Fish, Veggies & More Food Phobias You Won't Believe Exist (Slideshow)

Some people really love their sour candies, or that wonderfully tart pucker caused by citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, and limes. For others though, that sour taste is just too much to handle — acerophobes get anxious and panicky at the thought of sour tastes and will avoid this tongue-tingling sensation whenever possible.

Why did the chicken cross the road? Well, never ask an alektorophobe that question, ever! They are deathly afraid of chickens and all chicken related products (and chicken jokes, one would assume.) Also, never use the phrase "it tastes like chicken" to describe another food to them, they won't eat that either... this subset of people might feel better if an unfamiliar food tastes like beef.

Mushroom start off dirty and grimy and slightly unappealing... but dust them off and they make delicious toppings and additions to all kinds of meals. Not that mycophobes will try any of them; they are so afraid of mushrooms, the little fungus inspires feelings of dread and maybe even shortness of breath for them.

It's not just scary for vampires! Alliumphobes are petrified of the strong flavor and odor of garlic and they'll avoid it at all costs. 

For arachibutyrophobes it's not the peanut butter itself that gives them the chills but the fear of the nutty spread sticking to the roof of the their mouth. Some of these people explain this as the fear that they'll never be able to unstick the peanut butter from the roof of their mouth ever again, and they fear perhaps their mouths will never be able to open properly again. 

Many people developed a deadly fear of sharks after seeing Jaws. Others think twice about swimming in a river for fear of drifting into a swarm of critters from Frankenfish or Piranha 3D. But some people are just afraid of fish... all fish, even the not-so-scary ones, like Nemo. Not only will these people not eat fish, but they won't go near anything with a fishy smell too.

It's pretty much a given that many a child has claimed to have this phobia at some point but for some people, the thought of eating a vegetable provokes a real fear. Some believe lachanophobia comes from an intense anxiety about vegetables, perhaps because they have grown in what may be considered to be contaminated ground.

Mageirocophobes avoid cooking at all costs because the concept provokes intense feelings of anxiety for them. Mageirocophobia can take many forms; some people are only afraid of cooking for large groups, while others are afraid of whipping up scrambled eggs for themselves. Mageirocophobia is actually extremely common, although it is only considered a phobia when it is severe enough to interfere with daily life.

We love amazing food that's bursting with flavor, but geumophobes really, really don't! It's not food that causes their fear but more the taste of food, or taste in general.

Until science makes it possible to live on air alone (or perhaps a steady diet of food pills) sitophobes are going to have a tough run — they're afraid of food and eating. This fear comes from a worry that the food they consume could pose a threat to their system, so the end up staying away from particular kinds of food like meat, seafood, or even vegetables! Most common objects of fear are perishable foods like mayonnaise and milk. They'll also likely be obsessed with expiration dates and will throw away food that's even close to its expiration date. You may also find them sniffing at food products persistently to see if they are alright. If the phobia turns into an obsession, the affected person can restrict their diet to such an extent that they harm their health and suffer from fatigue, dizziness, and irascibility due to a lack of nutrients.

Note that sitophobia is very different from anorexia, which is triggered by a fear of what food will do to the body in terms of weight gain.