Are sulphites giving you a headache?
Ever had a glass of wine and come out in an embarrassing rash? Ever had some dried apricots and got a nasty migraine? If you have, you might be interested to learn a little more about Sulphites.
About 1 in 100 of us is sensitive or allergic to Sulphites, with this reaction being MUCH more common in asthmatics. The unpleasant symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening; and include headaches, shortness of breath, sneezing, rashes, IBS-like symptoms and behavioural changes.As far as preservatives go, Sulphites are old school. They’ve been around for decades… and their use is widespread. At first sulphites were thought to affect only a small percentage of the population but in 1984, Australian researchers found that more than 65% of asthmatic children were sensitive to sulphites, and in 1999 the conservative World Health Organisation (WHO) revised upward their estimate of the number of sulphite-sensitive asthmatic children, from 4% to 20-30%. Interestingly, Sulphites actually destroy Thiamine (Vitamin B1), and there’s records of cats and dogs that have died from Thiamine deficiency as a result of a steady diet of pet food containing sulphites. Heartbreaking!
The ‘Sulphite’ class of preservative is disguised by the numbers 220-228:
- 220 – Sulphur dioxide
- 221 – Sodium sulphite
- 222 – Sodium bisulphite
- 223 – Sodium metabisulphite
- 224 – Potassium metabisulphite
- 225 – Potassium sulphite
- 228 – Potassium bisulphite
Sources of Sulphites:
- Dried Fruit – including dried fruit in cereals, muesli bars and fruit/nut mixes. Dried pears and apricots have a particularly high level of sulphites.
- Cordial
- Desiccated coconut
- Jams
- Deli meats and Sausages
- Molasses
- Gelatine
- Pickles, pickled onion, gherkin
- Wine – red, champagne and white (there is a myth that red wine contains more sulphites than white wine. This is not true! White wine actually contains as much as red!)
Sulphur dioxide (220) for example is routinely used as a chemical preservative on dried fruit as it not only inhibits microbial growth, but prevents the natural browning that occurs when fruit is dehydrated. Basically, sulphur dioxide keeps dried fruit looking bright and “fresh”. Personally, I would prefer a BROWN dried apricot that not only tastes better, but is chemical-free!
How to minimise Sulphite exposure…
- Opt for organic or preservative free wine!
- Buy a dehydrator and dry own fruit/meat (I can testify to how awesome these are)
- Choose organic, preservative free, freeze or sun-dried fruit
- Read labels of all packaged products (particularly breakfast cereals and muesli bars) and avoid buying anything with the numbers 220-228
- Be cautious of sausages and deli meats
- Avoid ‘imitation’ or fake fruit such as cherries (that gaudy pink colour should be enough to ring alarm bells!)
