Oral allergy syndrome is a type of food allergy that affects some people with hay fever and other pollen allergies. If you have this syndrome, eating certain uncooked fruits and vegetables can cause a mild reaction. Because you need to limit these healthy, low-calorie foods to prevent unpleasant reactions, you will need to modify weight loss diets that emphasize large portions of raw fruits and vegetables.
Description
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network describes oral allergy syndrome as itchy or scratchy mouth symptoms caused by raw fruits or vegetables. Among the offending foods in people allergic to birch trees are apples, carrots and peaches. People allergic to grasses may get an itchy mouth from tomatoes, while ragweed sufferers might react when eating melons, cucumbers, bananas and zucchini. This happens because these foods and certain trees, grasses and weeds share similar pollens, reports the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Stomach acids destroy the pollens, so symptoms only develop around and inside the mouth.
Diet Modifications
If you have oral allergy syndrome, you can slim down with any weight-loss diet that doesn't include raw fruits and vegetables. Only fresh fruits and vegetables generally cause a reaction in people with oral allergy syndrome. Because heat will destroy the allergy, the AAAAI notes cooked or canned fruits and vegetables are safe to eat. One option is including canned fruits packed in water or in their own juices, which contain no added sugar. Or steam vegetables or add them to a stir fry with chicken or lean beef. MayoClinic.com points out the foundation of every successful weight-loss diet is a healthy, calorie-controlled diet combined with exercise. Cooked fruits and vegetables fit that criteria.
Tips
Lean protein won't cause a reaction, and according to a BBC article on healthy weight-loss diets, protein can help curb your appetite. Protein-rich foods include lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, lentils and beans. To help cut calories, remove the skin from chicken, trim visible fat from red meat, choose small eggs and use minimal fat for cooking. Add a side of cooked vegetables. For an allergy-free dessert, try broiled bananas sprinkled with cinnamon. Other diet-friendly dessert ideas for people with oral allergy syndrome include no-sugar apple pie and low-fat cherry cheese tart made with low-fat yogurt and light cherry pie filling.
Warning
While severe allergic reactions to raw fruits and vegetables are rare in people with oral allergy syndrome, life-threatening symptoms can occasionally occur. Get to a hospital quickly if you experience signs of anaphylaxis, including a swollen throat, difficulty breathing, a rapid pulse, dizziness or lightheadedness. The AAAAI notes raw peanuts can sometimes cause serious reactions in people with oral allergy syndrome. Talk to your doctor about whether you should carry an emergency epinephrine injector if you suffer from oral allergy syndrome.
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