The carambola, commonly known as the ‘star fruit,’ is a fruit native to Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Although it’s more widely consumed in areas like the South Pacific and parts of South and East Asia, it enjoys popularity in North America as well. Although this fruit may seem harmless, it is in fact potentially life-threatening to kidney disease sufferers and must be avoided at all costs. 

The main reason for the star fruit’s infamous reputation amongst kidney disease patients is the neurotoxin it contains. This neurotoxin, known as Caramboxin is harmless to people without impaired kidney function, as a healthy kidney can filter it out. When the kidneys are damaged, however, they have extreme difficulty with this and the neurotoxin can lead to severe symptoms.

Eating Star Fruit Can Potentially Lead To The Following Within One To Five Hours:

• Intractable Hiccups
• Vomiting
• Mental Confusion
• Nervous Ticks
• Anxiety
• Decreased Muscle Strength
• Numbness In Legs And Arms
• Paresis
• Insomnia
• Seizure
• Coma
• Death

 

It’s important to note that as little as half of a star fruit and/or less than eight ounces of its juice have been reported to cause serious problems in people with kidney disease. Some cases have even proven fatal after eating a single star fruit. Anyone with impaired kidney function should avoid this fruit and always check to see if it has been used as an ingredient in smoothies, salads or other food items offered at grocery stores/restaurants. Doing so just may save your life!