Apples, Peaches, and Stone Fruits
Raw apples, peaches, cherries, and plums contain proteins that closely resemble birch pollen. When your immune system is already on high alert during allergy season, it mistakes these fruit proteins for the same threat. The result is oral allergy syndrome, a tingling or swelling in the mouth and throat that begins within minutes of eating. A 2010 study published in the journal Allergy found that oral allergy syndrome affects up to 70% of people with birch pollen sensitivity. Cooking the fruit breaks down the cross-reactive proteins, so a stewed peach won't cause the same reaction a raw one does.
