Causes
OAS produces symptoms when an affected person eats certain fruits, vegetables and nuts. Some individuals may only show allergy to only one particular food, and others may show an allergic response to many foods.
Individuals with an allergy to tree pollen may develop OAS to a variety of foods. While the tree pollen allergy has been worked out, the grass pollen is not well understood. Furthermore, some individuals have severe reactions to certain fruits and vegetables that do not fall into any particular allergy category. In recent years, it has also become apparent that when tropical foods initiate OAS, allergy to latex may be the underlying cause.
Because the allergenic proteins associated with OAS are usually destroyed by cooking, most reactions are caused by eating raw foods. The main exceptions to this are celery and nuts, which may cause reactions even after being cooked.
Read more about this topic: Oral Allergy Syndrome