Around 30% of the population suffers from food intolerance. The rate is also constantly increasing due to the industrial production of food.

Do you like eating bananas? Do you have any complaints after eating them? Banana intolerance is rare, but it does occur. You may be one of those who suffer from an intolerance to bananas.

A banana is rarely eaten together with other foods. Many people who suffer from abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting after eating a banana therefore ask themselves why.

Symptoms like these could be an indication that you have a banana intolerance.

You can read more about this topic below.

Are bananas healthy?

Bananas are one of the most widely consumed types of fruit for good reason. Not only do they taste good, but their nutritional value is also impressive. Bananas provide many important vitamins and nutrients. They are a source of potassium, magnesium and B6.

These vitamins are particularly important for the muscles. The heart and kidneys also benefit from them.

Athletes regularly turn to bananas as a quick source of energy and nutrients. Alongside apples, bananas are therefore the most popular fruit in Germany. There is almost no household that does not regularly have the yellow fruit in the kitchen.

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Did you know that eating bananas can even help to relieve muscle cramps or actively prevent them? Many people consciously eat them after exercise to provide the body with an extra portion of magnesium.

But what if you suffer from symptoms of intolerance after eating bananas?

Fun fact: Why is the banana crooked?

Like many other people, you’ve probably wondered why the banana is actually crooked.

Each banana fruit is called a banana finger by the fruit growers. There are 10 to 20 fingers per bunch of bananas. They thus form a hand.

A banana plant can carry about 10 to twelve of the hands. It weighs around 50 kg.

As the clusters hang downwards due to their heavy weight, they also tilt the bananas towards the ground. However, the fruits also seek the sunlight and tilt upwards at the same time. This gives you the answer to the question of why the banana is crooked.

The causes of banana intolerance

The reasons why a person suffers from an intolerance vary from person to person.

The most commonly cited cause of banana intolerance is small particles in the banana that slip through the intestinal wall. They then enter the bloodstream.

If your body perceives these banana particles as a threat, it sends so-called antibodies to fight the particles. Experts also refer to these as IgG antibodies. In connection with an intolerance, they are responsible for an inflammatory reaction taking place in the body.

The reaction of the antibodies then manifests itself as unpleasant symptoms of intolerance. This usually affects the digestive system or the skin.

The more permeable your intestinal wall is, the worse the corresponding symptoms will be.

Another cause of banana intolerance is the processing of the banana in the intestine. If you suffer from an enzyme deficiency, for example, the banana’s components may not be removed properly. Digestion then suffers as a result. This results in many different symptoms.

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Bananas also contain fructose. If you suffer from a fructose intolerance, this may also be the cause of your symptoms after eating a banana.

Symptoms of banana intolerance?

It is not easy to clearly attribute certain symptoms to banana intolerance. The symptoms cannot be clearly assigned. In many cases, they only appear after a few hours or even days.

The symptoms of banana intolerance are therefore often mistakenly attributed to another food.

In most cases, however, the digestive tract is affected by banana intolerance. Those affected suffer from stomach cramps, abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, headaches and skin rashes.

The symptoms can be different for everyone. Some people mainly suffer from gastrointestinal complaints, while others only complain of skin rashes.

Due to the fermentation process of the fruit that takes place in the intestine after consumption, many people suffer from increased flatulence after eating a banana. This is also due to the high fructose content in the banana. The fructose cannot be completely broken down in the small intestine and therefore ends up in the large intestine. There, hydrogen is formed due to the breakdown of fructose. This leads to flatulence.

What is a banana allergy?

A banana allergy should not be compared with a banana intolerance. The symptoms of an allergy are much more severe and can even be life-threatening.

An allergy to bananas is triggered in many people by the protein contained in bananas. The protein is only found in very few types of fruit. These include avocados and kiwis, for example.

Many people who suffer from a banana allergy are often also affected by a latex allergy. Doctors refer to this phenomenon as a cross-reaction.

For most people, skin contact alone is enough to trigger the symptoms of banana allergy. In most cases, the symptoms of those affected go well beyond the digestive tract. Skin rashes, swelling of the mouth or throat and even shortness of breath are not uncommon symptoms of a banana allergy.

Moreover, the symptoms do not appear after hours or days, but usually within a few minutes.

Other symptoms that can be triggered by a banana allergy are a runny nose, shortness of breath and red, itchy eyes.

If you suffer from a banana allergy, you must avoid contact with bananas at all costs. In the worst case scenario, your body could react to the yellow fruit with an anaphylactic shock. This is life-threatening and must not be underestimated under any circumstances.

How can you test for banana intolerance?

Do you suspect you have a banana intolerance? Be sure to discuss this with your doctor. They can use various tests to find out whether you actually have an intolerance.

The doctor will usually carry out a blood test. This provides certainty as to whether you suffer from an intolerance.

If you suspect that you may even be suffering from a banana allergy, the doctor can carry out a so-called prick or epicutaneous test.

You can also find out for yourself whether you have a banana intolerance. An elimination diet can help you rule this out. This involves eliminating the suspected food.

It is best if you also keep a food diary. Always write down exactly what you have eaten and when, and whether you suffer from any symptoms.

If your symptoms subside as a result of not eating bananas, you are most likely suffering from a banana intolerance.

However, the most reliable way to find out whether you have an intolerance is still to have a blood test carried out by a doctor. There are now also many providers where you can carry out an intolerance test from the comfort of your own home. To do this, you take a drop of blood yourself and send it to a certified laboratory.

What to do if you are intolerant to bananas?

The only treatment to reduce or even eliminate the symptoms of banana intolerance is to avoid bananas altogether.

Doctors also recommend avoiding foods or substances that could trigger a cross-allergy. Avocados, carrots, papayas, potatoes and tomatoes are known to trigger allergies or intolerances in people who already suffer from banana intolerance.

Latex is also known to cause cross-allergies in people with an existing intolerance to bananas.

If you suffer from a banana intolerance, avoid eating bananas completely at the beginning. The intolerance may subside after a certain time and you can add bananas back to your diet.

When giving up bananas, make sure that you do not eat any ready-made foods that contain bananas. Most smoothies that you can buy in the supermarket usually contain bananas.