When I was growing up, they used to be my favourite fruit.
And bananas are said to be so good for you too – packed full of dietary fibre, antioxidants, and B group vitamins, as well as Vitamin C, A, E and K.
Shame I can’t eat them anymore!
I don’t know whether you’d say I’m allergic or just intolerant to bananas. All I know is they make me incredibly sick.
It was a while before I twigged what the culprit was.
At a Christmas Do with the hubster nearly 20 years ago, I enjoyed a lovely fruity cocktail – and paid for it within an hour, developing excruciating tummy cramps and having to go home.
Around the same time I made a banana split for dessert, and had the same reaction, and the little light bulb went on. I tested my theory further – and sure enough, whenever I ate banana I had the same symptoms.
Since then I’ve avoided the yellow fruit but sometimes it sneaks into my diet – only to leave me checking ingredient lists to find that once again, banana was the culprit.
There was the time we had tinned fruit salad for dessert. Before even checking the can I *knew* there had to be banana in the mix from my body’s violent reaction (did I mention that the tummy pains culminate in a nasty case of diarrhoea?!).
For my birthday a couple of years later, I bought a Hummingbird Cake. I had no idea what the ingredients were – until about an hour after I’d eaten some. Yep, banana again.
About five years ago I saw an allergy specialist about my chronic and debilitating hay fever. I was tested for a whole range of allergies, and came up positive to most of them: dust mites, cat hair, dog hair, tobacco, grass seed. When it came to food, I reacted to seafood (I *knew* there was a reason why I never liked it!) and you guessed it – bananas!
For the most part, it’s pretty easy to avoid banana, so I guess I’m lucky in that respect. It just seems like a really weird allergy/intolerance to have!
Any others out there allergic to bananas?!
Never heard of anyone being allergic to bananas Janet, I have to say I’m glad I’m not because I love them :-). I figure I’m blessed in that I don’t appear to have any allergies although I like to steer clear of artificial colours, flavours, flavour enhancers and preservatives – I definitely think they affect mood and cause headaches.
What can I say – I specialise in being weird!
Bananas? That’s a new one for me. It’s amazing the things that trigger allergies in people and it’s often the thing they love the most! x
I heard somewhere that maybe I had a “bad” banana and that convinced my body that all bananas are the enemy!
That does seem strange to be allergic to bananas! I love bananas! I’m allergic to dust/dust mites and later in life suffered a dreadful reaction to penacillan so am now also allergic to that. I think I have intolerances around gluten/wheat but haven’t really investigated!
My son is allergic to penicillin too. He came out in a rash as a little fella after having a dose of it, we haven’t been game to give it to him since because apparently the reaction gets worse!
Never heard about a banana allergy! Poor you, they are my fave fruit 🙂
I know right!!!!!
A banana allergy would be very frustrating! We rip through a bunch of bananas at our place. I love them but then again I can’t eat gluten and diary so I am very restricted!
I figure I got off lightly, it would be a lot more inconvenient to be allergic to gluten or peanuts for example.
That’s definitely an odd one – and such a shame, they are so yummy and in everything! At least you know for sure now to avoid them. Perhaps this will inspire you to cultivate a love of something new..!
I’ve heard that if you’re allergic to bananas, you are likely to react to avocadoes too. Fortunately, not in my case!!! Love avocado!
I’m glad you identified the cause Janet. Something upsets me every now and then, but I can’t for the life of me work out what it is.
Yeah it took ages to work it out. Good luck with finding your trigger!
It is funny how allergies develop out of the blue. Personally I think hormones have a lot to do with it. I’ve recently developed an allergy to my watch of all things. It gives me a rash. I’ve had it for 4 years so I don’t know what it’s all about???
Our bodies are weird and wonderful creations aren’t they?!
I’ve never heard of a banana allergy! How about that!
But you know, allergies and human bodies are very peculiar and unpredictable things.
At least they are – as you said – easily avoidable.
Yes allergies can be a pain! My daughter had an egg allergy to the point where she couldn’t breathe and she also has a wheat intolerance! There are so many Food that contain egg – even some ice creams! Luckily she is growing out of it and can have egg baked in things just not an omelette yet. Good luck!
That does seem like an unusual one! At least, as you say, you can avoid them. We usually have a house full of bananas – snacks for the kids become banana bread for the grown ups once they ripen up. Yum!
What can I say, I like to be original 😉
I have been suffering with Fibromyalgia in a severe way. I’ve only just realised that the Banana smoothies i’ve been having have made my symptoms go through the roof! Being off the smoothies for a week has reduced my lvl of pain by 50%.
I get itchiness in the eyes and throat as well as the sniffles. Seems to be a lot less as well.
I have a lot of the same Symptoms as you Janet… but maybe a little less obvious. It’s been really tricky to figure out.
I’ve been having the smoothies with over 7 ripe bananas for over 3 years now. My fibromyalgia is heading on 2 years.
What you eat can have some serious consequences in your life.
For all we know though we could be allergic to the chemicals used on the bananas rather than the bananas themselves… The only way to test that is with Organic Bananas. If i’m brave enough i’ll give it a try.
I never thought of this – you know, you could be right! Like you, I might try it … when I’m feeling brave enough 😉