Help I Am Allergic To Banana

If you have an Banana Allergy then you suffer from allergies Type 1 or contact allergy.  The protein found in banana called chitinase, causes the immune system in some individuals to overreact and treat the protein as harmful to your body.  The reason the body overacts to certain foods is not clear and more studies are needed.  The protein called chitinase is also found in avocado and kiwi fruit.

Bananas originated in Malaysia around 2,000 B.C. and then spread throughout the Philippines and India.  Alexander the Great recorded them being grown in India in 327 B.C.  Today bananas are grown in most tropical and subtropical regions around the world with the main commercial producers located in Central America.  With the development of rapid transportation bananas have become widely available.

To be allergic to banana you body's immune system must be overacting to the banana protein chitinase.  Another cause of the allergy reaction could be due to intolerance to bananas and not a true allergy reaction.  This intolerance could be caused by Vaso-active amines.

Vaso-active amines are histamine like substances that occur naturally in foods and can trigger symptoms that can mimic allergy reactions.  Vaso-active amines are called histamine, phenyl-ethylamine, serotonin, tyramine and dopamine.

Serotonin is found in banana, and the symptom of serotonine ingestion include cramping, flushing of the skin, headache, and heart palpitations.  The severity of the symptoms is dependent on the amount the histamine like substance ingested and the lack of the histamine metabolizing enzyme diamine oxidase in your system.

Most food allergy or food intolerance reactions usually happen within a few minutes to a few hours after eating the bananas.  Most mild to moderate reactions last less than a day and can involve a rash on the skin, cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, runny nose, watery eyes, wheezing and coughing.

For individually that are allergic to banana symptoms may not appear or the symptoms may be to mild to be noticed the first few times bananas are eaten.  Sensitivity can develop over time and can start out very mild and slowly develop into life-threatening allergic reactions.

A cross-reaction is also a very common problem in individuals who are allergic to banana.  If a person suffers from an allergic reaction to the protein in bananas a possibility to being allergic to the same proteins in latex is very high.  Other foods to watch out for cross-reaction with a Banana Allergy are avocado, kiwi and chestnut.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

David Cowley has created numerous articles on allergies.  He has also created a Web Site dedicated to allergies and how to treat them. Click on http://www.allergies-team.com

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Comments on this article:

» left by Debra Spiker from Sacramento, Ca. (1 year 4 days ago.)
Yes, certainly. There was a time when I was sure I was alone in the world of "Banana Allergy". I also heard a dr. refer to it as potassium poisoning. I'd always had this thing with Bananas as a kid. I would eat 3 or 4 bites and then throw it away. I'd gotten rid of it cause my tongue felt icky and I could swear my teeth itched, and my gums would swell. Tweny years later I'm too hungry at the age of 30 and eat the whole darn thing. I was sitting in a room full of people and felt very isolated. Not getting the itchy feeling in my throat, turning into I can't swallow?! Time seemed to travel like light speed and the next thing I know I'm panicking. I had no access to a phone to call 911. We'd had a family gathering, leaving the amount of panicky women way up there with little relief in sight. All I could think of was "what a way to die."
By this time I'd heard an antidote from every member of the house including "here drink this". Swallowing not a possibility. I considered going door to door and asking for help. This was'nt typical suburbia. So I opted out for my brothers restroom that ajoins his bedroom. He was a quadraplegic so he was a captive audience. By this time I was starting to fade. I was throwing up through my nose and blowing it just so I could gasp air in between. I could hear his voice getting further away. I'm on all fours rocking and just ready to give up and lay down when I heard my brother say, "You'd better be sucking air &*^%( !!!" He felt so helpless with me in the bathroom and unable to help me. Turns out a couple of the nieces had gone to a phone and called for help. I don't remember the Paramedics entry but they immediately assumed I'd over dosed. Proceeded to treat me as an addict. I'd had all my skin start to crawl like a million bugs were exiting my pores. They had to restrain me. I said all that to say this. Don't mess with the fruit, any kind without a taste test. I realized that I'd had a reaction also to Oranges, Grapes, Smoked almonds? You can't put off the ER for even a second. It was'nt until my third bought of Annaphylactic Shock that they informed me my time for each trip would be shorter as each episode reduced my ability to resist.
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» left by julie (325 days 1 hour ago.)

my son is 20 years old and he has severe reactions to eating banana's. he wryths in severe pain and can't sit or lay down and he is bent over and i dont know what to do for him when he is like this! Now we know that he is allergic to banana's but what should a person take to ease the pain?
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» left by A Booth from SCOTLAND (321 days 3 hours ago.)

thanks now i know im not mad or allone this is a great article
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» left by J. Perkins from Daphne, AL (314 days 15 hours ago.)

My daughter is 15, and has suffered all her life with some kind of mystery stomach ailment.
I sometimes stop at the farmer's market twice a week to make sure we have bananas in the house! I have always been under the impression that bananas are one of the most innocuous things in the world and never in a million years would I have suspected that bananas might be the *cause* of her issues. What's more, she's bipolar, and she takes a lot of seroquel, an antihistamine. For the last couple of days, she's been throwing up and very sick with some sort of reaction to something. She finally said, "Mom, I felt bad immediately after I ate that banana. And yesterday, you made me a smoothie." We stopped the bananas, and are waiting to see if she gets better immediately. She has a pronounced nickel allergy. A pendant or a nickel button will make a mark on her skin in the shape of the metal. She also seems to be allergic to scallops. But bananas? Whodathunkit?!?!?!
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for your very enlightening remarks about banana allergies. You may have prevented her from getting extremely sick in the future. We'll cut out bananas and see if she improves. I really can't thank you enough. J. Perkins
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» left by Anonymous (314 days 15 hours ago.)

Thanks J. Perkins You should read my article on the Cross Reactions of Allergies at my web site. It will help will all kinds of allergic reactions.
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» left by Hilary (262 days 21 hours ago.)

Since banana allergies aren't very common I basically experimented on myself a few years ago. I found that I could not eat regular bananas but I can eat cooked bananas (banana breads for example.) With uncooked, I have debilitating stomach pain for several hours.

It turns out that the starches in bananas change to sugar as they are cooked ... or if they over-ripened. I have eaten half an over-ripe banana and been fine (though it's kinda nasty that way.) My body seems to treat fresh bananas the same way as most peoples' would if they ate a plantain without it being cooked.

I'm not saying this is the case for everyone - it is dependent on why the person is having the reaction in the first place but I wanted to mention it because it seems like basically no one has recognized this as a possibility for the allergic reaction in some individuals. (I came across this site because I'm trying to find some fresh banana substitutes for smoothies ... ice is getting boring and overripe bananas .... yeah.)
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» left by Theri from San Francisco, CA (10 days 11 hours ago.)
Hi, After having my blood/hair tested for food allergies, I was given a list of alternative foods by the clinic. A substitute for bananas: use fresh mango or frozen mango; or flax meal. the other thing is I found you can get your potassium from coconut water. it's has lots of potassium and great for the digestion. I buy coconut water in health food stores; you can also buy the fresh young coconut and there is about 2 cups of water inside; you should ask the store clerk to cut the top off and bring a jar to pour the coconut water into until you get it home. Here is a shake I love: One cup coconut water, 1/4-1/2 cup raspberries, handful of raw macadamia or cashews (rinse in warm water), 1/4-1/2 tsp Light Agave, and optional (1/2-1 teaspoon Hemp protein. You can also use the meat from the young coconut in the smoothie. Check with your doctor to see if these foods i listed are okay for you. Healthy blessings T
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» left by Myles from Bexleyheath, kent (246 days 14 hours ago.)

i used to eat bananas like crazy - parents would refer to me as a gorilla i'd eat so much! now i can not even stand the smell of them i get instantly sick this also applies with, avocado, kiwi, apples and sometimes pears. its quite annoying as i would like to eat these fruits for it nutritional values, make smoothies etc.. but can not. at least i know noe I'm not alone. however i would like to know how comes it developed and i wasn't born with it.

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» left by David Cowley ^(3,841)
David Cowley (246 days 13 hours ago.)
Allergies get worst over time. You may have only had a very mild reactions when you were younger and now that you are OLD and your body has become more sensitive to bananas and your reaction is much greater.
David Cowley

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» left by Anonymous (232 days 14 hours ago.)

Thanks for your article. I used to have a banana everyday for lunch until it started making me sick everyday. I have also developed an allergy to latex gloves (I'm in nursing). I was really shocked to see the connection between the two. Thanks for the information!

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» left by Antony Mo from China, shanghai (192 days ago.)

Do anyone know how to cure the Allergy? I really wanted to eat banana and avocado and it itches and my heart feel wierd. please give me a cure! HELP!

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» left by David Cowley ^(3,841)
David Cowley (188 days 7 hours ago.)
Sorry Antony there are no knowned cures for allergies and I have not seen any studies on anyone developing one.

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» left by shellbellns from Canada (191 days 11 hours ago.)
I was just diagnosed with a severe banana allergy. It started about a year ago, I would eat one, my gums would sting, then I felt like my lips were swollen beyond swollen and my throat felt like it was closing in. I put this to the pesticides on the banana, so I switched to organic...but the symptoms were still there. So I went to my doctor who sent me for allergy testing, the poked test on my arm came back negative, so I then did the fresh fruit test, and sure enough, within seconds my arm was itchy, my throat was getting sore...so it's official, I'm allergic to bananas, but not latex. I haven't any symptoms with kiwi or avocado, so maybe I'm one of those rare cases that is only allergic to bananas. I have to avoid all banana, cooked and raw, which sucks as banana is my fav fruit!

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» left by Anonymous (164 days 23 hours ago.)
I have had symptoms when eating certain things for years resulting in terrible stomach aches. The healthier I tried to eat the more sick I got. After a fairly violent reaction to avocado, and recently getting nettle rash after kiwi (huge swollen lumps on my lips) I decided to google the one thing I did know for sure: bananas ALWAYS gave me a tummy ache. It was like everything suddenly made sense. The three foods I have had the most problems with were on the list- as were the other main culprits. Its such a relief to know what it is- no I can avoid eating it! Everyone said I was weird for being allergic to avacado and bananas- because they are both considered extremely mild fruits (often the first things given to babies) and they are also considered 'super-foods' because they are some of the most nutrient rich foods, you can get a lot of what your body needs from them. But oh well, I wont miss them cause of the stomach aches :)

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» left by David Cowley ^(3,841)
David Cowley (146 days 15 hours ago.)

You should also read my article on the Cross Reactions of Allergies.  Also watch out for bay leaf, cantaloupe, chestnuts, cinnamon, and mango.

Take care

David Cowley

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» left by BGPhilbin from Redondo Beach, CA (146 days 14 hours ago.)

Mr. Crowley - firstly, I should thank you for this article and your update.  I should also point out that there is a cross-reaction to a rather insidious foodstuff that I was made aware of about 12 years ago which can affect some people with this allergy.  Unfortunately, I didn't even know that this type of food or its use existed: "Powdered Eggs"!  Turns out that some cafeterias use this as a cost-effective means to bypass any perceived risks of "fresh" eggs.  Apparently, the process creates something within the eggs that results in the same reaction.  I found out the hard way - an extremely embarrassing moment one weekend during which I was speaking at a music seminar.  I was fine, but had to run out of the cafeteria in the middle of a conversation.

I have an extremely mild reaction to this allergy, but am curious as to whether I have an ability to overcome the one minor symptom I do exhibit.  It appears that the only part of my body that actually reacts to these foods is the back of my throat.  Unfortunately, it is akin to the feeling one has when they're going to "hurl".   I don't use antihisthimines - although I did when I was younger (I was unaffected by the banana allergy for the first 25 years of my life).  I moved to California when I was 25 and no longer suffered from allergies to certain airborne molds and seeding grasses (no extreme seasons to bring these on).  I've not tested the theory out before, but I'm curious as to whether an antihisthimine might block my reaction or, for that matter, whether it was blocking my reaction prior to my move, as both seem to have coincided.

Interesting thing is, once my body has purged itself of the offending material, the symptoms subside almost immediately.

Being that my reaction is so mild, I will likely experiment with gradual attempts at tasting after having dosed with an antihisthimine to see if I still have the same response.

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» left by David Cowley ^(3,841)
David Cowley (141 days 9 hours ago.)

Anti-histhimines will releave mild allergy symptoms and I have heard of people that try to overcome an allergy by repeted exposure to it but I have never heard of anyone having positive results.  Most allergies will only get worse over time so please be careful.  I have never heard of powdered eggs causing someone with banana allergy a problem.  I will have to check it out.

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» left by Ed from Colorado (117 days 3 hours ago.)

Hi,

I ate a banana this past Monday 9/8/08 and had a reaction about two hours later that caused my lower lip to swollen about twice it's normal size. It took all day for it to go down.

Today I eat a banana for breakfast and had a reaction in 15 minutes. My upper lip right know, eight hours later is still four times bigger than normal. I took Cetirizine 10mg soon after and Benadryl 25mg four hours after and I just took two more. My throat is OK. Today is Friday and I'm not going out, I look like l work at a carnival.   

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» left by Anonymous (140 days 12 hours ago.)

About 4 days ago, I broke out in hives all over my lower stomach. My mom was searching around the internet, and seems to think that bananas are causing them. Has anyone heard of bananas causing a person to get hives?

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» left by Clara from Kansas (118 days 2 hours ago.)

Today, 9/11/08, my 11 year old daughter had her third breakout from others eating a banana around her and she never had any food or other allergies all of her life so far. The only strong connection that I can make is that in May and August she received 1 and 2 dose of gardesal and I am angry and scared for her life, now that the doctor has found that she is allergic and needs to carry a epipen in order to stay alive!!! Would someone else out there please tell me if they have had similar problems?

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» left by tleary from Louisville, KY (106 days 7 hours ago.)

I've eaten bananas all my life with no problems. I am now 44 years old. The last 6-12 months, I've begun having chest pains only when eating bananas. They begin within 1 minute of starting to eat and last about 10 minutes. They occur about 50-75% of the time I eat bananas now. They are not prevented by chewing the material more thorougly before swallowing. I have no other allergies. This seems strange to me as an allergy. Perhaps I am getting some lower sphincter spasm from the banana? What do you think is most likely?

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» left by Rhonda from Minnesota (98 days 10 hours ago.)

Some of what I am reading in these personal accounts are all too familiar to me. I am 33 years old and began noticing after the birth of my second child that I would have a strong reaction to SOMETHING. It took me several months to determine that it was bananas causing me to have horrible stomaches pains accompanied by vomiting. These symptoms would start almost immediately after consuming ANY amount of banana and last for several hours. I have since noticed a similar reaction after consuming kiwi, however not as severe. I also notice that I do not have a reaction to banana in cooked foods such as banana bread. My question is could the onset of this banana allergy be related to my pregnancy? I used to eat bananas all the time and never noticed any kind of reaction until the birth of my son. I just wonder with all the hormonal changes that occur with pregnancy maybe that had triggered something. Is there any benefit to going to a doctor and getting an actual diagnosis?

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» left by Anonymous (94 days 5 hours ago.)
Ronda....... OMG, I could have written your post word for word! I too developed the exact same reaction to bananas 2 wks after giving birth to my first child. I ate them my whole pregnancy (and life) and was fine. My reaction actually started with avocado (which I also ate all the time) - within a few minutes of eating them I started getting stomach cramps and just didn't feel great. I took me a few days to figure out what it was. Then one morning I had a banana and I had severe stomach cramping and vomiting. About a week later I had a smoothie without thinking about the banana that was in it and that time I ended up being rushed to the hospital. My blood pressure was very low and I couldn't stop throwing up. They gave me an epipen and said I was allergic. However I had testing done and both bananas and avocados came back negative. I too have always wondered whether pregnancy was involved at all?

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» left by Tammy from Michigan (78 days 11 hours ago.)

Oh my gosh! I feel like one of the people towards the end of Close Encounters who have been captured by the military and held because they all began having visions of Devils Tower. Some begin slowly realizing that the others have had the same vision. I'm not alone! I'm not crazy! There are others who suffer greatly after eating a banana....I'm weeping.

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» left by Anonymous from Philadelphia (76 days 10 hours ago.)

Oh my God! I have been having problems for years with my stomach. I would feel like something was floating in my stomach, migraine headaches, nausea, the glands in my throat and on the back of my head will get swollen, my stomach bloated. I would take Alka Zeltzer, antiacids, pain medicine, or anything I could think of, but that would only make me feel worse. I would not feel any better until I threw up. For years, I would make myself vomit several times a week, so I could feel better. I did not know why I got sick. I always thought that it may have been the banana that I ate, but I wasn't sure. I ate a banana yesterday, and I have the same symptoms that I mentioned before. It makes me sad to know that banana could cause me to get sick. I realize it now that I read your article and from other people's comments. I had the same problems with the fruits that have been mentioned. I am from Panama and one of our main foods are bananas. Besides that, I am taking antibiotics to get rid of a bacteria that the doctors found because I told her of my stomach problems. I now know that some fruits could cause me to get sick. I have been tought that fruits are healthy, but I guess I should not eat some of them. Although the other day I ate frozen plain banannas, and frozen chocolate-covered bananas, and I don't remember them making me sick. I can't help to eat bananas. I will try them frozen again and see. If I get sick, I will promise myself not to eat them anymore.

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» left by catherine fores from notts uk (70 days 5 hours ago.)

yesterday morning my little girl (22months) had a banana for breakfast and again today not thinking anythin of it. she had a banana as her first food at 6 months and loved it but then stopped eatin anythin with bananas in from around 7/8 months, health visitor suggested trying her again so i did for brekki. yesterday she was fine a bit grumpy but ok,today her lips are swollen and she has spots around her mouth!! she looks awful. does this sound like a allery to you guys ? my daughter has eaten dried honey coated banana chips over the last week or so and has been fine with those too :/ weird!

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» left by K. Pratt from Zanesville, Ohioq (53 days ago.)

I am so happy to have found this site--I have eaten bananas my entire life and just about 2 years ago I had banana pudding at a restaurant and 15 minutes later, I was writhing in pain and vomiting non stop. I thought it was food poisoning. About a week later, I ate my usual breakfast of a banana and toast and within 15 minutes I was in such severe abdominal pain that my partner took me to the ER where it lasted for almost an hour, increasing in intensity. They finally deduced that it was indeed the banana. I can eat it cooked, like another person posted, but I'm too afraid to try it raw again. I am PRAYING that it doesn't develop into an avocado allergy, because I really love guacamole..lol Another fruit I've been told can develop into an allergy is peaches. If this happens, I'm going to be so sad..they're my favorite fruit.

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» left by Anonymous (15 days 18 hours ago.)

This has been very helpful to me. At the age of 59 having eaten bananas all my life on Sunday after eating a banana within 2 hrs the left side of my tongue had swollen to the extent i could barely swallow and had the right side started to swell I would have been in real trouble. It took 6 hours for the swelling to recede. After reading all the comments here I can only assume the banana was the cause and I am wondering if the allergy tablets that I have recently been put on may have caused this reaction. Obviously I will be avoiding that fruit and the many other known associated with it . Thank you for this information.

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» left by Anonymous (12 days 15 hours ago.)

I to have eaten Bananas my whole life till a few years ago, my throt would swell and even if my wife brought me over a fruit smoothy one sip and I could tell if it had banana in it. I also discovered with one bit of an avacado the same thing happened, but nothing can compare to CHristmas night when I had a haf a glass of chapaign, my throat, chest and back elt like it ws being crushed, 10 times as bad as bananas

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» left by Rob from NY (6 days 4 hours ago.)

My Banana issue started after I finished RCHOP Chemo for lymphoma. It manifests as severe gastrointestinal distress and is only relieved with IM Tegratal or when I have completely evacuated. I suffer for days after with severe abdominal pain. This last happened during a business trip to Costa Rica, where apparently I unknowingly ate a food with banana in it. The last reaction I had was to a bread with banana in it.

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