Intolerance to certain raw fruits?

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RyanEli
RyanEli Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
For as long as I can remember, I have been unable to eat raw fruits without feeling nauseous. I wouldn't consider it an allergy, because nausea is the only symptom - there's never a rash, vomiting, pain or anything else one might associate with a food allergy.

There are exceptions:

1 - Citrus fruits don't bother me at all.
2 - Cooked fruit doesn't bother me at all. I can eat apple pie with no problem, but a raw apple makes me nauseous.

I love the taste of fruit, so it's not a mental thing.

Has anyone experienced something like this? I just feel like a weirdo and can't figure it out.

Thanks. :)

Replies

  • Centerstagekris
    Centerstagekris Posts: 57
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    I don't, but I know people that have that problem. It doesn't do well with their digestive tract. Haha. I love raw fruit but I am allergic to cherries, peaches, apricots, and plums. Bummer. I say load up on oranges and grapefruits :o)
  • Caperfae
    Caperfae Posts: 433
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    Sometimes bananas will give me heartburn/indigestion. I don't eat them often because I don't like inflicting discomfort on myself.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    the only fruit I have a problem with is bananas. I keep hearing they are one of the easiest to digest but they make my stomach hurt - for a while.
  • RyanEli
    RyanEli Posts: 20 Member
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    Thanks, Kris!

    It'd just be cool to have an answer. Surely there's something in these fruits that my body doesn't like. But, what is it? And how does it magically disappear after being cooked? Why is it not in any other foods? I can easily just avoid them, but I'm the kind of person who wants an answer for everything lol. Nutrition is so scientific and it's frustrating when I can't find an answer to something that seems so basic.

    I guess it'll just have to be one of those things.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    It could be the acid in the apple.

    Can you eat with some cheese or nut butter and maybe it won't make you nauseated?
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    Thanks, Kris!

    It'd just be cool to have an answer. Surely there's something in these fruits that my body doesn't like. But, what is it? And how does it magically disappear after being cooked? Why is it not in any other foods? I can easily just avoid them, but I'm the kind of person who wants an answer for everything lol. Nutrition is so scientific and it's frustrating when I can't find an answer to something that seems so basic.

    I guess it'll just have to be one of those things.

    It is possibly the acid in the raw fruit that is some what neutralized with in the cooking process.

    Either that, or your body is lacking an enzyme that aids in digestion of apples.
  • RyanEli
    RyanEli Posts: 20 Member
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    It's not just apples, though. It's anything that isn't citrus. I can't have apples, pears, peaches, plums, pears, etc. I haven't researched this, but I always assumed citrus fruits had more acid than the others.

    I'm sure you're right about -something- being neutralized in the cooking process, though.
  • angisnee
    angisnee Posts: 236 Member
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    I have an allergic reaction (itching and swelling of the throat) to melons, bananas, strawberries, mangos, and some other raw fruits. My doctor called it oral allergy syndrome and said it's related to seasonal allergies; it has something to do with the protein in the fruit. She said that if cooked, the proteins break down and wouldn't cause that reaction. But most fruits I'm allergic to aren't the ones you cook, so I wouldn't know. On a side note, when I was in the Philippines, I was able to eat any fruit without a reaction. (It took a lot of convincing from my friend to try the mangos straight off the tree in their back yard, but I'm glad I did!) He suggested it might have to do with the pesticides/herbicides used in the US that aren't used there. I haven't been brave enough to test that theory on organic produce here yet because I don't feel like making a trip to the ER anytime soon.

    Hope you're able to find some answers!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,015 Member
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    Fructose Intolerance: There are a couple sites about it, I googled "fruit nausea"......but they seem to want your money for a special diet. Try mayoclinic or webmd....


    quote:

    "Up to one in three people has some level of sugar sensitivity - most commonly to Fructose. However around half of these people show no symptoms at all. Fructose is found in processed foods like soft drinks and confectionery."

    from www.foodintol.com/food_intolerance/nausea_causes.htm
    ________________________
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
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    You're a medical mystery hun. I just googled it and nothing concrete. Someone suggested it might be an ulcer??

    How about dried fruit? Or tinned fruit?

    Dunno! Maybe your Dr will know?

    Good luck finding out :flowerforyou:
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    It's not just apples, though. It's anything that isn't citrus. I can't have apples, pears, peaches, plums, pears, etc. I haven't researched this, but I always assumed citrus fruits had more acid than the others.

    I'm sure you're right about -something- being neutralized in the cooking process, though.

    As I first mentioned, I believe it is food intolerance due to lack of the digestive enzyme Amylaze. You can take a supplement for a while until your body is used to digesting the raw foods and then your stomach will adapt and make the enzymes necessary and the stomach cramping will go away.

    AMYLASE works to breakdown carbohydrates i.e. starches, sugars (this is the supplement you want to take and should help ease the stomach cramps from the raw foods)

    Most raw food, like our bodies, is very perishable. When raw foods are exposed to temperatures above 118 degrees, they start to rapidly break down, just as our bodies would if we had a fever that high. One of the constituents of foods which can break down are enzymes. Enzymes help us digest our food. Enzymes are proteins though, and they have a very specific 3-dimensional structure in space. Once they are heated much above 118 degrees, this structure can change.

    ack of digestive enzymes can be a factor in food allergies. Symptoms of digestive enzymes depletion are bloating, belching, gas, bowel disorders, abdominal cramping, heartburn and food allergies.

    All of us loose our ability to produce concentrated digestive enzymes as we grow older. In cases where age is a factor, or where lack of digestive enzymes causes food allergies, supplementation may be helpful. You may also want to explore food combining.

    The above mentioned statements is why you are able to eat the "cooked" foods, but not in the raw form.

    Please message me if you would like to chat about this any further. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • mommy2josh
    mommy2josh Posts: 21
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    Ok, i know this thread is a bit old. But it doesn't end in you saying you've found a reason. So... I'm 'allergic' to apples, pears, plums, peaches, bananas, umm, probably more, but i steer clear, so i don't really know. Its an allergy to the trees they grow on, so a seasonal allergy. I can eat all of these when they are cooked. but raw, i can't go close. hives, itchy mouth, swollen tongue etc. there is nothing i can do about it, allergy shots wont' help. just something i've learned to live with! I can also eat the citrus fruits. I went to an allergist about this. I always thought i was allergic to these things specifally, but its the trees, so when they're cooked, whatever thats in it goes away. i'd go get some allergy tests done if i were you. My sister in law is also like this, i have never met anyone else with this type of allergy before. It sucks, kinda limits snacking!!!
  • nutmeg0686
    nutmeg0686 Posts: 28 Member
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    Funny I came across this...

    I have done some research on this because I developed an intolerance to bananas out of nowhere when I was 17. I ate them all the time before but from that point on, I haven't been able to eat a banana without becoming nauseous. The progression of nausea is about the same each time I've eaten a banana (about 2 hours).

    Apparently, this intolerance of bananas and other fruits can be linked to a latex allergy:

    "People who are allergic to latex may also react to banana, avocado, kiwi fruit, chestnut, plum, peach, cherry, apricot, fig, papaya, tomato, potato and some other plant foods. The list is still growing. The reason is that these plants contain proteins which are similar enough to latex proteins to react with our allergy-producing antibodies to latex."

    http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~aair/latex.htm#FoodLatex

    It could also be related to "Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome." The website below seems to reference it as a problem with infants and young children, but it's something to consider. Whatever the reason, it's frustrating because it keeps you from eating some convenient and healthy foods :(

    http://allergies.about.com/od/foodallergies/a/fpies.htm

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