Strawberries are among the best-loved fruits: their bright colour and their mix of sweet and sour make them one of the tastiest. But did you know that they can cause allergies in some people? Let us take a closer look.
It was recently found that red strawberries cause allergy while white strawberries do not, because white strawberries lack the allergy-causing proteins. In other words, the allergen in this fruit is linked to its red colour, and scientists are now working on producing white strawberries with the same flavour as red ones.
The most common form of strawberry allergy is oral allergy syndrome: allergic reactions in the mouth and throat with tightness, itching and swelling of the mouth, lips, tongue, throat and palate. It may come with itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose and sneezing.
Strawberries can also cause skin allergies such as itching and contact dermatitis, and the symptoms can affect the airways, as allergic rhinitis and asthma.
More severe symptoms include vomiting, cramps and diarrhoea.
The only sound approach is to avoid strawberries in all their forms. Even white strawberries, although they contain less of the allergen, are best avoided.
By pharmacist Reem Nour al-Din Ali
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