Woman, 29, nearly died after eating apple before going on a run
A woman says an pre-run apple triggered a rare allergy and nearly killed her.
Dea Gagoshidze, from Somerset, was track running with a friend when her eyes and lips started to swell up in August last year.
After the 29-year-old went to reception to see if they had any antihistamines, she fell to the ground and started drifting in and out of consciousness.
When paramedics arrived, they administered Dea an adrenaline shot and she soon started to recover.
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Tests in September revealed Dea has a rare allergy called Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA).
Dea, who runs four times a week, admitted it sounded 'ridiculous' when they suggested exercise could have triggered the reaction.
“Exercise-induced anaphylaxis is a rare but serious allergic reaction that is brought on by exercise,” anaphylaxis UK says.
“When there are additional factors involved, such as certain foods, the condition is called food-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis.
“As reactions can be serious, speak to your GP if you have had allergy symptoms during or after physical activity.”
Dea now has to avoid lipid transfer proteins (LTPs), commonly found in fruit, vegetables, nuts, cereals and grains, before exercising.
Despite the serious allergy, she was still able to run the Paris marathon in April 2026, but now has to be careful as even a sip of a smoothie before a run could be dangerous.
"There's two types of exercise-induced anaphylaxis and I have the second type where it's food dependent so there will be a group of foods that you're allergic to that act as triggers when I eat them and then exercise," she explained.
"At lunch that day I'd eaten a wrap with paneer and lots of veggies and apples. Given my trigger is lipid transfer proteins it would've been the veg and the apple.
"Apple is particularly high in LPTs so I assume it especially would've contributed."
Dea will now opt for a plain bagel with some butter if she goes on a longer run.
"The other day I was meant to go on a run with a friend. In the morning I tried someone's smoothie and I was like 'I can't even risk exercising because that might be enough to send me into anaphylaxis'," she continued.
"It's just really annoying and sometimes it feels a bit isolating.
"It made marathon training really difficult because the best thing I can do for myself is exercise fasting just to minimise all risk.
"If I, for example, forget or I'm not super conscious then that's written off a whole evening of exercise for me."
Dea is keen to spread awareness on her TikTok page as allergies can develop at 'any time.'
"Awareness does save lives," she added.
Anish Vij