Myth #26: “But I’m allergic to vegetables.”
As ridiculous as it may sound, there actually is a rather rare disorder called Oral Allergy Syndrome that causes its sufferers to feel an intense burning &/or itching sensation whenever certain fruits & vegetables are eaten. This disorder, also called Fruit Pollen Syndrome, is not dangerous like many of its food-allergy cousins, and yet does cause those experiencing it great discomfort.
Fortunately, for the very few who suffer from this challenge, there is more than a bit of good news … First of all, the allergic reaction tends to be specific to the fruits &/or vegetables that are directly associated with one’s particular pollen allergen.* This means that a person with OAS must only avoid a smaller portion of the many fruits & vegetables available that cause him or her the painful reaction. Secondly, peeling the offending fruit or vegetable (or placing it in the microwave for 30 seconds) is often enough to neutralize the adverse reaction. Heat also destroys all pollen-related vegetable allergen, so even lightly steaming vegetables will often prevent a reaction as well.
Most importantly, even if you are a true sufferer of OAS, this does not make it necessary for you to eat animal products in order to survive — it merely makes it necessary for you to take the effort to find what cruelty-free foods you can eat, and then to eat those foods.
Current status of this Myth: Ameliorated
Justification it provides for eating animals: NONE
(*For example, if you’re allergic to birch pollen, you might be prone to an oral allergy to apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, hazelnuts, and kiwis. Ragweed pollen has a high degree of cross-reactivity with the gourd family—watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, and cucumber. An allergy to the weed mugwort can spell trouble with vegetables and spices of the parsley family, including carrots, celery, dill, and cumin. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, lettuce, green onions, and cabbage — as well as citrus, tropical, and berry fruits — typically do not cause oral allergy reactions at all.)
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