Hello Motherload: Is it possible to become allergic to raw vegetables? I cannot eat them at all anymore, as even just a simple several bites will give me hours of the runs. Sorry to be graphic, but if I eat an actual salad, the toilet looks like yellow-tinted vegetable or cabbage soup. Yet, I can eat all the cooked vegetables, vegetable soup, steamed vegetables, etc., I want with no problems. This is very strange, especially considering I was a vegetarian for several years that didn't like to cook. I really love raw vegetables, salad, subs, lettuce on burgers, etc. but I cannot eat any of this anymore. What is going on here?

Dear BookerT,

While food allergies developing later in life are possible, it is more probable that you are experiencing a food intolerance.

There are several different enzymes involved in the digestion of food, each type having different food groups that they work with. For instance, Amylase breaks down starches, Lipase breaks down fat, Proteise is for digesting proteins, Lactase handles dairy products...you get the picture.

Hemicellulase is the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of plant material. Cooking vegetables makes them easier to digest because it changes the molecular structure of the plant, letting the Hemicellulase get at more of the digestible material.

As we get older, our bodies do not produce as many enzymes as they do when we are young, which lessens our ability to properly digest many things. The high fiber content in the uncooked veggies and the lack of enough enzymes to deal with them could be the cause of your intolerance.

There are supplemental enzymes available at health food stores that you can take before meals that will enhance your ability to digest things more completely. Hope this helps.

Thanks for asking Motherload!

Motherload is a Certified Nurse Assistant as well as an IBS sufferer, which means she knows a lot about poop. Got a question for her? Ask it here. [1]