Mango and poison ivy are members of the same family. They both contain a substance called urushiol (yu-roosh'-ee-all) which causes those annoying blisters and itches in some people.
Mangoes contain much less urushiol. However, you could get a rash from a mango if you are very sensitive to poison ivy.
Don't stop eating mangoes and don't be afraid to try one - they are really good! If you have a weird rash on your mouth, though, be aware that like blogger Silent Rant you may be be able to say, "Hooray! It's not herpes!"
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-14-2008 @ 1:46PM
Mathi said...
Wow. I am really glad I decided to peel the mangoes I got last week. I looked at my mangoes and debated eating the skin too, but I recalled my mother always peeled them...when she almost never peeled anything else (she said the skin was the healthiest part of most things).
After reading the merpes rant I almost feel like I dodged a bullet. Thanks!
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4-14-2008 @ 3:04PM
Divine Bird Jenny said...
I developed an allergy to mangoes after a camping weekend in which I a) ate a bunch of them with some friends and b) some jerks in the same group decided to burn whatever they found on the ground--including poison ivy. Since then, I've been horribly sensitive to mangoes in anything--even scented candles and hand lotion!
It sucks, because I love mangoes, and also because they're in EVERYTHING right now. It's like they're the trendy fruit of the moment.
Oh, and it's always fun to have to ask what's in the fruit salad when I go to parties. :(
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4-15-2008 @ 10:53PM
Eric Braun said...
I found out about this after I bought a couple of mangoes and then ate them with the skin on. I really dug into them and later got a rash all over my face. I didn't make the connection, so I went to a dermatologist who was also very allergic to poison ivy and had grown up on a mango farm.
It took him a while, but he finally asked if I had eaten mangoes, and that's how I found out.
I just wear gloves when I'm peeling them now and take them off the skin and no problem.
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4-17-2008 @ 8:17PM
Celeste said...
This happened to me too, and only after the second time did I realize the mangoes were the culprit. I didn't touch the skin, but I did gnaw on the pit a little (who wants to waste all the delicious mango that you can't slice off with a knife?) and I think that caused the problem. I don't recall having this problem when I didn't mess around with the pit. So those of you with this allergy may want to stay away from the pit too!
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