Dr. Roy

KETO DIET & ORAL ALLERGY SYNDROME

When you eat less than 50 grams of carbs a day, your body eventually runs out of fuel (blood sugar) it can use quickly. This typically takes 3 to 4 days. Then you’ll start to break down protein and fat for energy, which can make you lose weight. This is called ketosis.

“Ketogenic” is a term for a low-carb, high fat diet. The idea is for you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. You cut back most on the carbs that are easy to digest, like sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread. You eat more raw fruits and vegetable for the 10-15 % calories you need from carbohydrates.

The ketogenic diet is popular for weight loss these days. Keto isn’t exactly a new diet — a ketogenic diet has been around nearly a century for epilepsy management — and recent research is exploring possible benefits ranging from Parkinson’s Disease to certain cancers. Yet suppose you don’t have a weight control problem or any of those medical conditions; instead you have food allergies, then is the Keto diet safe for you?

The danger of nutritional deficiencies from unnecessarily restrictive diets is a real possibility when done without medical or expert supervision.

OAS is a form of a contact allergic reaction that occurs upon contact of the mouth and throat with raw fruits or vegetables. The most frequent symptoms of OAS include itchiness or swelling of the mouth, face, lip, tongue and throat. Symptoms usually appear immediately after eating raw fruits or vegetables, although in rare cases, the reaction can occur more than an hour later. OAS is generally considered to be a mild form of food allergy. Rarely, OAS can cause severe throat swelling leading to difficulty swallowing or breathing.

People who have Oral Allergy Syndrome run a 1 in 60 chance of developing life threatening anaphylaxis.

You should see an Allergist Immunologist if:

  • Your OAS symptoms are causing significant throat discomfort;
  • Your OAS symptoms are getting progressively worse;
  • Your OAS symptoms are caused by cooked fruits and vegetables;
  • Your OAS symptoms are caused by nuts;
  • You develop systemic reactions after eating raw fruits or vegetables such as hives, vomiting or difficulty breathing.
  • You wish to find out what pollen or foods you are allergic to so you can avoid them.

As expected more fruits and veggies can aggravate OAS symptoms and needs proper Allergy guidance in some individuals.

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