{"id":2009,"date":"2016-09-27T12:45:37","date_gmt":"2016-09-26T23:45:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/?p=2009"},"modified":"2021-05-18T09:39:44","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T21:39:44","slug":"what-on-earth-are-salicylates-and-are-you-allergic-to-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/2016\/09\/27\/what-on-earth-are-salicylates-and-are-you-allergic-to-them\/","title":{"rendered":"What on Earth are Salicylates and are you allergic to them?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you reacting to some healthy foods, or is salicylate sensitivity a con job?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t what I was going to write about today. It wasn\u2019t even on my list of possible future topics. But when inspiration strikes (in the shower, again) you just have to go with the flow.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s the back story. I was seeing my homeopath last week, who uses muscle testing. One of the things that came up was \u201csalicylate sensitivity\u201d. This is a comparatively common sensitivity, and if you Google it, you\u2019ll find lots of people talking about it.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But Dr Natasha (see my first GAPS post)<\/a> sees it differently. Her view is that salicylates help you detox, and what seems like a sensitivity is just you detoxing too much, too soon. As far as I can tell, this is an uncommon view that nobody else is taking.<\/p>\n

If you feel like salicylates might be a problem for you, as you read on, keep these two points of view in mind. They might make a difference to how you handle the issue.<\/p>\n

We muscle tested, and for me Dr Natasha\u2019s view seems to be the case. Phew! So although I need to reduce them for a bit, I will be able to gradually build up again.<\/p>\n

What ARE Salicylates?<\/h2>\n

Salicylic acid is basically aspirin. It\u2019s the active ingredient in willow bark, a herbal remedy traditionally used for pain. Many fruits, vegetables and herbs are high in it, as it is a natural pesticide.<\/p>\n

Salicylates tend to be highest in the plant foods that are considered the healthiest, but are pretty much non-existent in animal foods.<\/p>\n

Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Symptoms of salicylate \u201csensitivity\u201d<\/h2>\n

The most common symptoms are:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Stomach pain, nausea and\/or diarrhea.
\n\u2022 Headaches.
\n\u2022 Fatigue.
\n\u2022 Asthma and other breathing difficulties, such as persistent cough.
\n\u2022 Itchy skin \u2013 Eczema, hives or rashes.
\n\u2022 Swelling of hands, feet, eyelids, face and\/or lips (angioedema)
\n\u2022 Changes in skin color.
\n\u2022 Sore, itchy, puffy or burning eyes.
\n\u2022 Sinusitis, nasal congestion, runny nose, post-nasal drip, sneezing<\/p>\n

Having some of these symptoms doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you\u2019re having a salicylate problem, but it may be something you need to investigate.<\/p>\n

What do to if you think you might be sensitive<\/h2>\n

You will need to find an experienced practitioner to help you implement the diet in the long term. But you can start with a little experimenting.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Keep a food journal to refer back to
\n\u2022 Start by listing your starting symptoms and their severity
\n\u2022 For a week, only eat low salicylate foods, and see if your symptoms disappear.
\n\u2022 Then eat high salicylate foods again for three days, and see if your symptoms come back.
\n\u2022 This will give you a good indication whether you need to reduce your salicylate intake for a while<\/p>\n

Warning \u2013 once you have done your elimination test, if you are sensitive, you will be committed to staying low salicylate for a while. So be sure you\u2019re mentally ready before trying it.<\/p>\n

Foods low in salicylates<\/h2>\n

Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

These foods are considered Negligible to Low in salicylates:<\/p>\n

Meat, fish, poultry and eggs:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Meat, fish, poultry and eggs are generally salicylate free (liver and prawns are highest) but avoid processed meat.<\/p>\n

Dairy:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Butter, cheese (not blue vein), milk, yoghurt (natural).<\/p>\n

Oils and fats:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Cold pressed oils such as sunflower or soy. Butter. Ghee<\/p>\n

Seeds and nuts:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Poppy seeds. Cashew nuts. Hazelnuts, pecan, sunflower seeds.<\/p>\n

Fruit:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Banana, lime, pear (peeled). Golden delicious apple (peeled, green variety only), paw paw, pomegranate, tamarillo. Fresh figs, lemon, mango, passion fruit, persimmon, red delicious apple (peeled), rhubarb.<\/p>\n

Vegetables & Pulses:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Bamboo shoot, cabbage – green\/white, celery green split peas -dried, lentils, lettuce – iceberg, swede. White potatoes (peeled). Brussel sprouts, borlotti beans, chives, choko, garlic, green peas, leek, mung bean sprouts, red cabbage, shallot, yellow split peas. Fresh asparagus, beetroot, cauliflower, green beans, onion, marrow, potato – white with peel, pumpkin, sweetcorn, tomato, turnip. Frozen spinach. Beans (pulses) – dried (not borlotti).<\/p>\n

Grains:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Barley, buckwheat, millet, oats, rice, rye, wheat.
\n\u2022 To avoid additives and hidden preservatives, all bread, biscuits, cakes etc.. should be home-made.<\/p>\n

Sweeteners:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Maple syrup, white sugar. Golden syrup<\/p>\n

Herbs, spices and condiments:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Malt vinegar, saffron, sea salt, soy sauce (if free of spices). Fennel – dried, fresh parsley. Fresh coriander leaves. Carob powder, cocoa, tofu.<\/p>\n

Beverages<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Decaffeinated coffee, milk, ovaltine, home made pear juice, soya milk, rice milk, water. Dandelion coffee, shop bought pear juice.<\/p>\n

Foods high in salicylates<\/h2>\n

Image Source<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

These foods are considered Moderate to Extremely High<\/p>\n

Oils and fats:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Almond oil, corn oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, walnut oil. Coconut oil, olive oil.<\/p>\n

Seeds and nuts:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Desiccated coconut, peanut butter, walnuts. Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, pistachio, sesame seeds. Almonds, peanuts with skins on.<\/p>\n

Fruit:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Custard apple, kiwi fruit, loquat, lychee, pear with peel. Avocado, most other varieties of apples, cantaloupe melon, cherries, grapefruit, mandarin, mulberry, nectarine peach, tangelo, watermelon. Fresh apricots, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, boysenberry, cranberry, fresh dates, grapes, guava, orange, pineapple, plum, strawberry, sultana. Dried apricots and dates. Currant, loganberry, prunes, raisin, raspberry, red currant.<\/p>\n

Vegetables:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Aubergine – peeled, carrot, lettuces other than iceberg, tomato juice, mushrooms. Tinned asparagus, beetroot, black olives, sweetcorn. Alfalfa sprouts, aubergine with peel, broad bean, broccoli, cucumber, tinned okra, parsnips, fresh spinach, sweet potato, tinned tomatoes and tomato puree, watercress. Chicory, chilli peppers, courgette, endive, tinned green olives, peppers, radish, water chestnut. Gherkins.<\/p>\n

Grains:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Maize.<\/p>\n

Sweeteners:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Molasses. Honey.<\/p>\n

Herbs, spices and condiments:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Yeast extracts. Basil, bay leaf, caraway, chilli powder, nutmeg, vanilla essence, white pepper. Allspice, aniseed, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, celery powder, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, curry powder, dill, fenugreek, garam masala, ginger, liquorice, mace, mint, mustard, oregano, paprika, rosemary, sage, tarragon, turmeric, thyme, wine and cider vinegars.<\/p>\n

Beverages:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Coca cola, rose hip tea. Coffee. Peppermint tea. Cordials and fruit flavoured drinks, fruit and vegetable juices, tea.<\/p>\n

These food lists came from: http:\/\/www.foodcanmakeyouill.co.uk\/salicylate-in-food.html<\/a> – visit their website to see the lists broken down into more precise sub groups and for more useful information.<\/em><\/p>\n

Originally posted on Steemit –\u00a0https:\/\/steemit.com\/health\/@kiwideb\/what-on-earth-are-salicylates-and-are-you-allergic-to-them<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you reacting to some healthy foods, or is salicylate sensitivity a con job? This isn\u2019t what I was going to write about today. It wasn\u2019t even on my list of possible future topics. But when inspiration strikes (in the shower, again) you just have to go with the flow. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[37,18,43],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2009"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2009"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2047,"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2009\/revisions\/2047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/dietnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}