They have been cultivated for thousands of years. The Romans thought they were a remedy for
Yum yum, it's strawberries!
melancholia, what we would call depression. And in the 17th century Dr. William Butler wrote “Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.”
Strawberries are one of the best loved fruits. They are eaten in smoothies and milkshakes and included in fruit salads and muesli. Eating strawberries and cream is an essential part of the annual All England Tennis Championships.
In recent years there has been much research on the possible role of berries in an anti-cancer diet.
All of which makes it very frustrating if you find that you experience symptoms after eating strawberries. So do you have a strawberry allergy?
Allergy symptoms are generally triggered by proteins in the food and there’s less than 1 gram of protein in a serving of strawberries but it’s the protein that triggers allergy symptoms in folks unfortunate enough to have a strawberry allergy.
The symptoms of a strawberry allergy appear in 2 main parts of the body – in the mouth and in the abdomen.
Oral allergy symptoms include swelling of the mouth, throat, gums, tongue, palate and the inner lining of the cheeks.
Abdominal symptoms include abdominal pain and cramping, nausea and vomiting),
None of these symptoms are to be ignored, the problem is that often it is not clear which food was responsible for the symptoms. The simplest test is to avoid the food for week or two. It can take a week for the symptoms to clear away and for you to get back to normal.
Provided the symptoms you experienced were only mild you may want to try a small portion of strawberries – maybe just a taste. Sometimes suffering allergy symptoms is a numbers game – one slice of bread and you are fine but if you eat two slices then you get pain, bloating etc
In any doubt check with an experienced health professional.
Strawberry allergy despite misleading claims widely published on the internet is rare; most of us can safely sample the delights and health benefits of strawberries.
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