Citrus sensitivity: Am I doomed?

I've noticed that many HCRVers eat a lot of citrus fruits. Even a small amount of citrus fruit causes my tongue to break out in painful spots, my throat to swell and my stomach to cramp. I've been forced toa abandon it, but I'm concerned... am I missing vital nutrients that can only be obtained from citrus? Am I doomed to fail on the HCRV diet because I can't eat citrus?

Has anyone else started with a citrus sensitivity and found that it went away eventually?

Tags: allergies, citrus

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by ednshell on February 23, 2012 at 12:35pm

Citrus is not essential. Those with IBS or other type of digestive issues cannot do citrus until they heal. Are you sure you are eating ripe citrus that is very sweet and does not burn your tongue? Taste is the best way to tell if an orange is ripe. It should be tantalizingly sweet and no burn.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by WendyE on February 23, 2012 at 8:58pm

Your throat swelling indicates an allergy, which means you need to stay FAR away from the offending foods! For your own health and safety. Seriously - this is something you can actually die from, if your throat closes and you don't get help soon enough.

Consider getting an allergy test, too, to make sure you're avoiding everything you're allergic to.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by vegan witch Ⓥ on February 23, 2012 at 9:05pm

LOL - i only eat citrus in winter when its in season

grapes and apples are generally in season when citrus is in, try them

a lot of people report loosing their allergies when they've sustained their raw vegan 801010 diets for awhile - maybe you will be one of them in time

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by CocoSofia on February 23, 2012 at 9:10pm

+1 just give it time and you will be able to eat soon enought :)

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sean big Sexy Rich Ⓥ on February 23, 2012 at 11:29pm

Dont worry about it ,i have bad ibs and have a strage relationship with citrus. Sometimes i go months or a year without it, i have son who does not ever eat citrus he gets bad canker sores . He suffers no health issue without it

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Danny Nelson on February 24, 2012 at 12:17am

No, you're not doomed! I have a citrus sensitivity too. It gives me canker sores, stomach pains, and red bumps all over my body.

I've had no problem cutting it out--I just eat more grapes, raisins and apples instead. And instead of orange juice, I drink apricot juice (which I actually like more). You're definitely not missing out on any nutrients by avoiding citrus.

For me, the citrus sensitivity did not go away even though I've been 80/10/10 for two years. It has actually intensified. My body has become very sensitive to things that irritate it.

It's actually very common to have citrus sensitivity. Most people of Russian descent have it. It's one of the most common fruit sensitivities aside from tomatoes and watermelon.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Eric on February 24, 2012 at 3:38am

Thanks everyone, it's put my mind at ease that I can get along without the citrus fruits. I may try them again in a few months, and in the meantime I'll get an allergy test as suggested by WendyE to see if it's a full blown allergy or not. There are definitely plenty of other yummy fruits to choose from.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Karen on February 26, 2012 at 1:00pm

I'm not a big fan of citrus. I wish I were because our house has a Valencia and satsuma orange tree, tangerine tree as well as a grapefruit tree (that my mom claimed was the best tasting grapefruit she had ever had). I've tried them all - freshly fallen from the tree.

I have a decades long problem with IBS, so that might be why I'm not crazy about them. Though they do taste a bit sour to me; maybe that's why.

The rats seem to like them though.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sean big Sexy Rich Ⓥ on February 26, 2012 at 1:07pm

Karen-- ibs has some odd triggers and citrus is very common to affect it, i love oranges but sometime with my ibs they dont love me . wish i could eat them more.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by DURIANRIDER on February 26, 2012 at 1:28pm

I hardly ever use citrus as part of my calories. I drink it occasionally though.

Citrus is too low in cals for those wanting to sustain high power. I mean if you can get boxes of proper ripe citrus then maybe but thats so rare to find ripe citrus. Gimme 500$ for every ripe orange I could find in NYC and I would honestly struggle. Id try. Id spend all day but I know I would struggle to find more than a handful of ripe oranges on the shelf in NYC.

A ripe orange has dents in it. If your orange is perfectly round, it aint ripe.