Weird allergy to raw fruits and veggies? (OAS)

ratatoska
ratatoska Posts: 24 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have OAS (oral allergy syndrome) which is a mutation of an allergy to tree pollen. (Science side: it's an allergy to a specific protein that helps keep the cells of the plant rigid, but gets broken down when cooked.) This means I can't eat some fruits and veggies raw without my throat starting to close up- however, as soon as they're baked or cooked in any form, I'm all over it. I can still have melon, oranges, berries, and nuts. (Thank gods, I don't know what I would do during blackberry season!)

Bad fruits: Apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, grapes (anything with an edible skin)
Bad veggies: Carrots, celery

One thing I love doing is baking apples and pears into my breakfast foods. I currently have a bunch of baked barley cakes with apple and pear in my freezer- great for a jump-start in the morning.

Does anyone have the same allergy?

Replies

  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
    I do! It's so cool to meet someone with my same allergy! My mom also has this, and I assume that's where I inherited it from. I have seasonal allergies and allergies to all animals with fur as well. I worked at an ear, nose and throat doctors office for a while and had several blood and skin allergy tests done which also confirmed all of my physical symptoms.

    Fortunately I'm not allergic to citrus fruits or bananas - or tomatoes for that matter. I am allergic to most other fruits, and I'm *very* allergic to all veggies except for lettuce and celery.

    I only eat "cooked" salads. I cook my spinach, kale, carrots, beets, whatever else I'd put in a salad, and then I might chop a raw tomato and put it in too.

    As for fruits, I only stick to the ones that do not give me allergic reactions. If I do get a reaction, I always have Zyrtec or Benadryl on hand.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    OMG I do too!
    My allergist explained to me it was the enzyme in the fruit. Once cooked it's broken down so I can have it.
    I can't eat any of these raw:
    Apples all forms
    Pears
    Peaches
    Plums
    Fennel
    Carrots
    Grapes
    Cherries

    Anything with edible skin really.
    Everyone looks at me like I'm crazy when I tell them!
    Edit to add: My allergist also explained certain fruits pollinate certain ways too like melons pollinate like ragweed so during ragweed season my melon allergy gets worse. I'm also allergic to grass, tree bark, pollen, animal dander, dust,, tree nuts, soy, dairy, rag weed....
  • icyeyes317
    icyeyes317 Posts: 226 Member
    My doc thinks I have something like this, because I have a reaction to random fruit at times, but I am confirmed highly allergic to mango. It's the only one that is epi-pen-****-I-am-about-to-die-bad, thankfully. When the other stuff acts up, it's not as bad, but really annoying.

    Kinda glad I"m not the only one with weird allergies. Lol
  • ratatoska
    ratatoska Posts: 24 Member
    I've never met anyone else with the same allergy, so I'm really relieved to know that it's not just me! It's really been a struggle to try to change my eating habits, especially because I end up eating out a lot due to my job. What sort of things do you order at restaurants if you're trying to eat healthier?
  • lovelymsnicole
    lovelymsnicole Posts: 3
    I have the same thing except not as severe my mouth just gets irritated. I just make sure to wash my fruits and veggies and cut them up into little pieces then I eat them really fast lol I still get the effects but then I drink a lot of liquid and after a half hour or so I'm okay.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
    I actually try to stick to seafood when I'm eating out. I don't put any sauces on it, and usually seafood comes with a small amount of grain and a cooked vegetable. It really depends on where I go though. Fortunately at most Chinese, Vietnamese, Mexican etc... restaurants, I can find options on the menu that are all cooked, and I'll limit myself to a portion of what they serve and bring the rest home.

    To-go boxes are a life saver when you're trying to lose weight!
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    I would just die ... or just get it over and just shoot myself and get the agony over.

    Good luck .. but I love my fruits and veggies. So this would definitely kill me.
  • icyeyes317
    icyeyes317 Posts: 226 Member
    The two things I miss the most: eating at a Chinese buffet, and going to Tropical Smoothie. =(
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    I would just die ... or just get it over and just shoot myself and get the agony over.

    Good luck .. but I love my fruits and veggies. So this would definitely kill me.
    It breaks my heart. I used to love raw fruit. This allergy developed around when I was 18. And I'm a pescatarian so I would love to be able to eat more fruit.
  • citizencrp
    citizencrp Posts: 228 Member
    I have this AND I have legit other food allergies.
    It's no fun. My food limitations increase every year but I have always loved the fresh fruits and veg that I react to.
    Also love all the foods I'm increasingly allergic to.
    Not cool.
  • momwhosbusy
    momwhosbusy Posts: 154 Member
    Pick me! Carrots, celery, any stone fruit, pears, potatoes, msg, nitrates, and most grains so far. More cropping up all the time. I cannot have cherries, potatoes or carrots in any form, cooked or otherwise. I can't even come into physical contact with potatoes or peaches without problems. I am on 360 mg of allegra/day + I have to carry an epi and Benadryl with me at all times. Feel free to add me!
  • ratatoska
    ratatoska Posts: 24 Member
    The two things I miss the most: eating at a Chinese buffet, and going to Tropical Smoothie. =(


    YES. I can't have most protein powders as well, so smoothies are mostly over for me unless I make them at home.
  • icyeyes317
    icyeyes317 Posts: 226 Member
    Have any of y'all tried Allegra to slow the allergy down some? My doc put me on it after a bad reaction at the grocery store (I didn't eat anything, I was standing at the deli counter near the salad bar where there was a tropical fruit salad). Since taking the Allegra, it's helped with the over-reaction of the allergies all around.

    Might be something to check into...
  • ratatoska
    ratatoska Posts: 24 Member
    My husband does, he can only have oranges, grapes (which I find odd) yup thats it. I feel really bad for him cause he does like all fruit but he feels like this throat is fuzzy and closing in when he eats it. Its awful :( But I will can alot of things, like cherries, peaches, etc and then at least he can enjoy some fruits and such cold. Cause he's the same the fruit needs be to cooked to eat it. And there's only so much actual warm fruit a person wants to eat....so we can up cherries and cool the jar in the fridge and eat cold, same with peaches, its really yummy.

    I also will can with pure apple juice to save on sugar content.

    I'll definitely check that out! I love love LOVE fruit but hate buying it canned because of the sugar content.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
    Kevalicious, We can eat fruits and veggies, they just have to be heated up to a certain temperature so the proteins change. At least for me, it's not that big of a deal and I never talk about it or tell anybody. I also don't find it restricting me in what I eat day to day. I guess I've had it for so long that it's a part of my life and I still know how to make healthy choices!
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
    Canning is such a good idea! I know pickling and drying are also remedies to be able to eat fruits and veggies you may be allergic to. I really want to get into doing these more often.

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