Salicylates in Foods
Salicylates
Salicylates are chemicals found naturally in many herbs, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Salicylates act like preservatives, they prevent rot and disease and protect against pests. They are stored in the most vulnerable plant parts; the leaves, bark, roots, skin and seeds.
Salicylate load and intolerance
We regularly consume salicylates and our body has to detoxify and clear away these chemicals before they accumulate. We have a threshold for symptoms. Once our salicylate load gets to around that level we start getting allergic style inflammatory reactions.
Once our load drops through avoidance and enhanced clearance the symptoms will often disappear. The symptoms will reappear if your salicylate levels increase again. It’s like a bucket, once your level reaches the top, it only takes a drop for it to overflow and cause symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of salicylate sensitivity
- Headaches, migraines
- Itchy skin rashes such as hives (urticaria), eczema. Itchiness is often worse after hot shower and / or exercise
- Irritable bowel symptoms – reflux in babies or adults, nausea, vomiting, stomach bloating and discomfort, wind, diarrhoea and/or constipation
- Bedwetting, cystitis and increased frequency of urination
- Asthma, sinus congestion, itching, sneezing and excessive phlegm
- Behaviour problems such as irritability, restlessness, inattention and learning difficulties
- Sleep disturbance and sleep apnoea
- Anxiety, depression, panic attacks
- Tinnitus
- Joint pain, inflammation and arthritis
- Swelling and fluid retention
- Mouth Ulcers or raw hot red rash around mouth
- Persistent cough
- Sore, itchy, puffy, watery or burning eyes
- Muscle cramp, tremor, twitch
Please note:
The Salicylate content of a particular food can vary dramatically from batch to batch. The salicylate content of a food may vary due to the following factors: season, part of plant tested (outer leaves, inner leaves, bark, skin, pulp, juice), freshness, cooked / method of cooking or raw, peeled and thickness of peeling, local variances and brand variances in farming practices and preparation, and the degree of ripeness upon harvesting. Processing techniques, preservatives, flavors and colors may all influence salicylate levels.
This list is attempting to categorize foods containing salicylates into a risk assessment profile ranging from “negligible” to “very high” for simplicity. This list provides approximate levels of salicylates measured in mg per 100g of food. When comparing lists make sure you are comparing the same unit of measurement. Also be aware of the relevance of this unit of measurement i.e. you may be much more likely to consume a few hundred grams of berries but not likely to consume hundreds of grams of chili powder in one sitting.
The following food lists show the approximate salicylate content per 100 grams of food or beverage.
Salicylate Foods – Vegetables
| VEGETABLES | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negligible | Low 0.1 – 0.25mg |
Moderate 0.25 – 0.49mg |
High 0.5 – 1mg |
Very High >1mg |
| Bamboo shoots Brussels sprouts Cabbage Celery Chives Choko Beans Peas (dried) Leek Lentils Iceberg lettuce Mungbean (and spouts) Potato (peeled white) Eschallots Swedes Soybeans Beansprouts |
Asparagus (fresh) Beetroot (fresh) Carrot (fresh) Cauliflower Corn (fresh) French beans Horseradish (canned) Mushroom (fresh) Onion Potato (unpeeled white) Peas (fresh) Pimiento (canned) Pumpkin Spinach (frozen) Tomato (fresh) Turnip |
Asparagus (canned) Beetroot (canned) Corn (canned) Bok choy Choy sum Lettuce (other than iceberg) Maize Olives (black ) Parsley Parsnip Potato (red) Pumpkin Snow peas (and sprouts) Sweet con Sweet potato (yellow) |
Alfalfa Artichoke Broad beans Broccoli Chili (green and yellow) Corn (creamed) Cucumber Eggplant Fava beans Okra Spinach (fresh) Squash Sweet potato (white) Tomato (canned) Water chestnut Watercress |
Capsicum (green) Champignon (canned) Chili (red) Chicory Courgette Endive Gherkin Mushroom (canned) Olives (green) Pepper (sweet) Radish Tomato (paste and sauce) Zucchini |
Salicylate Foods – Fruits
| FRUITS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negligible | Low 0.1 – 0.25mg |
Moderate 0.25 – 0.49mg |
High 0.5 – 1mg |
Very High >1mg |
| Banana Pear ( peeled) |
Apple (golden and red delicious) Custard apple Fig Cherries (sour canned, morello) Grapes (green) Lemon (fresh) Mango Pawpaw Passion fruit Persimmon Pineapple juice Pomegranate Rhubarb Tamarillo |
Apple (Jonathon) Apple (canned) Grapefruit juice Kiwi fruit Lychee Loquat Nectarine (fresh) Pear (with peel) Plum (fresh) Watermelon |
Apple (granny smith) Avocado (fresh) Cherries (sweet) Fig (dried) Grapes (red) Grape juice Grape fruit Mandarin Mulberry Peach (fresh and canned) Tangelo |
Apricot Blackberries Blueberries Boysenberries Cantaloupe Rockmelon Cherries (canned sweet) Cranberry (sauce and canned) Currants Dates Grapes (fresh) Guava Loganberries Orange Pineapple Plum (canned) Prunes Raisons Raspberry Redcurrants Strawberries Sultanas Youngberry |
Salicylate Foods – Nuts, Seeds, Snacks, Grains
| NUTS, SEEDS, SNACKS & GRAINS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negligible | Low 0.1 – 0.25mg |
Moderate 0.25 – 0.49mg |
High 0.5 – 1mg |
Very High >1mg |
| Cashews Poppy seeds All grains (except maize) |
Pecans Peanut butter Sesame seeds Hazelnuts Sunflower seeds Potato chips (plain) |
Coconut (desiccated) Brazil nuts Corn chips Popcorn Pumpkin seeds Taco shells Walnuts |
Pine nuts Macadamia nuts Pistachio nuts |
Almonds Peanuts Chips and crackers (savory flavored) |
Salicylate Foods – Culinary Herbs, Spices, Seasonings and Condiments
| HERBS, SPICES, SEASONINGS & CONDIMENTS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negligible | Low 0.1 – 0.25mg |
Moderate 0.25 – 0.49mg |
High 0.5 – 1mg |
Very High >1mg |
| Garlic (fresh) Parsley Chives Coriander Salt Vinegar (malt) |
Vinegar Soy sauce Saffron Tandoori spice powder Horseradish (canned) Vanilla |
Fennel | Vegemite Vinegars (red and white wine, cider and others) |
All spice Anise seed Cayenne Celery Cinnamon Cumin Curry powder Dill Fenugreek Five spice Garam masala Ginger Honey Jam Mace Mint Mixed herbs Mustard Oregano Paprika (hot) Paprika (sweet) Pepper Rosemary Sage Tarragon Turmeric Thyme Worcestershire sauce |
Salicylate Foods – Sweets and Sugars
| SWEETS & SUGARS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negligible | Low 0.1 – 0.25mg |
Moderate 0.25 – 0.49mg |
High 0.5 – 1mg |
Very High >1mg |
| Golden syrup Maple syrup White sugar |
Molasses Brown sugar |
Licorice Mints and Peppermints Chewing gum Fruit flavorings |
||
Salicylate Foods – Beverages
| BEVERAGES | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negligible | Low 0.1 – 0.25mg |
Moderate 0.25 – 0.49mg |
High 0.5 – 1mg |
Very High >1mg |
| Cocoa powder Carob powder Coffee ( De-caf) Milo Ovaltine |
Chamomile tea Vodka Whiskey Gin |
Coffee (instant) Rosehip tea Fruit herbal tea Brandy Vermouth Beer Cider |
Sherry Cointreau Tia Maria Fruit juices |
Tea (all varieties) Liqueur Peppermint tea Port Rum Champagne Wines Cordials |
Other Sources of Salicylates
| Acne products Air fresheners Alka seltze Breath mints Bubble baths Cleaning products Cosmetics Detergents |
Essential oils Fabric conditioners Fragrances and perfumes Hair sprays, gels and mouse Lotions and creams Lozenges Mouthwash Muscle and joint pain creams |
Razor’s with aloe strips next to the blade Shampoo and conditioners Shaving cream Cleansers and exfoliants Soaps Sunscreen and tanning lotion After sun lotions Toothpaste Warts and callus removers |
Salicylates may be labeled as:
| Acetylsalicylic acid Coal tar derived dye Artificial flavorings Artificial colorings Azo dyes Benzyl salicylate Beta hydroxy acid BHA BHT Choline salicylate |
Ethyl salicylate Eucalyptus oils Isoamyl salicylate Magnesium salicylate Menthol Methyl salicylate Mint Octylsalicylate Oil of wintergreen Peppermint |
Phenylethyl salicylate Red dye (#40) Salicylaldehyde Salicylamide Salicylate Salicylic acid Sodium salicylate Spearmint Yellow dye (#5 and #6) |
Salicylates in medications and alternative medicines
Pharmaceutical medications, herbal remedies and lotions, ointments and creams may all contain salicylates.
Your healthcare practitioner can advise you on salicylates and your prescription.
Do not change any prescribed medicines without consulting with the prescribing doctor first.
Tips for living with salicylate sensitivity
- Thickly peel fruit and vegetables.
- Eat fruit and vegetables as ripe as possible.
- Discard the outer leaves.
Information courtesy of Matthew Legge, ATP Science
December 9, 2016 at 10:20 am
[…] Re-introducing other foods; Re-introduce one food only at a time and wait 2 days, if no symptoms you can re-introduce the next. If there are symptoms, stop eating the food and wait until the symptoms have healed. Keep a record of which foods you can tolerate and which ones you can’t. Histamine levels in food; https://equilibriumnaturalhealth.com/2016/02/29/allergies-foods-and-histamine-levels/ Salicylate levels in food; https://equilibriumnaturalhealth.com/2016/08/24/salicylates-in-foods/ […]
December 20, 2016 at 4:36 am
Thanks for the chemical additives list. As it turns out, I did myself a horrible disservice when I switched over to all my organic makeups. They all contain forbidden stuff like olive / coconut oil and fruits. Oh, well. Better informed than itching my hands off 🙂 – Maggie Lynn
April 5, 2017 at 11:32 am
[…] Be aware of salicylate intolerance with Sjögren’s. see my article here; https://equilibriumnaturalhealth.com/2016/08/24/salicylates-in-foods/ […]