Allergic reaction?

Experiences
1

Been trying out Huel this week, I have unflavored with cocoa flavor booster. Everything was fine until today my throat and lips got really itchy after drinking my Huel? The only other time this happens to me is when I eat certain apples or fruits…

2

Are you allergic to stevia?

The flavour boost contains steviol glycosides
Naturally derived from fruit

3

Maybe try the Unflavoured powder with pure natural cacao powder with no sweetener

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4

I was currently using the unflavored powder

5

Its definitely not the stevia because I use that to flavor my coffee

6

[quote=“ChristinaT, post:2, topic:15724”]
The flavour boost contains steviol glycosides
Naturally derived from fruit[/quote]

Fruit?!? The stevia plant has sweet leafs.

7

Hi Peter - It sounds very much like you have a mild form of oral allergy syndrome (OAS) also known as Pollen Fruit Syndrome (PFS)) which varies from person to person. Apples are usually a trigger for this along with other possibilities:

  • nuts
  • carrots
  • cherries
  • celery
  • peaches
  • plums
  • pears
  • melons
  • tomatoes
  • oranges
  • kiwi
  • banana
  • seeds
  • cucumbers/zucchini

The cause is a particular protein found in these foods with apples and peaches being the most similar. People with this allergy often also suffer from certain pollen allergies notably:

  • birch pollen
  • ragweed pollen
  • grass pollen

One way to reduce cross-reactions with food is to heat/microwave the food because high temperatures break down the proteins responsible for OAS. I realise this isn’t ideal for Huelling but not impossible to manage. OAS is rarely severe and unlikely to have symptoms greater than those you described.

There is no direct treatment or solution for this allergy other than avoiding or heating the trigger foods however, if this is a cross-reaction with an existing pollen allergy you have, it’s been found that the majority of people who regularly take pollen allergen vaccinations or medications see a reduction of up to 80% in OAS symptoms too.

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8

As a simple test to see if this maybe the cause by a process of elimination – why not try making a simple porridge using Huel heated in the pan or Microwave to see if you get the same reaction? If you don’t then you’ve probably isolated that it is this OAS protein causing it.

9

Sorry - I meant ‘plants’
I don’t know why I wrote ‘fruit’
Probably the same reason I suggested you try UU when you’d literally just said you use UU, and why I asked @Bee the other day if she’d tried the new flavour boost in Original when she’d stated that clearly in the post I was replying to, and why I forgot to put the lid on my Huel the other day before shaking it and ended up with a face full of Huel :woman_facepalming:t3::woman_facepalming:t3::woman_facepalming:t3::woman_facepalming:t3:
I’ve been ill. And it seems to have removed half my brain cells. And my ability to read properly. Or remember to put lids on shakers :laughing:

I will do better next time

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