Is it possible to have an allergy to grapes?
It is possible to have an allergy to just about anything, so the answer is yes.
There are several special problems about grapes worth noting:
- They are heavily sprayed with pesticides, making them the most toxic fruit you can buy.
- Grapes naturally grow yeast on their skin.
- Like any fruit, mold can grow on grapes.
Rather than a grape allergy, you may instead be allergic to pesticides, yeast or mold.
Grape Pesticides
According to the book “Diet for a Poisoned Planet“, grapes are sprayed with so many chemicals that they are extremely toxic. Unless they are organic, grapes are an example of unhealthy food.
The answer is to buy organic grapes.
Grapes and Yeast
If you have a yeast allergy, you must reduce grape consumption, or stop eating grapes altogether. Unless you are eating organic grapes, it is a good idea to cut them out of your diet anyhow, allergic or not.
Grapes and Mold
Mold can grow on grapes. If the grapes look to be in good shape, inspect where the stems join the fruit. This is one place that mold sometimes grows in otherwise healthy-looking grapes.
Grapes and Sulfites
Grape products can have sulfites added to them. This includes fresh grapes and various forms of processed grapes including juices, raisins etc.
Which Allergy Is It?
If you react to grapes, but not organic grapes, you are probably allergic to the pesticides. This may also indicate an allergy to sulfites.
If you only occasionally react to grapes, it could be a mold allergy. Check for mold and avoid it whenever you eat grapes. This may also indicate an allergy to sulfites.
If you have the patience to peal the grapes and eat only the inside, and this is OK, and assuming that eating organic grapes did not help, suspect a yeast allergy.
Grape Allergy and Wine
If you are allergic to grapes, the chances are you are allergic to wine also.
But what if it is not the grapes, but the other possibilities mentioned above?
Wine has more yeast in it than just eating grapes, so if you have a yeast allergy, wine is going to be a problem.
Mold can be a problem with wine. More research is required, and when I find the answers, I will write an article about it.
Organic wine is ideal, as this will reduce your pesticide intake.
Grape Allergy and Vinegar
Wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar are made from grapes and so should be avoided if you have a grape allergy.
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
I also have grape allergic reactions, mostly to the dark varieties not the white/green grapes. I get the rough sensations and slight swelling inside my mouth and lips. I’m a Africian American and also have severe sun sensitivity. I have to use 85+ sun block at all times or I get rashes to the exposed places and sometimes I even blister. I guess from all the meds I’v taken over the years for allergiesthat cause sun sensitivities. I can stop eating grapes but having to stay out of the sun most of the summer is very difficult. Any suggestions??
I suggest you see about getting off allergy medications. They may help short-term with some symptoms, but have their own problems. They are well known to cause depression for example.
It is much better to deal with your allergies by avoiding the allergen. Taking medications simply masks the symptoms, which is asking for double-trouble (still exposed to allergens and side-effects from medication).
I am allergic to grapes and I HATE it. My symptoms are Futile Vomiting and Diarrhea which happens 1 hour after consuming and for a girl of 10 it is TORTURE!!!!!!!!
Charlotte
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Hi – I found this website because I was wondering about the symptoms of grape allergy. I have what they call, intestinal adhesions following a botched operation when I was 19 (I’m now 58) and because of this, I really have to watch what I eat or suffer the consequences of an intestinal blockage. One of the things that can cause this blockage – I finally realised, are grapes. Once they are ‘stuck’ intestinally, they seem to ferment and cause all sorts of painful problems. Another odd thing is how wine affects me. I can easily drink (eg) many glasses of (well diluted!) hard liquor, such as Tequila, Whisky, Rum etc., will little effect yet, just two glasses of wine (which has a much lower alcohol content) has me drunk (and later causes vomiting) but I don’t understand why. Does anyone else recognise this problem?
Other foods that I react to badly and which immediately ulcerate my mouth – are tomatoes and Tesco’s Tiger Bread (which I love, but the pain’s not worth it).
Terri
yes i think my little girl is allergic to grapes every time she eats them she gets bad stomach cramps and is in the bathroom all day and night and she feels real bad the first time it happen i thought maybe they were bad or something but this happens to her every time she eats them she is down oceancity with her grandma and she called and said that my little girl did not feel good and cant say out of the bathroom and than she said it did not start untill she eat grapes so i guess she is allergic to them that sucks because she love grapes to but the inpo that you guy gave was real help full thankyou all for your guy help.
Hi
I am also intolerant to tomatoes, lactose and grapes which seemed a strange combination until I read that two other people here have the same intolerances. Unfortuantely I am addicted to red grapes and won’t give them up despite the cramps etc.
I’ve also been diagnosed as intolerant to lamb and brazil nuts but again, regarding the nuts, I have a hard time staying away.
Well, Lucy, it is up to you to decide what is worse: the symptoms or avoiding the food.
Many people seem to be addicted to the foods they are allergic to.
It might be worth making the effort to cut them out for long enough to loose the addiction, then decide if you’re better off without the symptoms.
I have been allergic to grapes for 25+ years. It is very challenging!! My reaction is called anaphalactic shock, which is a mandatory trip to the ER and incredible pain! My entire reaction is extreme intestinal distress, no hives or anything. I have gotten very, very good at avoidance over the last 25 some years, but still worry. You have to read everything!! I would suggest to new sufferers that you avoid items labeled with the lovely, generic term “natural flavors” or “natural colors” Grape juice is a very common additive for color and flavor, and isn’t even listed!! My last trip to the ER was from pink lemonade, which we later learned had been colored with grape juice. As much as I hate to say so, the healthier I try to shop, the more dangerous it is. Natural foods are heavy grape users. Granola from your natural grocer is likely sprayed with grape juice concentrate to make it shiny. ( I learned this little tip from a clerk at a natural grocer)
For you wine drinkers, I have discovered Honey Wine (or Mead). There is a distiller in Palisades, Colorado that makes some really tasty Honey Wines and no horrible reaction has resulted! I don’t know if they have a website, but I tend to buy mine from the Honeyville store in Durango, Co., and I know they have a website.
Good luck to all the other weirdos like me!! By the way, this allergy is so rare, that doctors never believed me when I told them what I had. They always thought I had a tubal pregnancy each time I reacted. Now I wear a Medic-Alert bracelet that designates my allergy, and it seems to satisfy the doctors. Another side note: a “prick test” came back negative for a grape allergy, but extensive diet experiments told me everything I needed to know. I am allergic to grapes. Whether it is the grapes or the pesticides, I don’t yet know. Not entirely sure it matters…
Thanks for sharing your story, MariePrei. Lots of good tips there, especially for the very sensitive.
Mead is a great alternative to wine. I quite forgot about it, although I’ve come across it and tried it in the past.
Im soo pleased I found this web site… 🙂
For a few years now I too have suffered from grape and grape related allergies. Now I know I’m not alone in this odd allergy category.
Mine started in 2001 when drinking the last glass of the previous week’s red wine bottle… sore mouth at first, then once I know it was from the wine… (weeks and weeks later as the reaction strength developed) it was a hospital job due to the severity of the reaction. Grapes had always given me tender gums, but now i can’t eat; grapes, raisins, sultanas, fruit cake, mince pies, berry pies, cranberry sauces, apples, old red wine (open more than a day), balsamic vinegar etc. There are so many foods and drinks off the menu… including juice bar’s where everything is mushed together.
My last and worst reaction was an apple, it was like a scene from the movie Hitch with will smith… my boss at work, thought I had been faking my sickness up to this point, but when this happened at work so quickly, she couldn’t argue any longer. 4 hours in hospital on a drip, and thats after they could eventually find a vein to give me adrehnline , plus a nebuliser to ease my breathing. I now carry and epi-pen and anti-hystamine tablets everywhere I go… and grapes and their friends are evil !!! On a lighter note I can eat jam, and apple sauce from a jar – I believe this is because it’s been boiled to death first…
My personal research on the topic, leads me to believe my case began with a rental property with damp walls which started a mold allergy, and it took off from there.
It took a minute for me to realize where the hives came from because at first, i thought it was from rolling weed and scratching my chest. But the next day i had a few more grapes i felt the full effects of the poison. it struck me as weird because i had never been allergic before, though i managed to stay away for a few years i got the flu and a friend brought by a care package with concentrated grape juice boxes. i didn’t notice and drank one while half asleep and ten minutes later i was covered in hives and my ears looked like i was a UFC fighter but im glad to know im not alone 🙂
From the time I was old enough to remember I was unable to ear red grapes without hives or vomiting. About 30 years ago realized that I had to stay away from white grapes and white wine as well as raisens. Now even a trace of balsamic dressing will make my lips swell even if I spit it out and rinse my mouth. I am also sensitive to potatoes, (intestinal bleeding) tomatoes (digestive upset) and tobacco smoke (visual migranes). Makes eating in a resaurant interesting.
Those allergies you have are a drag, Enid. I guess all allergies are …
In case you didn’t know, tomatoes and potatoes are part of the nightshade family, as is eggplant. Does eggplant bother you as well?
My daughter’s undiagnosed allergy
My daughter who is 2 1/2 years old has allergies, which happen randomly. Until a few months, I was giving her grapes after lunch daily, followed by a cup of milk. Just after her milk, couple of times, I began to notice that her lips would swell up, eyes and nose begin to water and rashes begin to appear on the sides of her mouth. Even after benadryl, she would have the symptoms and eventually, it affected her throat. In one or two days, she would have all the symptoms of a cold – sore throat, cough, sneezing and when taken to the pediatrician, the doctor would be confused because the symptoms looked like a regular cold, except for the rashes. As a result, I stopped giving her grapes and she’s been fine for a few months. Last week, my husband gave her tomato salad and cheese as part of her dinner. She was fine but when she had her milk at night before bed, again she had all the symptoms and this time the inflammation inside her mouth was rather severe. We took her to the allergy doctor and got her skin tested. She tested negative for grapes, tomatoes and milk products. The strangest thing is that her reaction to grapes and tomatoes occur only after milk. She eats raw tomatoes all the time and this is the first time, she’s had this reaction.
Anyone know of such allergies? Any information would be of great help. Thank you.
Grape allergy
I have been reading these posts with interest as I suspect I may also have a grape allergy. I’ve had a bowel problem for about a year and various tests came up with nothing. I also sneeze a lot. About 4 weeks ago I started with a sore mouth, tingly tongue and loss of taste. My doctor didn’t know what it was and prescribed anti-biotic medicine. It almost cleared up but I wasn’t eating grapes because of my lack of taste. When I did eat them the soreness came back. That has happened twice more and has left me wondering. I did eat quite a lot of grapes prior to this but I always wash them first. I’m not going to have any more and I will see what happens.
antibiotics??!!
Glad you’ve found the problem.
I’m concerned that your doctor prescribed antibiotics when he didn’t have a clue what was wrong.
Over-use of antibiotics has two main problems:
1) Antibiotics are bad for you. They should only be used when the infection is worse than the antibiotic side-effects. Antibiotics should only be used for bacteria or fungus infections, but virus infections because antibiotics are not effective against a virus.
2) The more antibiotics are used, the less effective they are – for you and for everyone else.
I suggest you find a doctor who is less quick to write useless prescriptions!
MIGRAINES
Can white grapes cause migraines?
Cause and effect
I guess you’re asking if an allergy to grapes can cause migraines.
Possibly. Everyone’s different.
If you consistently get migraines after eating grapes, avoid them.
White grape/white wine sensitivity
I am now four weeks into all new problems relating to all this.
It all started with eating mussels in white wine sauce, then getting hot on a car journey, then eating prawns in a new restaurant in white wine sauce (I don’t drink at all) then the following few days getting prickly heat on my back, arms and chest and overheating generally.
I was then taking benadryl for this which made things worse as I didn’t know it causes sun sensitivity which I was then putting hydrocortisone cream on for which was the wrong cream so don’t really know where I am at the moment.
I was also on Vit B6 plus Menopace which also has Vit B6 in, too much of which causes sun sensitivity so I ahve been in a state. I also had terrible tremors ,coldness, tingling in the hands and feet and some of the leg (wearing off now)palpitations etc. I am off everything 4 days now and am going to the doctors tomorrow as my face is still very sensitive to any change in temperature and although I have developed a bit of a phobia about going out in case the sensitivity hasn’t gone I am battling with all this and am overwhelmed.
Nowhere on the Benadryl pack does it say about the sun problem. Just what I have read online.
Just realised about raisins OMG forgot about them being grapes, made a batch of tomato chutney last week – with raisins, ate some cake earlier – with raisins.
Had a food sensitivity test 2 weeks ago which prompted me to change things i.e. the B6 and wheat result.
Benadryl and Sun Sensitivity
Thanks for the warning about Benadryl and sun sensitivity. Good to know about B6 as well.
How you get well soon.
Grape allergy w/ Epi pen?
I recently had a horrifying allergic reaction to a grape that had me choking on the side of the freeway. For days I was scared to be more than five minutes from a hospital. Does anyone know if carrying an Epi pen could help me in the case of a grape allergy?
grape allergy
After 1 year of using a sinus rinse I reduced my daily reliance on anti-histamines to almost nil. (I eliminated main food allergies a long time ago – so I was caught by surprise this summer – when I had a bad reaction to seedless green grapes. Prior to this year whenever I ate them – I had taken anti-histamines for grass/pollen allergies etc before eating green grapes — this year — I wound up with a fever, muscle aches, and the feeling someone punched me in the stomach (thought it was a stomach virus – until it happened again — only this time I was able to reduce the length of the attack by taking anti-histamines.
In previous years I have had mild versions of these symptoms during the summer — never tied it to grapes.
To the lady who cannot have Communion
Try taking Benedryl before you have communion, about 15-20 minutes prior. I find it helps me–I still have hives, but it’s not as bad as if I didn’t take the benedryl at all.
Try using the good since GOD gave you and skip communion. Taking a drug so you can take communion is foolish.
Grape Allergy
I was diagnosed with a grape allergy last August after being baffled by what was making my mouth itch and what was causing hives and respiratory problems. Fortunately, I found out before I did some serious damage to myself! (note for all you allergy test takers: make sure you verify your food allergy with blood work as the “prick tests” often yield false positives).
I thought at first this would be a fairly easy allergy to manage, but it has proven trickier than I initially thought.
The obvious “culprits”: wine, grape juice, raisins are in plenty of foods. But grapes lurk in red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard (white wine is in it), blueberry PopTarts (they have dried grapes in them), Bailey’s Irish Creme (the whiskey in it is aged in sherry barrels, and I learned the hard way…and am sensitive enough that one glass triggered hives), and………many wheat breads contain raisin juice concentrate in them (again: learned the hard way by not reading a label carefully…and two pieces of our local store’s wheat bread just about checked me out for good).
I find that a) I have had to re-work so many of the recipes I use at home (uh, no more homemade vinaigrette dressings…no more bolognese sauce with red wine in it) and b) going out to eat is nothing short of terrifying, as I am completely dependent on the server and whoever is working in the kitchen to be 100% sure that what they’re putting in front of me is grape-free (note: it can be done: I survived 10 days in Greece and Italy without incidents…and those are two grape-heavy cuisines).
The sad irony of all of this? For about 20 years, I was involved in the wine industry in some capacity, and it was my drink of choice.
Now I’m learning about beer and bourbon. God help me if I develop a wheat or grain allergy.
Watch out for fruit juice
Thanks for sharing your grape allergy story.
Some allergies can turn eating into the equivalent of crossing a mine field.
Watch out for fruit juice of any kind. In many countries, manufacturers are allowed to add a significant proportion of grape juice and still call the fruit juice “pure.”
When it comes to marketing, “pure” and “100%” are meaningless. Don’t put your health and live at risk by trusting the label. Call the manufacturers of the fruit juice you want to drink and ask if there is any grape juice in it before drinking.
This may sound like a drag, and it is.
On the other hand, you don’t need fruit juice to survive. You are much better with fresh fruit anyhow.
I never drink fruit juice (by choice, not necessity) and I don’t miss it in the slightest.
Other beverages
In addition to this, you will find grape juice in many beverages other than the obvious.
For example, V8 contains grape concentrate. A fact I almost found out the hard way (read the label just out of curiosity after I had poured a glass but before I drank it).
Isn’t that the truth. I almost killed myself drinking snapple. Back in the day when they did all those different flavors. I check and I do mean check everything. 95% of all juices have grape in it. Grape seed oil is in a lot of things too. Got to be extremely careful with this kind of allergy its such a common additive.
I’m not even sure if grape needs to be on the list of ingredients if less than some fairly significant proportion of the juice. For example, it could be that juice with 20% grape can still be called “pure”. This is according to memory, and probably varies from country to country, so worth looking in to.
You can always call the manufacturer of a particular juice, tell them you are allergic to grapes, and find out what’s really in the juice.
Grapes Allergy
I also have a grape allergy with terrible cramping, intestinal distress after eating grape juice or grapes. It usually occurs the day after eating grapes. Wine doesn’t bother me at all, but the grapes stop any daily functions outside the bathroom. I sit with a computer on my lap as I write this from the bathroom because every Sunday night I share communion (grape juice) with fellow Christians and every Monday I live in the bathroom for hours. Phone is beside me, computer for something to do, and I wait it out until it finally goes away. Not much fun, but don’t ever have to worry about constipation. A few grapes or the juice will clear me out overnight. Anyone else have this going on?
Grape Alternative?
Wow Elaine, you certainly are committed!
Is there any way you can share communion without destroying the following day? I’m sure your fellow Christians will understand.
Grape allergy
Hey all, I found out about 3 months ago that I am allergic to grapes, I ate a handfull of grapes at my church youth group and about an hour later my whole body was one big hive, my parents and I thought it was possibly a pesticide due to the possiblity of the grapes not being properly washed, but when I ate well washed grapes a month later the same thing happened and I only had 3 grapes, the next Sunday at Church we had Communion and I took the grape juice. and Yet again I broke out this time I was on stage preforming in a concert. And it especially stinks because I LOVE grapes!
Allergies to the foods we love
Unfortunately people tend to love the foods they are allergic to.
Stay away from grapes for six months, then see if you are OK with a few. You might find that staying away reduces your sensitivity.
If that works, don’t over-do it if you find you can eat a few.
Also, try organic grapes, as washing them will not remove all pesticides.
Grapes and allergic rhinitis
Hello,
If you are viewing this page, you may be looking for the same help as me. Maybe we can help each other?
I am a disappointed wine lover who, shortly after becoming pregnant for the first time, started to suffer occasional but extreme attacks of allergic rhinitis and sneezing. It was a long and frustrating journey to identify the cause, but in the end, it turns out I am allergic to grapes. (From the above list, I doubt it’s yeast, as I can comfortably eat other yeast-bearing foods. And it’s not sulfites, as I regularly eat other foods with this additive. Mold also seems unlikely as I also react to raisins, sultanas, port, wine, sherry, and brandy — I sincerely doubt most molds could survive the preparation processes for those.)
The main trial in identifying the cause was the delayed onset of my reaction. While I was still drinking wine (usually in the evenings) I would normally not suffer the sneezing attacks until the following afternoon. If I ate a sultana bun for morning tea, I would sometimes wake at 2am with a sensation like someone had just sprayed cleaning fluid up my nose. Let me tell you – sitting alone and cold for an hour or more, at the other end of the house from my family, trying to keep the constant sneezing as quiet(?!) as possible? It’s no pleasant way to spend the early hours of the morning! Thankfully, now that I have cut all grape-based food and drink from my diet (as much as possible – raisins and sultanas are everywhere!), I only rarely suffer attacks.
I am eager to find anyone who can provide insights on this type of allergy, or also to identify whether anyone else suffers such a bizarre combination of symptoms. The New Zealand health system does not seem to have any useful support for this type of allergy. Please email me on —— if you have useful information to share.
[Note – email removed to protect guest from spam and to avoid abuse. Please provide your feedback as a comment so that all visitors can benefit from your insights – thanks -editor]
Allergic rhinitis from grapes
I also have allergic rhinitis when having wine. I have a condition called Samter’s Triad, which is a triad of conditions; asthma, nasal polyps and allergy to aspirin.
The reason for all of the above is that I am allergic to salycitic acid. I find I have the worst reactions with wine and with citrus fruits.
Could this be a possible explanation for your reaction?
grapes allergy
Hi there.
I recently also found out that I am allergic to grapes…I first noticed after eating raisins…developed bloated feeling and stomachaches, and diarreah for that day, and little bit more to the next day. I tried with fresh organic grapes…but then, still developed the same symptoms…I am also lactose intorrerant, tomato allergy (I know it sounds strange, but I am) and have very bad hey fever, but this grape allergy tends to just upsets my digestive system.
I’m going to see a doctor next week, and see I can do blood test for other foods..and if there is any medicine for it, although I dout it. I am based in UK, and medical system here is really rubbish.
If I do find out anything new about medication, I’ll let you know.
Regards.
I have been eating all different fruit for years and had tremendous allergies. Just recently I have been eating a lot of green and red grapes every day average 1-2 lbs. Thinking I was eating healthy and apparently I was not. Over the past year, I noticed loss of taste, smell, cotton mouth, tongue numb, serious headaches and vomiting for hours,flulike symptoms, shaking on the left side of my body, pain in my lower back and loss of voice for 4 months, sore throat, tightness in chest, short of breathing and heat surges like hot flashes then getting extremely cold. For years I thought grapes were healthy and not sprayed with pesticides. Last week, I read all about pesticides on fruit and was totally shocked to find grapes and many fruits are coated with pesticides that can’t even be washed off in water. I read more and more about pesticides on fruit and a list of symptoms of pesticide poisoning to find all of my symptoms appear to be from pesticide poisoning from the grapes I was eating. I was guilty of eating grapes unwashed while shopping in the store. Last week I decided to stop eating grapes and within 2 days I noticed major differences. I could smell, taste, my back doesn’t ache, tightness in chest is gone, heat surges have stopped and all of the symptoms I have mentioned are diminishing. I wanted to answer this question since so many people think they are allergic to grapes when all along it is the pesticides sprayed on the fruit we are eating. All who are suffering should read about pesticide poisoning in adults and children due to fruits. I hope this information helps everyone.
I’m the same way. I have a delayed reaction to eating any substance containing grapes or rasins but my reactions are more severe. I get almost anaphalaxysis symptoms and a persistant rash. My reactions can start from 4 hours after ingestion to a couple of days later. They were more severe as a child and as an adult whom loves A1 sauce that contains rasin paste, I take prednisone for a couple of days with hydroxizine to help midigate the symptoms. Have you found anything out about this? My allergist thinks it is the sulfates in grapes that cause this reaction. I think not. I also get a bad migraine with this as well. Also does anybody have any alternatives to cooking with wine, basalmic viniger, or dijion mustard? Love all but can’t tollerate it enough to get any immunity to it. I was able to get immunity for strawberries (almost same symptoms but about 1/4 less severe reaction) and tommatoes. Now I eat tommatoes almost every day and have almost no reaction to them. Strawberries cause rashes and severe sneezing now but nothing that I can’t tollerate. Thanks all!