Salicylate | Salicylate-Containing Foods | Allergy

Salicylate-Containing Foods

by Allergy Guy

Salicylate-containing foods can be a problem for people who are allergic to phenol.  Salicylate is a salt or ester of salicylic acid.  Salicylic acid is made from phenol.

Salicylic-allergy-1If you are allergic to phenol, you may react to some foods that have salicylate in them.

Salicylates tend to cause a reaction after they build up in the body.  A small amount of food may not cause a reaction, but over time, as it builds up, you may get a reaction.

To find out if the foods listed here are a problem, eliminate all of them and see if you feel better.

Next, try these foods one at a time.  If you don’t notice a reaction to the food, keep eating it for three or four days and note your reaction if any.

For foods that do cause a reaction after a few days, you may find that you can eat them on a rotation diet.  If you have these foods once every four days, you may find that you can tolerate the foods just fine.

When testing your tolerance to these foods, wait for about one week after finishing your test with one food before trying another.  If you don’t do this, the next food you try may push salicylate buildup from the previous food over the edge.

This may lead you to think that the problem is with the second food, and not the first, when really it was both.

It is important that you group all of these foods in your rotation diet – don’t have one food one day and another food the next, since each one will cause a buildup of salicylates over time.

Salicylic Acid

Salicylic-Acid-willowSalicylic acid is the original form of pain-reducing chemical from white willow.

It has been replaced by aspirin, a similar chemical known as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA).

The natural form from willow is available in health food stores.  Many consider it to be safer than aspirin, and certainly it is preferred as a natural substance.

Salicylate-Containing Food

  • Almonds
  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Blackberries
  • Boysenberries
  • Cherries
  • Cloves
  • Peaches
  • Avocado
  • Green bell peppers
  • Currants
  • Dewberries
  • Gooseberries
  • Grapes
  • Raisins
  • Nectarines
  • Oranges
  • Olives
  • Potato
  • Plumbs
  • Prunes
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Cucumbers
  • Pickles
  • Tomatoes
  • Melon

Salicylate-Containing Food Products

  • Variety crackers
  • Cereals
  • Cake  mixes
  • Muffins
  • Biscuits
  • Coffee pastries
  • Cakes
  • Tabasco
  • Mayonnaise
  • Salad dressings
  • Tartar sauce
  • Catsup
  • Hot chocolate mix
  • Cocoa mix
  • Oleomargarine
  • Jell-O
  • Gelatin
  • Candies (yellow and green)
  • Gum
  • Corned beef
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

1 karen August 26, 2012 at 16:24

I need an extensive list of the foods, condiments, grains, fruits, vegetables – that contain even traces of salicyclic acid. Does such a list exist?
i find one list (and most are only partial lists) that says there is no SA in potatoes then find another that says there is. It is very hard to determine what does and doesn’t have SA.
Also, is there a list of health products from soap to shampoo to toothpaste and whether or not they contain SA.
HELP

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2 John March 28, 2012 at 09:38

Is there a medical test that can determine an allergy to foods containing Salicylate?

Thanks,

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3 Allergy Guy March 28, 2012 at 09:44

I’m not sure, you’d have to ask a doctor who is specifically an allergist. These tests aren’t all that accurate in any case, so if you suspect salicylate, avoid these foods and see if you feel better.

Reply

4 Greg Arledge May 22, 2011 at 14:21

I am trying to find out if tomatillos have salicylates . . . How can I find out?

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