My throat gets slightly swelled when drinking smoothies made from berries but never when I eat them fresh-why?

Sounds like you are having an allergic reaction to something in the smoothies. If you haven't been tested for allergies you need to consider doing this a throat swelling is a serious symptom of allergies and one of these times it could cause a severe reaction and you could die if someone near you doesn't have an epi pen handy.

I get the same reaction when I eat strawberries. I also had the same problem when we went to Jamba Juice and had smoothies made from berries. It's an allergic reaction; not the seeds getting ground up and irritating your throat. The berries that they use when making smoothies are usually frozen, not fresh and they always mix a lot of them. They also add different fruit juices, yogurt, or ice cream. Try to consider these ingredients and see where you might be allergic to. Be careful and always have Benadryl with you in case a really terrible allergic reaction occurs. In my case, I get a sore and itchy throat, but not health threatening. I just try not to eat too much berries of any kind.

It might not necessarily be the berries alone, but when their is a chemical reaction within the soothie. The best thing to do is go to an allergist and find out what exactlly the problem is...you wouldn't want any worse reactions

I get the same experience when I take my daily pills with very cold water my throat tightens up and I can't swallow...so when I read your question it came to me it might just be the temperature of the smoothee...it might just tighten up the swallowing mechanism in your throat...when you try to swallow....I had to switch to drinking warmer water with my meds....to get the pills to go down...best wishes..Mama Jazzy Geri

Since the drink contains preservatives it might cause your throat to swell. it is because of the acceleration of thyroxine.