Raw fruit and Vegetable Intolerance

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hhcote
hhcote Posts: 78 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

Does anyone out there have difficulty eating raw fruits and vegs? I get horrible, horrible abdominal pain. I've only been able to figure out that it's a "food intolerance." I'm limited to green grapes and strawberries. No salads, no noshing on carrot sticks or most fresh fruits. Stinks. I get frustrated and then binge on junk. I hope finding this website will be the turning point in my life.

Replies

  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
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    My friend had an allergy to citrus fruit and tomatoes. I feel bad for you guys. I love fruit and veggies and it seem like a cruel joke to make someone allergic to this stuff.
  • Getting_Fit_4_Life
    Getting_Fit_4_Life Posts: 401 Member
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    Am allergic to ANY pitted fruits such as apples, pears, cherries, plums etc. I get very itchy gums, throats and it becomes hard to breathe. Eating these fruits can be a life or death situation for me. However, am not allergic to veggies though. I take some veggies and fruit supplements recommended by my doctors. These supplements allow me to get the same nutritions from the fruits, but no allergic reactions.
  • JDRBT
    JDRBT Posts: 264 Member
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    I might be worth it to get some allergy testing by your physician. While I haven't heard of anyone being allergic to ALL "raw" veggies/fruits, yet able to eat them processed (cooked, in a smoothie - which is raw w/ additives, etc). Might be a good investment to find out what you're allergic to specifically - just in case there is something they can offer to help.
  • khua0808
    khua0808 Posts: 95
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    I'm assuming you are taking vitamins already, but you should also try to take fiber supplements (if you aren't) because thats one of the great nutrients from vegetables.
  • Maryee71
    Maryee71 Posts: 434 Member
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    A lot of raw veggies seem to give people a lot of gas which could be causing your stomach pain. Sometimes something with simethecone in it before you eat might help. I drink V8 juice and don't have a gas problem with it. The nexttime you see your doctor you might ask him/her about it.
  • Le_Joy
    Le_Joy Posts: 593 Member
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    I know someone who had issues with raw fruits and veggies because they weren't used to them. They very slowly added them into their diet, just a bit at a time and it didn't upset their stomach.
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
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    Hi there,

    I wouldn't say that it is an 'intolerance' - it is likely because of the undigestible fibre in raw vegetables (cellulose). A lot of people have this same problem. It also means you likely aren't absorbing many of the nutrients from raw vegetables so you would be better off eating them cooked (where the cellulose will be restructured).

    Best of luck to you
  • AKosky585
    AKosky585 Posts: 607 Member
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    My husband has a food intolerance/allergy to most fruits/vegetables/nuts if they are raw. He CAN eat grapes and clementines and strawberries, but anything else has to either be coated in something (caramel apple dip, veggie dip, etc) or cooked/baked in to something. He gets a scratchy throat if he consumes more than a tiny amount of any of them (1 apple slice, 4 almonds, etc)

    Still dont know the cause, but have found ways around it for him...
  • Doggiemomerin
    Doggiemomerin Posts: 4 Member
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    Hello. I have had this same problem since I was little. It's called Oral Allergy Syndrome. What it is, he's allergic to the pollen in the trees, shrubs and plants around him and the same pollen are in the fruit/veggie/nuts (I have herbs too) and his body thinks he's eating the trees and things he's allergic to. I haven't tried the allergy shots yet, they're very expensive. Because of this, I have a hard time with low calorie snacks, like apples, oranges. I have to eat them with something and it makes too many calories. I hope this helps.
  • healthy4self
    healthy4self Posts: 198
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    Yes, I steam my veggies practically to mush. I can't break them down raw. There's a great supplement called Digest All that I take occasionally and it seems to help
  • jezmarie89
    jezmarie89 Posts: 120
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    i do my green smoothie thang..if your body isnt used to eatting raw veggies it can make you feel sick..i did when i was eating alot of greens but then my body got used to it and i actually crave it now than sweets which they also say happens once you eat "raw" .. did you try steamed veggies??
  • mypetitmal
    mypetitmal Posts: 2
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    I have a condition called gastroparesis, and it limits the amount of fiber I can have. Obviously raw foods and vegetables are rich in fiber. Maybe try some research and see if that helps.
  • hhcote
    hhcote Posts: 78 Member
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    Hi there,

    I wouldn't say that it is an 'intolerance' - it is likely because of the undigestible fibre in raw vegetables (cellulose). A lot of people have this same problem. It also means you likely aren't absorbing many of the nutrients from raw vegetables so you would be better off eating them cooked (where the cellulose will be restructured).

    Best of luck to you

    All the research I've done has led me to cellulose. Now what...
  • hhcote
    hhcote Posts: 78 Member
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    A few years ago, I was referred to a gastrointerologist to see if he knew how to help me. You know what he said?

    "You don't look like you're starving to me!"

    Wow, what a tool.
  • hhcote
    hhcote Posts: 78 Member
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    Thanks for the replies. As long as I cook them, I can eat most of them. I've even nuked a banana, cooled it down, just so I could put it in my cereal! :laugh:
  • ArtisticAvi
    ArtisticAvi Posts: 1 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I know this is old but fermenting vegetables also helps. It keeps most of the nutrients and the fermenting process helps give you more stomach enzymes to better digest cellulose. I seem to have an intolerance to raw cellulose as well. Most people do to some degree but some people have more trouble with it than other people. The worst for me are raw red pepper, raw celery, and raw cucumber. Eating a lot of any raw vegetables upsets my stomach but with those three even a little bit is quite upsetting to my stomach. It seems like I started having issues with raw cellulose when I went off to college. Because of stress I developed IBS and even though I don't have IBS anymore I still seem to have a raw cellulose sensitivity. I don't seem to get issues from pickles so I am wondering if I can eat cucumber if I lightly pickle it or if it needs to be very pickled. Drinking kombucha, eating fermented foods, probiotic beverages, and eating yogurt do seem to help me digest cellulose. Those things also just help improve stomach and digestive health in general. Oh yeah just wanted to add that beans and lentils also contain a bit of undigestable fiber but if you sprout the beans or lentils for a day or two it removes most of this fiber causing less stomach upset.

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