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Strawberry Allergies

Allergies to strawberries result from eating strawberries, or from contact with strawberries or foods or products with strawberry ingredients. Allergies are hypersensitivities to normally innocuous or harmless substances. In the case of a strawberry allergy, strawberries are the allergen that triggers the body's reaction. This reaction can cause various unpleasant side-effect symptoms for the person with the strawberry allergy.

The body identifies a food protein in strawberries as a pathogen, and the immune system "attacks" the protein by releasing antibodies. In the case of strawberries, the protein that triggers the allergic reaction may be tied somehow to strawberries' red color. Biochemists at Lund University are working on isolating the allergen, which is almost completely absent in white strawberries.*

In the 1997 movie, "Addicted to Love," Meg Ryan's character breaks into her ex-boyfriend's apartment bent on revenge. Matthew Broderick's character snidely asks her what she intends to do with the plastic baggy full of moldy strawberries. Anyone with a strawberry allergy already knew. Her character dribbled the juice all over the apartment, and dumped the strawberries under her ex-boyfriend's pillow. The ex-boyfriend, allergic to strawberries, had his face swell up. Because he was a model (of course), Ryan's character was well on her way to ruining his life.

Far fetched? The plot certainly was, but the allergic reaction? Hardly. Reactions to strawberries include swelling on the face, arm, and chest, just as depicted in the movie. Other symptoms can include a rash, hives, vomiting, and fever.

"Strawberry fever" means something different to those with strawberry allergies, and those with severe reactions need to seek medical care immediately, as anaphylactic reactions are possible. Reactions can occur from ingestion or skin contact with strawberries. Anaphylaxis is a severe reaction to contact with allergens which can cause difficulty breathing and even death.

The best "cure" for a strawberry allergy is to avoid all contact with strawberries. Unfortunately, allergy shots do not treat food allergies. If contact occurs, notify your physician immediately.

* For more information on this research, see: http://www.freshplaza.com/2005 /22jun/2_se_strawberryallergy. htm

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