Sulfites

Sulfites are rated high for histamine intolerance. They contain no histamine themselves, but SIGHI lists them as incompatible and marks them as a possible histamine liberator, and they are one of the best-known additive triggers.

Why sulfites are rated high

Sulfites (sulfur dioxide and the sulfite salts, E220 to E228) are preservatives used to stop browning and microbial growth. They are well documented as a cause of reactions in sensitive people, especially wheezing in people with asthma, and SIGHI rates them as incompatible with a liberator mark, meaning they may prompt the body to release some of its own stored histamine. They often turn up alongside foods that are high in histamine already, such as wine and dried fruit.

What changes your risk

• Where they hide: wine, dried fruit, bottled lemon and lime juice, pickled foods, some shrimp and many processed potato products often contain sulfites.
• Label names: look for sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, sodium or potassium metabisulfite, or E220 to E228.
• Amount: dried apricots and wine can carry far more sulfite than a food with a trace listed near the end of the ingredients.
• Combinations: sulfites in wine arrive with alcohol and histamine, which is part of why wine is such a common trigger.

Lower-histamine alternatives

Unsulfured dried fruit, fresh fruit such as apples, pears or blueberries, and fresh rather than preserved potatoes avoid added sulfites.

How to lower the risk

Read labels on dried fruit, wine, juice concentrates and preserved vegetables, and choose versions marked unsulfured or sulfite-free where you can.

Common questions

Do sulfites contain histamine?

No. They are rated high because SIGHI lists them as incompatible and as a possible histamine liberator, and they are a well-known additive trigger.

Is sulfite sensitivity the same as histamine intolerance?

Not exactly. Sulfite reactions are their own thing, but they overlap heavily with histamine symptoms and many people with histamine intolerance react to both.

Are sulfites in wine the main problem?

They are one part of it. Wine also contains histamine and alcohol, so it is hard to separate the causes.