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Banana allergy
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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Banana allergy is rare. Among the known food allergens, bananas are classified as a moderately allergenic group, causing cross-reactions that extend to other products, such as peach and watermelon. Where does banana allergy come from? Why does the immune system perceive healthy fruits as hostile to the body? Is there such a thing as an allergy to bananas?
According to doctors, an allergy to bananas can be the same as to any other food product. Doctors do not recommend eating bananas to people suffering from varicose veins, overweight (bananas are high in calories) and children under three years old. This fruit should be excluded from the diet of people who have had a heart attack or stroke, as well as those with increased blood clotting. In fact, with a disease such as thrombophlebitis (inflammation of the vein wall with the formation of a blood clot), fruits are contraindicated, as they can worsen the patient's condition. Bananas perfectly remove fluid from the body, cause blood thickening, which is dangerous for people suffering from coronary heart disease.
[ Symptoms of Banana Allergy
Banana allergy manifests itself as itching of the skin, spreading to the oral cavity, larynx, and lip area. Symptoms include gastrointestinal tract dysfunction - abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting. Some patients experience prolonged runny nose, swelling of the oral and nasal mucosa.
Banana allergy is considered dangerous when the immune system mistakenly lowers blood pressure, which leads to anaphylactic shock. If you experience dizziness, a slow pulse, or sudden loss of consciousness, you should immediately call emergency medical care.
The cause of allergic reactions to bananas is serotonin, which is found in huge amounts in this fruit. At the first symptoms, you should exclude foods that stimulate the body's production of serotonin: walnuts, persimmons, pineapples, etc.
When an allergy to bananas does not go away even after a course of treatment with antihistamines and simultaneous cessation of eating the exotic fruit, this may indicate a malfunction of the liver, intestines, pancreas and other internal organs. In this situation, an allergy is the crown of all diseases, a kind of signal about the need to "improve" the work of internal systems.
There is a term "imaginary allergy" to bananas. This is possible with any food product that has once caused poisoning. The symptoms of poisoning and allergies have similar signs. Thus, with a subsequent banana diet, an allergy to bananas may actually appear. The body, performing a protective function, will not accept the banana delicacy.
Banana allergy in children
Can children be allergic to bananas? Babies are very vulnerable to allergens. The child's immune system, which is not yet strong, is not always able to resist aggressive environmental factors. The child's body exhibits a violent reaction to various allergens, among which bananas are no exception.
Allergies to bananas in children are becoming more and more common. After all, bananas are delivered to our country green and unripe. For several days, they are treated with special chemicals and gases in closed rooms where the fruit "ripens". It becomes obvious that such a banana will do more harm than good. Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine whether a particular batch has been subjected to such treatment by its external characteristics.
When introducing your baby to banana pulp for the first time, give him a small piece of the fruit first. If the product is well tolerated, without any allergic reactions, you can feed your baby a whole banana.
Symptoms of Banana Allergy in Children
Banana allergy in children causes redness and inflammation of the skin. Digestive disorders are rare for children. Only a small number of pediatric patients experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.
When the first signs of an allergy to bananas appear, the product should be removed from the diet. Treatment is carried out with antihistamine medications. In order to get rid of the allergen as quickly as possible, an "enterosorbent" is used, which absorbs and removes harmful substances from the body. Children under 7 years old are given 5 grams, from 8 to 14 years old - 7.5 grams in a course of 3 to 15 days.
Banana allergy in children can go away with age, and the child will be able to calmly enjoy the fruit. An allergy to bananas that appears in adulthood often remains forever.
Who to contact?
Banana Allergy Prevention
The human diet should be balanced, a sense of proportion is good in everything. You should not get carried away by fashionable diets with a banana diet, which allows you to increase the presence of serotonin in the body, which is the "happiness hormone".
It is very difficult to determine which allergen you are allergic to. When the first symptoms appear, doctors recommend eliminating highly allergenic foods such as fish, citrus fruits, milk, etc. If the allergy does not subside, stop eating foods of the moderately allergenic group: meat, berries, cereals, bananas, etc.
A preventive measure and a means of supporting the body in a difficult period is a succession. It is used in the form of a decoction. The healing effect increases with the use of lotions and herbal baths. It is better to use a succession collected during the current year.
Can you eat bananas if you have allergies?
The answer to this question is best discussed with your allergist, who should create an individual list of permitted products for you. New products should be treated with due attention, and eaten under the supervision of a family member.
The list of prohibited products includes: smoked, fried, fish, seafood, hot and spicy dishes, ketchup, mushrooms, nuts, citrus fruits, apricots, peaches, melons, watermelons and many others.
Allowed foods include: fermented milk products, cereals (except semolina), lean meat, green apples, gooseberries, etc.
During periods of exacerbation of allergic reactions, the consumption of bananas should be limited, as they can cause cross-allergies and “pass” to other fruits.
The diet lasts from 7 to 10 days, after which the doctor allows you to switch to a hypoallergenic diet with the exclusion of a specific allergen that poses a danger to your body.
Banana allergy is common in the modern world, but we should not forget about the irreplaceable properties of the fruit. Bananas give energy and a surge of vitality to people with an active lifestyle. Banana is rich in pectin, contains sugar, helps to absorb hydrocarbons contained in other products. The fruit contains a large number of vitamins: sodium, iron, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. These elements are necessary for the normal functioning of the brain, improve blood composition, are important in the formation of bone and muscle tissue in childhood.
Bananas are known for their medicinal properties, helping people with liver and kidney diseases. Patients with stomach ulcers note a significant improvement in their health when eating bananas. Bananas themselves rarely cause allergic reactions. Allergies can be caused by overuse of this product.
In any case, the appearance of allergic reactions, including an allergy to bananas, is a reason to see a doctor.