What Are Sulphites?

[bearodilla]

What are sulphites? I was reading another thread and lately I have been eating a lot of fruit salad with a lot of grapes (they are cheap right now) and my stomach has been really upset. I started eating all of the fruit after being glutened three times in two weeks and wanted to make sure that nothing got into me. I have been really confused at the upset stomach. Is there anything else high in sulphites that I might want to avoid?

[lorka150]

some foods have sulphites naturally, like grapes (and therefore wine, et cetera). it's used in a preservative in a lot of products, esp. dried fruits / dried herbs (like onion flakes). if it's just the fruit salad, i doubt it's the sulphites.

[elye]

A lot of people have an allergy to sulpha drugs (I do) which indicates an allergy to sulphur. If you know you have a problem with sulpha, then the sulphites in foods will likely affect you as well. I have to be very careful with grapes (a drag, because I love them...)

[queenofhearts]

A lot of people have an allergy to sulpha drugs (I do) which indicates an allergy to sulphur. If you know you have a problem with sulpha, then the sulphites in foods will likely affect you as well. I have to be very careful with grapes (a drag, because I love them...)

Wow, I'm allergic to sulfa & I never thought of that connection! I'm still symptomatic from the gluten so it's hard to distinguish what's causing what, but I'm going to have to pay more attention. Thanks for the tip.

Leah

[jennyj]

Thanks for the info. My youngest daughter has a sulfa allergy and loves grapes. She is not celiac but I will tell her to be careful.

[jerseyangel]

Wow! Thank you for the Sulpha drug connection! I am allergic to Sulpha drugs--the last time I took them, I got hives. I never thought of the connection--duh!! That would also explain why grape juice gives me mouth sores. Thanks again

[lorka150]

i, too, am allergic to sulfa, but the two aren't corresponded. i did a lot of research at the beginning, trying to figure out with they were. Open Original Shared Link

[elye]

Wow, a heavy read, but that's fascinating. I dunno, tho...I have a definite allergy to sulfa, and I also have bad reactions to three or four specific foods (besides gluten): dried fruit, grapes and sauerkraut--sulphite-laden foods. It's a funny coincidence...?...

[lorka150]

Emily, I completely agree. I am extremely allergic to sulfa, also. I also cannot have gluten, dairy or sulphites. Everything with sulphites (natural or not) kill me. That's why I ended up doing the research... For a connection. Either way, it gets me!

[Rachel--24]

I only recently discovered my sensitivity to suphites....and that they are the main cause of my mouth blisters. I have really bad reactions to grapes, saurkraut, raisins, wine, dried coconut...etc. There was a time when I was eating LOTS of cabbage...for 2 weeks I ate cabbage and I got those same symptoms and blisters . I guess cabbage is a high sulfer food and cuz I was eating like almost a whole cabbage a day I was reacting to it.

[lorka150]

rachel, that's interesting. i am extremely sensitive to sulphites, but do not get affected by cabbage. (i also consume a whole head a day).

[jerseyangel]

I can eat cabbage, too. Interesting about the article--thanks for posting the link Lorka! I think the problem is that my sensitivities tend to overlap--there seem to be an ever-growing amount of them!

[elye]

I cannot remember who, but one of the many specialists that I have seen in the last couple of years confirmed my connection to sulfa and sulphites...The way I react to the two seems too big a coincidence for them not to be connected physiologically. Any Greek people around? Because they have the same prefix, "sulph", which looks Greek to me but I don't know what it means...

[queenofhearts]

i, too, am allergic to sulfa, but the two aren't corresponded. i did a lot of research at the beginning, trying to figure out with they were. Open Original Shared Link

Thank you so much for this link! I tried surfing for information on sulfa/sulfites & didn't find anything this informative. Of course one could be allergic to both in any case... but being the daughter of a chemist, I should know that different compounds act very differently.

Lorka, all members of the cabbage family (broccoli, cauliflower, &c.) and all onion relatives contain sulfur compounds (I'm told that's what causes onion tears, by the way, as the gases released in cutting form sulfuric acid in the eyes) but these are not the same as sulfites, from what I understand...

There is so much to learn!

Leah

I cannot remember who, but one of the many specialists that I have seen in the last couple of years confirmed my connection to sulfa and sulphites...The way I react to the two seems too big a coincidence for them not to be connected physiologically. Any Greek people around? Because they have the same prefix, "sulph", which looks Greek to me but I don't know what it means...

There is definitely a connection--the element sulfur (also spelled sulphur)-- but read the link for more info.

[lorka150]

leah, thanks for the info. i eat cabbage and broccoli everyday, and know i don't have a problem with them. so many connections - so much to think about! so i just listen to my belly... and my bowels.