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Potato Allergy Guide

Posted on 6th February 20236th February 2023 by Kate Young

Potatoes are a staple in the western diet, found in snacks, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They can merge easily into any meal of the day. Compared to nuts and other types of allergies, potatoes are a lesser-known type of allergy affecting fewer adults and children. However, it can be severe to the extent of being life-threatening in some people. Avoiding potatoes when you’re suffering from potato allergy can be quite a task, as potato derivatives are used in most packaged foods and snacks. We’ll explore what it means to have a potato allergy, including symptoms, cross-reactivity and how to complete an allergy test.

What is a potato allergy?

A potato allergy, just like all food allergies, occurs when the body mistakes certain compounds for “harmful” substances similar to bacteria and viruses. So, upon consuming potatoes, your immune system gets alerted that these compounds or proteins are in the body, thus releasing antibodies and histamines to fight them. When antibodies and histamines are released due to an allergic reaction, they result in the typical allergy symptoms we observe when someone’s allergic to something they’ve consumed. An allergic reaction occurs when the body is susceptible to a chemical sensitivity or when the immune system reacts to proteins present in the food you’ve consumed. In the case of potato allergy, two main culprits are the primary triggers for potato allergy symptoms. These are patatin and solanine:

Solanine: This compound is a semi-poisonous toxic alkaloid, and the plant produces this as a defence mechanism against animal predators. Solanine is commonly present in most potato varieties and other agricultural nightshades. It is safe to consume solanine in moderation except when consumed as “green potatoes”, which are often a result of improper storage and are often full of toxins. While solanine poisoning often dwells in the gastrointestinal tract, some people can experience severe reactions (allergy) to potatoes and other nightshades.
Patatin: This storage protein is present in potato varieties and is the most common cause of potato allergy. While solanine can also cause potato allergy, multiple studies tag patatin as the most common cause of potato allergy. It mainly triggers potato skin allergy symptoms like rashes, hives, eczema, dermatitis, and other skin conditions.

Potato allergy symptoms

Potato allergy symptoms vary in severity between different individuals. While some people may experience mild symptoms, others must visit the emergency room. These allergy symptoms can take between forty-five minutes to an hour after consumption or contact. One can have symptoms of potato allergy by peeling, touching, or eating potatoes. Common potato allergy symptoms include:

Sneezing.
Sore or scratchy throat.
Itchy skin or an eczema-like rash.
Runny nose.
Watery, swollen, or itchy eyes.
Hives.
Swelling of the mouth, tongue, or throat.
Difficulty breathing.
Tingling on the lips.
Diarrhoea.
A drop in blood pressure.
Anaphylaxis.
Rapid heartbeat.
Wheezing.
Vomiting.

According to a 2017 study on potato allergy, of 2000 people in a hospital, 10.1% were sensitised to potatoes {1}. Many of them were only allergic to raw potatoes and not cooked potatoes. So, it is possible to be only allergic to raw potatoes and tolerate cooked ones.

If your symptoms are more mild, you may be experiencing potato intolerance. You can find out if you have an intolerance to potatoes by taking a simple at-home intolerance test.

Other symptoms of potato allergy

While rare, some people develop a condition known as anaphylaxis upon consuming potatoes. Anaphylaxis is a condition that has an acute onset, with symptoms appearing immediately and escalating fast. Treatment for anaphylaxis often requires the use of an EpiPen, intravenous antihistamines, and oxygen which helps lower the body’s allergic response, reduce inflammation of the air passages, and improve breathing. When one suffers from anaphylaxis, they require immediate medical care. The symptoms include:

Swelling of the throat, mouth, eyes, or face.
A rapid drop in blood pressure.
Dizziness or loss of consciousness.
Nausea or vomiting.
Shortness of breath or difficulty catching one’s breath.

Difference between potato allergy and sweet potato allergy

Even though these are both tubers and share the name “potato”, they are entirely different types of tubers. Sweet potatoes, also known as Ipomoea batatas, belong to a family of plants known as Morning Glories or Convolvulaceae. Sweet potatoes and potatoes have varying glycemic indexes and antioxidants. Even though there aren’t any cases of allergy caused by sweet potatoes in literature, there were three cases of anaphylaxis in adult patients after they consumed potatoes {2}. Scientists still don’t know the allergens present in sweet potatoes, but they don’t have the same allergens in common potatoes (patatin and solanine). However, it is possible for people to have an intolerance to sweet potatoes.

Potato allergy foods to avoid

If you have a potato allergy, it is recommended that you avoid these vegetables for the long term. Avoiding potatoes can be tricky since many processed foods contain potato-based derivatives like yeats, enriched flours, and baking powders. Even though we may not exhaust the entire list of potato derivatives, here are some things you need to look out for:

Potato crisps: Potato-based salty snacks are obvious products to avoid.
Gnocchi: Potato-based pasta, like gnocchi, should be avoided.
Casseroles: Like croquettes and other prepared foods that contain mysterious combinations of foods, are among the foods you need to consume cautiously.
Shredded cheese: Some processed and packaged cheeses contain potato starch.
Dried potato flakes: These are often used as a thickener for canned soups, stews, and purees.
Potato flour: This is a common gluten-free substitute for wheat flour. Potato flour is found in various baked goods like bread, muffins, and cookies. You’ll also find it in consumer packaged goods like crisps, crackers, gluten-free snack foods, etc.
Vodka: Potatoes are the main ingredient in making different types of vodka.
Yeast: Countless types of beer, bread, and baked goods use yeast derived from potatoes.
Modified potato starch: This hidden ingredient is commonly found in sweets.
Herbal medicines: When visiting a pharmacist, let them know of your potato allergy since potatoes are an ingredient in herbal medicine used to treat an upset stomach.

Since potatoes are common ingredients, you need to be careful when reading labels and eating out to avoid meals containing potato derivatives.

Potato allergy cross-reactivity

When different foods or non-food substances (like pollen) share similar proteins, it can make you have an allergic reaction to more than one substance or food. For example, people with a potato allergy may also experience a cross-reactive allergic reaction to certain edible foods and pollen. Potatoes are a part of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Due to the similarity in proteins found in potatoes and these other plants, a person with potato allergy may also be allergic to other plants from the Nightshade family. Some of these plants include:

Goji berries.
Tobacco.
Tomatoes.
Eggplant.
Tomatillos.
Bell peppers.
Pepino melon.
Spices like paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes.

Besides the Nightshade family, people with potato allergy may experience a cross-reactive reaction to pollen, especially from birch trees and grass. Additionally, having a potato allergy may lead to a cross-reactive allergic reaction to latex. It may seem weird to have many allergies based on potato allergies. Still, it’s common for people, especially children, to develop allergies because they have an existent allergy to something else. It’s like a chain reaction, having one allergy leads to the development of more. According to Facts and Statistics, approximately 40% of children with food allergies experience responses to more than one food {3}.

Potato allergy testing

Even though potato allergy is less common compared to potato intolerance, it still is an issue that affects some people. If you believe you have an allergy, we suggest consulting with your doctor first to determine if there are any other underlying conditions that are causing your symptoms. However, if you don’t have any conditions causing these symptoms, you can take an Allergy Test. This home-lab test kit will check your sample against all of the common allergens in the environment as well as food. You will then get a list of foods that you’re allergic to and you can begin to change your life for the better.

References

Chiriac, A. M., Bourrain, J. L., Lepicard, E., Molinari, N., & Demoly, P. (2017). Prevalence of sensitization and allergy to potato in a large population. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 5(2), 507-509.
Velloso, A., Baeza, M., Tornero, P., Herrero, T., Fernández, M., Rubio, M., & De Barrio, M. (2004). Anaphylaxis caused by Ipomoea batatas. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 113(2), S242.
https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/facts-and-statistics

Low FODMAP Curry Recipes

Posted on 5th January 202317th January 2023 by Donna Mastriani

Curry is a saucy dish full of spices. The sauce is always cooked hand in hand with tofu, meat or vegetables. Curry is associated with Asian and Indian cuisines. Following a low FODMAP diet doesn’t mean you’ll need to take curry away from your diet, but you can adjust it so it’s more FODMAP friendly and you can consume it without getting any IBS symptoms like diarrhoea or constipation. You can still make delicious curry without the many spices or dairy that make it a trigger for your IBS symptoms. Low FODMAP curry recipes will allow you to consume your favourite dishes by adjusting a few ingredients.

Low FODMAP curry recipe

These curry recipes will give you the flavours you desire, but without the spices that could cause undesirable symptoms.

Low FODMAP chicken curry

Ingredients

1 tbsp garlic-infused oil
1 pound of skinless chicken breast, cubed
½ TSP cumin
½ TSP turmeric
⅛ TSP cayenne
1 ½ TSP curry powder (without onion and garlic)
1 TSP garam masala (without onion and garlic)
Salt and pepper to taste
Four medium-sized potatoes
1 ½ cups coconut milk

Method

Heat a pan with oil over medium heat and add chicken cubes to the skillet and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until cooked and light brown.
Mix garam masala, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour your spice mix over the chicken and mix well.
Add peeled and chopped potatoes and coconut milk to evenly coat the chicken. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the food simmer for around ten minutes. Ensure the potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken is cooked thoroughly.
Serve warm.

Green curry with chicken and vegetables in pan

Low FODMAP green chicken curry

Ingredients

Curry paste

2 lemongrass stalks
2-4 deseeded chillies (your choice)
Six scallions (green part only)
1 tbsp grated ginger
½ cup chopped coriander
½ cup fresh basil
1 TSP coriander powder
1 TSP cumin powder
1 TSP fish sauce
Lime zest from 1 lime
Lime juice from half lime
½ TSP black pepper
2 tbsp coconut oil

Chicken curry

600g chicken cubed
1 can of coconut milk
½ cup low FODMAP chicken stock
½ red bell pepper
1 TSP fish sauce
¾ cup baby corn

Method

Thinly slice lemongrass stalks and then add to the food processor all the other ingredients to make the curry paste. Blend everything until you’re left with a thick green paste. Every time, scrape the sides to get everything to blend properly. A blender will do the same job if you don’t have a food processor.
Add the curry paste to a pan and cook it for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, and chicken stock, and boil for a few minutes.
Turn the heat down, and add peppers, spring onions, and baby corn. Let it simmer until the sauce has thickened.
Serve over your preferred meal.

Low FODMAP potato curry

Ingredients

1 tbsp garlic-infused oil
1 TSP grated ginger
1-2 deseeded chillies
One can of diced roasted tomatoes
1 ½ pound of potatoes peeled and cubed
1 tbsp curry powder (without onion and garlic)
1 ½ cups low FODMAP vegetable stock or water
Salt to taste
1 cup shelled frozen edamame
½ fresh cilantro chopped

Method

In a deep pot, heat oil over medium heat. Once hot, add ginger and chilli. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add chopped tomatoes, potatoes, curry powder, water/stock, and salt. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Once boiled, reduce to a simmer on medium-low and cover for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Check if the potatoes are cooked by pricking them with a fork. Once potatoes are cooked, stir in frozen edamame and cover for 4-5 minutes. When warm, remove from heat.
Stir in chopped coriander and serve warm.

Low FODMAP vegan curry

Curry sauce

3 tbsp olive oil
1 fennel chopped finely
1 large carrot
2 tsp ginger
½ red bell pepper sliced
½ green bell pepper sliced
250g shredded cabbage
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 tsp garam masala (without onion and garlic)
1 TSP cumin
1 TSP coriander powder
1 TSP sweet paprika
Water to cover

Additions

500g drained and cubed tofu
A vegetable mix of choice
200g plant milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place oil in a skillet or wok over heat. Add chopped carrots and fennel. Cook for around 15 minutes until soft and a little bit caramelised. Adding salt to the vegetables helps them release water and cook.
When they’re soft, add ginger, cabbage and peppers. Cook until soft for an extra 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes and spices, and stir to combine. Add water or stock and stir, then cover to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Once all vegetables are cooked, please turn off the heat, and leave them to cool down a little before putting them in the blender. Blend until you have a smooth gravy.
Fry tofu in a pan and put it aside.
Place the curry gravy in a wok and heat it. Then add tofu and the vegetables you’d like into the curry base and let it simmer for a while. If you’re adding vegetables, add them before tofu. Once they’re cooked, that’s when you add tofu as your last ingredient.
You can add plant milk and let it simmer—taste to adjust the seasoning.

complete-intolerance-front — Our Complete Intolerance Test Box.

These low FODMAP curry recipes will help warm you up on cold days or evenings, giving you all those flavours in quantities your digestive tract can handle. Low FODMAP recipes help you deal with IBS symptoms and enable you to manage your gut bacteria when suffering from SIBO. You must adjust the ingredients according to your tolerance level when making a low FODMAP curry. If you can’t tolerate a certain ingredient in the amounts listed, you can alter the recipe to suit your needs. Suppose you need to know your tolerance levels to various items. In that case, you need to get your Intolerance Test which will help you understand the items you’re intolerant towards and your level of intolerance.

Low FODMAP Soup Recipes

Posted on 20th December 202217th January 2023 by Donna Mastriani

Soups get us through cold days and are an easy way to consume lots of vegetables at a go. Soups are a clever way to increase micronutrients and fibre intake, which is important for gut health. Starting a low FODMAP journey can take time to figure out what to eat and avoid. When it comes to soups, there are certain ingredients you need to stay away from. These include garlic, onion, spice mix, legumes, and high-FODMAP vegetables like cauliflower, asparagus, leeks, and mushrooms. We’ve developed some tasty soup recipes for you to enjoy if you’re following a low FODMAP diet.

Low FODMAP soup

Before you get started making your soup, you’ll need a blender, which could be handheld or otherwise. Now, let’s get into the recipes.

Pumpkin soup

Ingredients

900g Japanese pumpkin
2 tbsp garlic-infused oil
½ TSP smoked paprika
½ TSP cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
A handful of fresh coriander
½ cup leek (green leaves only)
2 tbsp vegan butter
4 cups of low FODMAP chicken or vegetable stock
4 tbsp coconut cream
Eight slices low FODMAP bread

Method

Preheat the oven to 355°F.
Slice, peel, and de-seed pumpkin. Chops into chunks.
Place the pumpkin pieces into a large bowl and season with garlic-infused oil, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Toss them together so that all the pumpkins are coated.
Transfer the pumpkins to a lined baking tray and evenly spread them in one layer so they can cook simultaneously. Let them roast for 20-25 minutes.
While waiting for the pumpkin to roast, thinly slice the leeks and coriander leaves.
Once the vegetables are tender and slightly golden, you’ll know they’re done. Remove them from the oven.
Over a medium heat, place a saucepan with vegan butter, then add leeks and fry for 1-2 minutes. Stir them occasionally until soft and fragrant.
Add the baked pumpkin into the saucepan and add the stock. Increase the heat and bring it to a boil, then simmer for ten minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the chopped coriander leaves. Allow the soup to cool for a while, then go in with your immersion blender or add the soup into a blender and blend until smooth or chunky depending on how you like it. When blending the soup, taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed.
Serve with a side of low FODMAP bread such as sourdough.

Broccoli soup

Ingredients

3 cups of low FODMAP vegetable stock
2 cups celeriac
1 cup carrots
Two leeks (green part only)
100g broccoli
Two bay leaves
Three spring onions (green part only)

Method

Peel and chop the celeriac and carrots into cubes. Cut the broccoli into florets and thinly slice the spring onions.
Place all the vegetables in a pan and pour stock on them, bringing them to a boil.
After around 15 minutes, check if it’s done and remove the bay leaves. Then insert an immersion blender. You can also pour the vegetable soup into a blender cup and blitz it to your liking. Then return it to the pan and let it boil for a little longer as desired.
Season with salt and pepper.

Potato carrot soup

Ingredients

Two medium carrots
1 cup chopped spring onions (green parts only)
1 pound potatoes
Two medium parsnips
1 ½ cups low FODMAP vegetable stock
3 tbsp garlic-infused oil
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Peel and chop the vegetables that require chopping and peeling.
Place a pan with oil over medium heat. Add spring onions and sauté until soft. Add parsnips, carrots, potatoes and vegetable stock. Ensure the broth covers the vegetables; if it doesn’t, and you’re out of both, add water to top it up.
Cover your pan and bring it to a boil. Then let it simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through.
Once your vegetables are cooked, use an immersion blender to purée the soup. You can also put your vegetables in a blender and purée them.
Add almond milk when blending—taste to adjust the salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Tomato carrot soup

Ingredients

2 tbsp garlic-infused oil
1 TSP ginger
225g carrots
340g tomatoes
½ TSP oregano
1 cup low FODMAP vegetable stock
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
One bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Peel and chop carrots. Chop tomatoes.
In a large pan, heat garlic oil. When hot, add ginger and carrots and sauté for a minute.
Into the pot, add oregano, tomatoes, and salt. Add vegetable stock, nutritional yeast and bay leaf, then stir to combine.
Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer for around 25 minutes. You can use a fork to check if the carrots are tender.
Once done, turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf. Then, blend your soup using an immersion blender or a cup. When blending, season with salt and pepper to your taste.
Serve warm.

Low FODMAP chicken soup

Ingredients

1 cup leek (green tips only)
Two large carrots
One small potato
50g celery
1 tbsp garlic-infused oil
2 cups spinach
160g zucchini
400g canned tomatoes
2 cups low FODMAP chicken or vegetable stock
One ¼ cup hot water
½ cup fresh basil
½ cup soft FODMAP pasta
1 cup chickpeas (canned)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Peel and dice the potato and carrots. Finely slice celery and leek.
Over a medium heat, add garlic oil in a pan and add leek, carrots, potato, and celery. Sauté for around 20 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
As the veggies cook down, dice the zucchini and chop the spinach. Drain and rinse chickpeas.
Add canned tomatoes, stock, hot water, diced zucchini, chickpeas, and spinach leaves to the vegetable cooking. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.
Add pasta and chopped basil leaves to the soup. Let the soup cook until the pasta is done. If your soup is too thick, add more water.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Food intolerance and IBS can cause certain symptoms that could alter the quality of your life. By consuming a low FODMAP diet, you’ll be able to mitigate the symptoms and live free from them. If you need to know which foods are causing you to have IBS symptoms since you have an intolerance towards them, you can order a home to lab Intolerance Test that will help you determine a way forward. The test will show you all your intolerances, and then you can cut off these foods and reintroduce them as you discover your tolerance level.