Sulfite Intolerances

Andrea Rossi, B.Sc., RHN, R.BIE

July 9, 2019

Nutrition

Sulfites refer to a group of chemical ingredients that are added to processed foods and drinks mainly to serve as a preservative.

Sulfite-containing ingredients can go by several names, including:

Sulphur dioxide
Sodium sulphite
Sodium metabisulfite
Calcium sulphite
Potassium hydrogen sulphite

Sulfites are used to prevent browning/preserve color of foods, bleach flours, increase shelf life of processed foods, and maintain freshness.

Where are sulfites found?

Sulfites are commonly found in the following food and drink products:

Dried fruit
Shrimp & processed seafood
Soup mixes
Jams & jellies (sulfites present in pectin)
Baked goods & refrigerated/frozen ready-to-bake dough products (sulfites used as dough conditioner)
Canned fruit & vegetables
Shredded coconut
Molasses
Pickled foods
Beer & wine
Prepackaged citrus juice (those cute little lemon-lime shaped bottles!)
Grape juice
Gravies
Potato products – pre-cut, frozen, and dried, such as instant mashed potatoes
Chips

Sulfites are also naturally occurring in some fresh foods, including:

Fermented foods, like sauerkraut and sourdough
Grapes
Some cheeses, like packaged shredded cheese

Sulfites can even be found in some medications and personal care products!

Be sure to check ingredient labels and inform your healthcare practitioners and pharmacists if you suspect you’re sensitive or trying to avoid added sulfites.

What is sulfite intolerance – and are sulfites actually bad for you?

Government agencies consider sulfite ingredients as “generally recognized as safe” for human consumption at low concentrations. In most countries, like Canada, Australia, and the US, sulfites are required to be listed on all food and beverage labels.

However, Health Canada includes sulfites as a priority allergen. Although they do not cause true allergic reactions (IgE antibody reaction), they are still grouped with the priority food allergens because sulfite-sensitive individuals may react to sulfites with allergy-like symptoms. Because they do not illicit an IgE antibody reaction and can’t be considered a true allergy, there is no allergy testing available for sulfites.

The most at-risk population for sulfite intolerance are individuals diagnosed with asthma. It’s estimated that 3-10% of asthma sufferers are also sensitive to sulfite-containing products.

Those with impaired liver and/or kidney function may also be sensitive to sulfites. This is because the liver and kidneys normally contain high amounts of sulphite oxidase – the enzyme responsible for converting sulfites to the sulfate form for excretion. If you have decreased kidney function or your liver is sluggish, your ability to process the sulfites will be reduced.

The most commonly discussed symptoms related to sulfite intolerance can range from mild to severe and include:

Inflammatory skin reactions, like hives, redness, and swelling
Respiratory distress, like wheezing, coughing, and congestion
Constricted airflow and/or asthma attack
Anaphylactic shock
Stomach upset and diarrhea

The effects of sulfur intolerance are much more expansive in their symptomology that listed above. Additional symptoms of sulfur intolerance include:

Ammonia-smelling breath
Egg-smelling and foul-smelling gas
Diarrhea
Frequent headaches
Itchy skin
Joint/ muscle – seizure and pain
Difficulty controlling Candida / yeast overgrowth despite taking anti-fungals and probiotics
Brain fog (most common symptom)
Fatigue
General malaise
Difficulty breathing
Hay fever like symptoms
Seizures
Nausea
Problems – blood pressure
A history of asthma and shortness of breath
Bloated, gassy, and/or experiencing abdominal pain
Often experience headaches, anxiety or tendency towards anger outbursts
Experiencing flushing, sweats, or tend to have hot hands and feet
A history of skin problems such as rashes, acne, eczema, psoriasis, or dermatitis hives and other skin reactions
Symptoms worsen when you consume alcohol or when you eat cruciferous greens and other sulfur containing foods such as garlic, onions, legumes and eggs
Allergy to ‘sulfa-drugs’ / sulfonamides (certain antibiotics)
Adverse reactions to supplements that contain a lot of sulfur, such as MSM, N-acetyl cysteine and TMG

Some studies suggest sulfites can damage or decrease the number of good bacteria in your small intestine. A compromised gut can then lead to many other health issues.

If you notice any of the above symptoms following ingestion of sulfite-containing food or drink, you’re likely sensitive to sulfites, and you should consult with your healthcare practitioner for further testing.

Through the BIE (BioEnergetics) Process, we can determine how your body reacts with sulfur, sulfites, and sulfates to see if this is in part what is causing your symptoms and help bring your body back into balance.

If you want to find out more on the BIE Process and if you have a sulfur based sensitivity that is affecting your health, book in your free 30 min consultation with me below:

Sulfites in red wine causes headaches, right?

Actually, the jury is still out on what exactly is to blame for the commonly-reported red wine-induced headache.

Wine contains significantly fewer sulfites compared to other products, such as dried fruit. If you don’t experience a headache after eating dried fruit, it’s unlikely sulfites in wine are causing your headache.

However, other ingredients in wine, such as histamine and tannins CAN cause headache. Of course, the alcohol itself found in wine may also cause a headache 😉

If you experience headaches after drinking wine, make sure you’re properly hydrated, or you may just need to avoid wine altogether!

Conclusion

So, should you avoid sulfites?

If you or a family member has asthma, you may want to consider removing sulfite-containing products from your home to minimize the risk of adverse reactions.

If you’re on a mission to improve gut health and/or trying to eat mostly natural foods without added chemicals, you’ll certainly want to avoid sulfite-containing foods.

The good news is that focusing on a whole foods diet made up of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats automatically eliminates exposure to most sources of sulfites!

(Just another perk your health can benefit from when you cut back on the amount of processed foods in your diet!)

Much Love,