Watermelon is not my friend!

jlbattin · Post by **jlbattin** » Tue May 31, 2016 7:59 am

I know that I had read other postings about other folks trying watermelon and not doing well. I am out of school now so have a couple of months to try some new foods (after a year of good healing). I bought a little container of watermelon the other night at the grocery store and tried it yesterday. I didn't eat a whole lot of it, but it is not my friend. It didn't really cause D per se, but it did cause me to have a stomach ache. So, I'll just chalk it up to the fact that I'm probably NEVER going to be able to enjoy watermelon again as I once did. We live and learn. I'm sure it's the sugar in the watermelon because I don't do well with lots of sugar.

Post by **tex** » Tue May 31, 2016 10:13 am

Jari,

I believe you're right about the sugar. I am finding it necessary to restrict my sugar intake more as time goes by.

That said, it's possible that you just need to retrain the brush border regions of your small intestine to resume producing normal amounts of the specific enzymes necessary to digest some of the sugars and other chemicals found in watermelon. It's sometimes possible to do that by starting with very small amounts and slowly increasing them on a regular schedule.

But FWIW, I can't eat it either.

Tex

Erica P-G · Post by **Erica P-G** » Tue May 31, 2016 1:18 pm

I'm finding that I need to back off my sugar now that I have had a year for healing. I do taste a bit of 2-3 ingredient jam from time to time, but my fruit intake is nil to none practically.

What a bummer

I love melons too, but a taste is all I will allow myself once in a while and the popular Hermiston seedless watermelons in my parts of the US will be coming on in August and I will once again refrain from pigging out on them, lol.

Just attended a weekend BBQ with family and they had made angel food cake with cut strawberries and redi-whip cream in a can....I loved that dessert growing up, and now I wont be able to enjoy it anymore. I try to find something else to do when others are enjoying desserts these days.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Tue May 31, 2016 2:03 pm

One wedge of watermelon contains 18 grams of fructose per serving. (a full banana has about 14 grams of fructose)

Marcia K · Post by **Marcia K** » Tue May 31, 2016 8:32 pm

I haven't tried watermelon but I ate two strawberries yesterday & today and so far, so good. I love strawberries but I'm not going to push it. Erica, I can taste the dessert you mentioned. I miss foods like that.

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Tue May 31, 2016 8:53 pm

I tried some watermelon when I had my grandchild over a couple of weeks ago, and had to sit on the porcelaine for two days, and I had had normans for 5 months before that.

Lilja

Marcia K · Post by **Marcia K** » Wed Jun 01, 2016 8:43 am

Wow, Lilja. How awful! Now I know I won't be trying any watermelon this summer!

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Wed Jun 01, 2016 5:14 pm

The other aspect with things like Watermelon is that the high sugar and its consistency etc it causes the stomach to ferment a bit, so if you have it with other food items it can make the reaction worse.

Erica P-G · Post by **Erica P-G** » Wed Jun 01, 2016 5:38 pm

Another Ah-ha moment....that is probably why I have heard so often to eat your fruit separate from other foods....like eat it and then wait 1/2 hour (since fruit digests rather quickly) before drinking or eating anything else.

jlbattin · Post by **jlbattin** » Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:31 pm

Thanks for all the info, Tex and Gabes..........

I'm going to try it again a little later on in the summer (I have to try it at least one more time). I do remember the info about introducing the food and then the enzymes have to start working again. I remember having a stomach ache when I tried beef for the first time after a long hiatus, but I do fine with it now. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my new found ability to eat a little bit of fresh pineapple. I may have to try strawberries also.

Erica,

You had my mouth watering with your dessert description. I'm right there with you. Those are some of the things I miss the most; however, I really don't like not feeling good so nothing is worth that.

humbird753 · Post by **humbird753** » Fri Jun 03, 2016 10:54 pm

I remember when I was new here other members mentioned they couldn't eat watermelon. It never dawned on me that I couldn't either. After all, it was not gluten (lol). I also tried it, but not in a small amount, and suffered because of it.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I read here at one time that watermelon produces a chemical of its own which makes it difficult for people with MC to tolerate it.

I also LOVE watermelon. Actually before MC, fruit was my favorite food category. I now have to limit how much and which ones I eat.

Paula

Post by **tex** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 8:41 am

Hi Paula,

You're correct. I remember posting about that. And I can still find references to watemelons containing various chemicals that can cause digestive or allergy system problems. But I can't find the name of a specific chemical that is responsible for causing the problem.

I am aware of 1 possible cause however, and that's cross-reactivity. According to the Mayo Clinic, anyone who is sensitive to either ragweed or grass pollen may cross-react with melons. And there are other cross-reactivity associations between other types of pollen and other fruits and vegetables. You can see a table of the known issues at this link. If you don't see the cross-reactivity table when you scroll down, click on the "Symptoms" link.

Food allergy

I can't eat watermelon and I'm sensitive to both ragweed and grass pollen.

Tex