affected. avoid broccoli pineapple and the like.

    I am now going for immunology investigations after years of problems mostly helped by myself

    Please come back to me about this I am only a fellow person with that problem. It is very scary but it is doable it just takes getting used to.

    All the very best. this is a
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    sounds like salicylate sensitivity to me. this is very restricting and this is me.

    try looking at web site "food can make you ill" also there is a slaicylate sensitive site too. there was much research into the problem by an Australian hospital in a rush just now. cant' go into much detail now.

    briefly I eat mainly white main crop potatoes, onions white cabbage, leeks, some cauliflower, turnips English category, celery bananas and pears without skin ordinary cheese not the blue moulded kind any animal protein is fine too. Take a good vitamin pill with out filler every day. What you can eat depends on how badly you are affected. avoid broccoli pineapple and the like.

    I am now going for immunology investigations after years of problems mostly helped by myself

    Please come back to me about this I am only a fellow person with that problem. It is very scary but it is doable it just takes getting used to.

    All the very best. this is a

    I am the same but no where near as bad as you. I can eat all fruits and veggies but salicylates are in Asprin which is what I am allergic too and sulfites from an anti-biotic.
  • elizabetholvera9
    elizabetholvera9 Posts: 5
    @Debbie_ferr... I didn't really appreciate your reply. He is the one that pursues to try new things. The allergist discharged him from his care over a year ago and no other allergist will take the case. We have gone as far as e-mailing clinical trials in other countries. And obviously you didn't read too carefully. I never said he hadn't had a reaction before to potatoes. I am including potatoes in with vegetables. He just has a more severe allergy to a potato. I am not trying to kill him or I wouldn't be asking for advice. Like I said, he tried the v-8, no one bought it for him. It sucks not being able to eat fruits and vegetables for him. You really need to not be so judgmental.

    @gmallan- I have never heard of legumes. I will look into it. I just not thought about juicing. I am going to do some more research on juicing.

    @elebel82- Potato are his favorite so I have gone as far as cooking them for 1.5 hrs to the point where they are already liquid practically and still he can take 2 bites and then he is done for. At his PCP's request, we tried several brands of frozen meals (processed) and most he was still allergic to. We have figured out that it is all the normal fruits and veggies that you can get from the store: apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, berries, carrots, celery, broccoli, tomatoes (another bad product even canned), cucumbers, ect.

    @fuzzipeg- Thank you for your information. I will look into all of that. That is where we are to. Own research and at times reach out to people. No allergist can help him. I emailed 100+ allergist nationwide. There just isn't a "cure" for it. He has done allergy drops/shots to attempt to help and nothing has worked.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I have looked into dehydrated stuff to try but it is all loaded with so much sugar. At least the brands of fruit I looked into. Do you know of any brands that have less sugar? I am not sure if I am just not up to speed on how much sugar fruits have but it seems outrageous!

    Just remember that one dried apricot was a whole apricot but most of the water was taken away - nothing was added. So if you eat the equivalent number of fruits with a glass of water there's no more sugar than in the original fruit.
  • Ahluvly
    Ahluvly Posts: 389 Member
    If it was me, get a 2nd opinion but, I use a wellness greens powder. It has around 20/25 fruits and vegetables in it and, it helps with detoxification too. It's made my Poliquin. They have an online store. It's around £27 for a tub which will last a month.

    if you want something cheaper then in the UK, TPW does one for around £10.
    Most people do not believe me when I ask for advice on this topic but it is 100% true and verified by an allergist. My boyfriend is allergic to all fruits and vegetables. It has something to do with the protein make-up and how his body breaks it down. Even after cooking it, 99 % of stuff he still cannot eat. The allergist told us to just make sure he takes supplements and he should get the right nutrients. I am not sold on this as it is difficult for him to lose weight and he gets sick a lot. I feel his body is lacking everything you can get from fruits and vegetables. He is currently drinking V8-fusion (1 bottle per day) as it gives him close to what is recommended. We just started this but it is so high is sugar I am worried it is actually doing him more bad than good. We have reached out to many specialists but have had no good answer. Does anyone have suggestions? Any advice is welcomed!
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
    my sister in law is allergic to tomatoes, carrots, cruciferous vegetables, dairy, eggs and shell fish :noway: She's working with a chiropractor who specializes in nutrition and he's helping her come up with recipes, meal ideas etc. I'd ask for a referal to a dietician or other nutrition related specialist to come up with ideas for what to eat/how to get in nutrients.

Categories