by Monica Reinagel, M.S., L.D./N.
What do wine, dried apricots, grape juice, bottled lemon juice, molasses, and cocktail onions have in common? If you have a sulfite allergy, you’ll recognize this list right away. All of these foods are high in sulfites.
What Are Sulfites?
Sulfites are preservatives and antioxidants. They’re used to keep dried fruit like apricots from turning brown and to prevent unwanted bacteria from spoiling the wine. They also occur naturally in foods. Sulfites don’t cause problems for the vast majority of people; but about one in every hundred people is sensitive or allergic to them. If you have asthma, your chances of sulfite sensitivity are quite a bit higher, about one in ten.
The most common reaction to sulfites is something like an asthma attack. Well, actually the most common reaction to sulfites is no reaction at all. But for those who are sensitive to them, consuming sulfites can cause breathing difficulties and, less commonly, hives or other allergy-like symptoms. These reactions can range from so mild you might not even notice them to quite severe. In very rare cases, a reaction can be life-threatening.
What Causes Bad Reactions to Sulfite?
It’s not uncommon for people to develop a sulfite allergy or sensitivity in their forties or fifties.
We’re not one hundred percent sure what causes some people to react badly to sulfites. In some people it appears to be a classic allergic reaction, like a shellfish allergy. For others, it may be that they are missing an enzyme required to break down and metabolize the sulfites—the same way that dogs lack the enzyme needed to breakdown compounds in chocolate.
It’s also not uncommon for people to develop a sulfite allergy or sensitivity in mid-life.
Which Foods Contain Sulfites?
If you’re sensitive to sulfites, it’s a good idea to avoid high-sulfite foods like dried fruit and wine. And if you’re very sensitive, you may also need to avoid foods like shrimp, maple syrup, and mushrooms, which have only moderate amounts of sulfites.
New regulations have made it a little easier to avoid sulfites. For example, restaurants used to treat the raw vegetables in salad bars with sulfites to keep them looking fresh. There’d be nothing to warn sulfite-sensitive diners; and servers, if asked, were not always reliable sources of information. Now, restaurants and grocery stores can no longer add sulfites to fresh foods. Packaged foods that contain sulfites above a certain low threshold must include that information on the label.
Nonetheless, you still have to be fairly savvy and vigilant to minimize your contact with sulfites. Below you’ll find links to lists of foods that are high, medium, and low in sulfites as well as tips for sleuthing out stealth sources of sulfites.
Should You Worry about Sulfites in Food?
However, if you don’t have a sensitivity, there doesn’t seem to be much reason to worry about sulfites in foods. According to the FDA, sulfites are “not teratogenic, mutagenic, or carcinogenic.” That means they don’t cause cancer or birth defects. If you’re not allergic or sensitive to them, they are unlikely to do you any harm. So, if like your dried apricots soft and orange instead of stiff and brown, go for it!
Sulfites in Wine
As I mentioned earlier, wine is fairly high in sulfites. People who are sensitive to sulfites are well advised to steer clear of wine. But there are a ton of misunderstandings and myths about sulfites in wine. Let’s see if we can clear some of this up. According to Dr. Andrew Waterhouse, an expert in wine chemistry and Chair of the Department of Enology and Viticulture at UC Davis:
Fact #1: All wines contain sulfites. Almost all vintners add sulfites to wine to control bacterial growth. In the U.S., organic wines are made without added sulfites. However, sulfites are produced naturally during the fermentation process so there really is no such thing as sulfite-free wine.
Fact #2: Red wine is not higher in sulfites. Contrary to popular belief, white wine generally contains slightly higher levels of sulfites than red wine.
Fact #3: Red wine headaches are not due to sulfites. Some people get headaches when they drink red wine and this is often ascribed to the sulfites. However, studies show that while something in red wine does seem to cause headaches in certain people, it is not the sulfites. (If it were, white wine would be just as bad.)
Fact #4: European wines are just as high in sulfites as U.S. wines. Wines sold in the U.S. and Australia carry warnings about sulfites. Up until recently, wines sold in Europe did not, leading many consumers to conclude that European wines are made without sulfites. In fact, European wines on average have the same sulfite levels as American wines.
In both Europe and America, the average glass of wine contains about 10 mg of sulfites—about the same as in a handful of dried apricots. And here’s an interesting piece of trivia: your own cells produce about a hundred times that just in the course of their normal metabolic activities. Even if you have a sulfite sensitivity, however, the sulfites produced in your own cells will not trigger a reaction.
Note: These tips are provided for your information and entertainment but they are not intended as medical advice. Please work with a qualified health professional to determine what’s right for you.
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Have a great week and remember to eat something good for me!
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