Nasty natural antioxidants
There are a few flavinoids that I am rather suspicious of, because they are structurally similar to artificial antioxidants that failsafers react to, like the benzoates and gallates, and they are particularly high in foods that have a reputation for causing reactions. If this is so, anyone who reacts to salicylates should also react to these flavinoids, since they act on the same pathways
EGCG, Catechins, natural gallates
- high in broad beans, wine (particularly red, explains a lot!), tea, some berries and stone fruit
Kaempferol
- high in capers, kale, dill, broccoli, turnip greens
Eriodictyol
- high in peppermint and all citrus particularly lemon
Hesperetin
- high in all citrus particularly lemon
Possibly some proanthocyanidin oligomers
- high in cinnamon, cocoa, grapes, some berries, some stone fruit, some nuts
As well as being high in kaempferol, broccoli, which has a reputation for being reactive, is very high in total polyphenols compared to most other commonly eaten vegetables, and it also contains some serotonin and free glutamate. I think there might be something of a “cocktail effect” going on that makes it and some other leafy greens more reactive in comparison to other salicylate-containing foods.
It wouldn’t be hard for me to do an EGCG experiment and a hesperetin experiment, since I still have some of those in my vitamin cupboard of wonders. But I’m not in any hurry as I feel very good at the moment.
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