Most of us are familiar with food intolerances. Everyday foods like dairy, nuts, soy, and gluten are well within the scope of the average person’s understanding of nutrition. However, there are other intolerances that many people don’t even know about. They don’t often fall under the mainstream current of diet and health, but they do exist, and they are by no means pseudoscience. If you suspect that you might have any of them, please bring your concerns to a qualified practitioner before self-diagnosing. Otherwise, let’s unveil these unique food intolerances! Are you ready? Then let’s get to it!

Oxalates

We all know that food contains nutrients, but did you know that it also contains antinutrients? (Specifically, plant-based foods.) These are controversial compounds that have the capacity to both heal and damage our body, depending on our bio-individuality. On the one hand, they’ve been shown to be beneficial, and on the other, they’ve also been shown to be detrimental. [1] [2] Depending on who you talk to and what study you read, they’re either friend or foe.
One such antinutrient is oxalate, otherwise known as oxalic acid or calcium oxalate. Oxalate can be mainly found in foods like spinach, beets, bran, rhubarb, nuts, and potatoes, and in trace amounts in most plants. [3] Combined with calcium-rich foods like dairy and a large intake of Vitamin C (whether it be through food or supplements) and you’ve got a recipe for kidney stones. These crystal-like masses gradually build up over time to form a stone, which sticks to the lining of the kidney(s). [3] They can be very painful to pass to the point that a trip to the ER is often warranted.
People with a high risk of kidney stones would do well to limit the amount of oxalate-rich foods they consume in their diet, as well as be mindful about their consumption of both calcium and Vitamin C. With the latter, it’d be prudent to watch out for mega-doses in supplements. [3]
As for the rest of us, there’s generally no need to be concerned. The calcium oxalate found in spinach is absorbed at a poorer rate when compared to spinach, and there exists a beneficial strain of bacteria known as Oxalobacter Formigenesthat helps to metabolize the oxalates from food down in the gut. [4] [5] As long as you’re eating a diverse diet, consume plenty of fiber and maintain a healthy gut, there’s really no need to worry about oxalates. However, if you’re still concerned about oxalates in your diet, I found a list of foods here of the ones that contain the least amount. You can also try boiling your vegetables to reduce 30-87% of their content of oxalate. [6]

Salicylate

This compound isn’t only found in food. You can be exposed to it through drugs (otc and prescribed), hair products, and skincare (specifically anti-acne treatments). A sensitivity often occurs when the body can no longer metabolize and excrete it properly, usually due to an overproduction of inflammatory mediators known as leukotrienes and the blocking of the enzyme that helps to regulate them (cyclooxygenase). [7] This leads to a number of issues, including multiple food allergies, hives, inflammatory bowel disease, swelling, and asthma, just to name a few. [7] Salicylates are present in foods such as raisins, apricots, pickles, apples, peaches, plums, oranges, coffee, tea, tomatoes, almonds, berries, peppers, and cherries. [8] (For a list of low salicylate foods, refer to this link here.) Work with your doctor to make sure you’re not coming into contact with salicylates through various personal care products and drugs.

Sulfites

According to the FDA, at least one out of every 100 people is sensitive or intolerant to sulfites. [9] These compounds are naturally found in certain foods like sauerkraut, grape juice and wine, molasses, dried fruits (except dark raisins and prunes), potatoes, scallops, and shrimp. (For a comprehensive list, check out this source.) You’ll also want to look out for processed sources like sulfur dioxide, potassium bisulfite/ potassium metabisulfite, and sodium bisulfite/metabisulfite/sulfite. [10] The signs and symptoms of sulfate intolerance include headaches, runny nose, hives, tightness in the throat, and asthma attacks. [11] Anecdotal evidence has linked it to a variety of conditions, but there remains sufficient evidence to prove any ties.

Histamine

This one’s interesting. When a person says they’re histamine intolerant, they’re actually referring to having an excess of it. Histamine sensitivity or intolerance occurs when the body accumulates so much histamine to the point that it struggles to break it down properly (with the enzymes DAO and HMNT). [12] The symptoms that occur are affected by this lagging breakdown. [12] These include nasal congestion, migraines or headaches, hives, fatigue, high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, swelling, body temperature irregularities, cramping, and digestive issues. [13] Issues with histamines are rooted in problems with DAO (and sometimes HMNT). This could either be attributed to certain medications (which can block its function), intestinal permeability, IBD (irritable bowel disease), bacterial overgrowth in the gut (such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth; aka, SIBO), or eating too many histamine-rich foods. The foods in particular you’d want to look out for include all kinds of fermented foods (kombucha, kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, etc.), aged cheese, pickles, cured meats (salami, sausage), wine, beer, champagne, sourdough bread, soy sauce, miso, tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, vinegar, and canned fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, etc.). [14] When it comes to managing histamine intolerance, a good analogy to think of is that of a bucket of water. The bucket is your body, and the water is histamine. If you pour too much water (histamine) into it, then it starts overflowing. So, if you overload your body with histamine, then problems can occur. By avoiding or limiting histamine-rich foods, you should be able to manage your symptoms. There are supplements that may be of use in this case, such as DAO enzymes, but that’s a discussion between you and your doctor. [15]

And there you have it, everyone! Some uncommon but very real intolerances that often go ignored in the gut health sphere. I know there are still a few out there that I didn’t get to cover, but if you’d like a follow up to this post, then let me know! If you happen to have any of these intolerances and know someone who does, please tell me how it’s being managed in the comments below! I’m sure we could all benefit from reading your story.

Until the next gut health post guys, take care!

Sources:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8777015
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19774556
[3] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11066-kidney-stones-oxalate-controlled-diet
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3354496
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2396938/
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15826055
[7] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/salicylate-sensitivity#section2
[8] https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/qa/what-foods-contain-salicylates
[9] https://www.webmd.com/allergies/sulfite-sensitivity
[10] https://www.webmd.com/allergies/sulfite-sensitivity
[11] http://www.sulfites.org/sulfite-allergies/
[12] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322543.php
[13] https://www.healthline.com/health/histamine-intolerance#symptoms
[14] https://www.healthline.com/health/low-histamine-diet#takeaway-and-outlook
[15] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dao-supplement