A number of years ago I had coeliac reaction to strawberries and thought I was going mad. Then discovered a post that strawberries are risky as grown on straw beds (as are mushrooms) so it made sense. Fast forward, bought some jam without really thinking it through, and have had coeliac reaction. Visited the website and it's all gluten free, and then remembered about bloody strawberries being a gluten risk.
Anyone else on here have issues with strawberries and/or avoid them?
Yes. Years ago, at work, I had to taste 42 different strawberry yogurts. Sounds crazy, but I was working in product development at the time. This gave me a rash on the back of my neck which took weeks to resolve. I cannot tolerate raw strawberries now, and tend to avoid anything strawberry flavoured. I can't remember if there were any gut issues , but my gut was not (knowingly) compromised at that point, so I may not have noticed.
42?! Bet you can't look at yogurt now! I just wish we had more awareness out there on the risky gluten sources.
I'm fine with yogurt actually. Anything strawberry, not so much. Interesting about mushrooms, mine usually come with compost attached, and I am a bit hit and miss with them. Sometimes they affect me, sometimes not.
Thanks for that. I'd never considered the straw bed issue for food. I do avoid too many strawberries because they raise histamine which I find problematic.
I wasn't aware of the histamine issue and strawberries. Yes, the straw bit of the strawberry suddenly makes sense! I felt like an idiot when I joined the dots between the berry and what it actually grows on. I'm wary of mushrooms also and no longer buy them. This is where we need our enhanced labelling and transparency from producers so informed decisions can be made.
I’ve had problems with strawberries in the past, but realised, like bookish , that it was a histamine reaction.
If you did want to carry on eating strawberries you would need to find a farmer who uses plastic rather than straw. Perhaps worth asking at a Farmers market?
Thanks Penel. How can you tell the difference from a histamine reaction and a gluten reaction? Is it different? I think I will just go back to avoiding them again. It's shrinking pool of food options.
Hi Benjamin
My gluten reaction is mostly in the gut (pain, possibly v&d), plus brain fog, the reaction to strawberries was a rash. It wasn’t a very bad rash and only happened after eating too many. I get a similar reaction if eating too much citrus fruit. Regarding it as related to histamines is an assumption on my part, didn’t bother to talk to a doctor as my reaction was not serious.
Bad luck on the reduction in food options. Hopefully you may become less sensitive over time?
Ok, thank you for that. I'm seeing more mention of histamine on coeliac forums and discussion. Yes, I think mentioning any odd reaction is pointless with doctors unless major reaction. I think sensivity is increasing over time. Some central food items (meat/fish/root veg/greens/gf flour/apples/a few gf products) are fine for the moment, but it seems tentative. I tend to eat in-season fruit/veg, so stawberries not the biggest loss thankfully.
I broke out in a rash that looked like hives. Doctor said it was over production of histamine. Started reading about what can cause it and saw strawberries and citrus as two of the worse culprits. I had been eating strawberries daily, along with oranges. Cut both out and my skin cleared up. No stomach issues, but that itch was the worst thing I’ve experienced. Even the inside of my mouth itched. I will now eat a strawberry once in a while. I asked if it was tied to my celiac (I live in California) and he said he didn’t think so. So glad to read others have had the same results.
Another strawberry histamine person! Such a shame as it's a lovely fruit. Histamine and coeliac/celiac are linked - if you have coeliac you over-produce histamine and lack the enzyme to break it down (read that yesterday evening when looking at histamine and strawberries.....).
As per my comment on mushrooms, I don't think the straw is the issue - it is not the growing medium in the case of strawberries, just spread to help keep them off the soil and so clean.If you are concerned, try to buy them direct from the grower (depending where you live of course) so you can ask how they have been grown. I doubt whether the pre-packed ones in the supermarket have ever seen any straw, as laying straw down is very labour intensive.
I have always had hay fever, and in hay season (when strawberries are also in season) I find that both strawberries and lettuce will give me symptoms, so they do make me produce histamine - so unless your reaction is identical to your reaction to gluten, I suspect it is a different problem.
Unfortunately it is a gluten reaction, but so many comments on here about histamine have now got me wondering. I've read some growers use plastic now straw, and that makes sense in what you say about straw being labour intensive. Thank you for that.
Hi Benjamin,
I am sorry to hear about your reaction.
I was a very weird kid, aged about 4 - my grandparents used to take me strawberry picking. I’d pick them and stamp on them !! I just used to think I’d eaten too many and just gone off them.
In my previous job, we had to ask about latex (gloves) allergies and I would always ask whether they had problems with strawberries. The two generally go together.
Two years ago, if anyone said the word mushroom I’d feel queasy. I’ve worked on gut integrity and microbiome so now can eat strawberries (small amount) and yay mushrooms!!
Hi Benjamin123.
That’s an interesting one about the straw beds. Never thought of that.
I also tend to avoid strawberries as high histamine berry. I’m not allergic (been tested) but sometimes ok with them sometimes not. But that’s the thing with histamine intolerance - reactions happen with an accumulation of excess histamine that can’t be degraded quick enough (usually because of not enough enzyme diamine oxidase in the gut as per histamine intolerance definition. In a way similar to lactose intolerance and lactase enzyme.)
Everybody has a personal threshold. If several high histamine foods are eaten over say the day and the threshold gets exceeded a reaction that mimics allergy can happen. So any organ system with histamine receptors can be affected similar to an allergic reaction but not a true allergic reaction.
And while some people may get the same tell tale reaction when their personal’histamine bucket’ overflows, it can vary and effect any system. As my personal experience. Sometime racing heartbeat, lightheaded. Mild Anxiety and dizziness. And gastro symptoms.Mine tends to range from mild nausea, to vomiting. And ibs diarrhoea (similar to if I eat wheat). An antihistamine usually helps in this situation.
I try to follow low histamine diet, but it’s difficult as like foods that are high histamine 😖 .
I kept and still keep food diaries to figure this stuff out.
Mushrooms can be high histamine too.
Raspberries are ok occasionally as an alternative to strawberries. Dr Joneja book says avoid strawberries, but raspberries eat sparingly.
It’s annoying isn’t it!? Not being able to eat a normal diet - even gluten free.
🙃
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