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Methyl Salicylate can damage your health and you don’t have to be Salicylate sensitive to experience a problem
Methyl Salicylate is the primary constituent in ‘Oil of Wintergreen’, a naturally fragrant oil. It is a colourless, yellowish or reddish, oily liquid with the distinct odour and taste of wintergreen or gaultheria. Methyl Salicylate is also produced synthetically and this variety of methyl Salicylate is considered to be structurally and functionally equivalent to the naturally occurring Oil of Wintergreen.
You find Methyl Salicylate in candies and sweets, chewing gums, cough mixtures, toothpastes, ointments and balms and it can be harmful if too much is eaten or rubbed into the skin. It can also cause problems if too much is inhaled.
A 21 month old boy experienced vomiting, lethargy, and rapid breathing after ingesting Methyl Salicylate in the form of a candy flavouring. Medical treatment was needed to stabilise his condition. The young child had taken in a toxic dose of Salicylate for his body weight.
Davis notes that serious toxicity can result from exposure to even small amounts of Methyl Salicylate. In children less than 6 years of age, a teaspoon (5 ml) or less of oil of wintergreen has been implicated in several well-documented deaths. The toxic potential of all of the formulations available over the counter are often underestimated by health care providers and the general public.
Botma et al also note that the toxic potential of Methyl Salicylate is not always fully appreciated by the general public and physicians. To appreciate the danger, oil of wintergreen can be compared to aspirin tablets (325 mg dose): one teaspoon (5 ml) of Oil of Wintergreen is equivalent to approximately 7000 mg of Salicylate or 21.7 adult aspirin tablets. They say that ingestion of as little as 4 ml in a child can be fatal.
Chan notes that Methyl Salicylate (oil of wintergreen) is widely available in many over-the-counter liniments, creams, ointments, lotions or medicated oils for the relief of musculoskeletal aches and pains. Ingestion of methyl Salicylate poses the threat of severe, rapid-onset Salicylate poisoning because of its liquid, concentrated form and lipid solubility. Excessive usage of these preparations in patients receiving Warfarin may result in adverse interactions and bleedings. Methyl Salicylate in topical analgesic preparations may cause irritant or allergic contact dermatitis and anaphylactic reactions.
Whilst Methyl Salicylate is commonly used as a mint and wintergreen flavouring in candies and sweets, it is also frequently found in smokeless tobacco products. Chen et al raise concerns about the amounts of Methyl Salicylate in these types of products. In the tests they carried out they found the levels seriously exceeded those in candies. Taking an average body weight and average daily intake they found that an would be 6.0 mg/kg-day which is twelve times the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0.5 mg/kg-day established for this compound by a joint FAO/WHO committee.
[Aids to help people stop smoking can be potentially quite hazardous for anyone with a Salicylate sensitivity. It is not only the addition of ‘mint’ flavours but also the use of BHA and BHT in items such as nicotine gums and patches. For more information on BHA and BHT see: Antioxidants: The truth about BHA, BHT, TBHQ and other antioxidants used as food additives.]
Ingredients that indicate the presence of Methyl Salicylate include: Methyl Salicylate, Oil of wintergreen, Wintergreen oil, Gautheria oil, Sweet Birch oil, Betula oil, Teaberry oil, Mint, Flavouring
The article, complete with references.
You can find out more about food allergy and food intolerance in
Change Your Diet and Change Your Life,
and about Salicylate Sensitivity in the
Salicylate Handbook.
Whole foods are a problem for some people with food intolerance problems. Whilst whole grain foods such as brown rice, dark rye and whole-wheat bread may have more nutrients in them they can be problematic for some of us. Their refined versions may be lacking some of the nutrients of their ‘browner’ versions but are still healthy and it’s worth exploring the different options.
I quite simply can’t tolerate brown rice in any form but white rice (long grain, basmati, pudding) is just fine which is great as it provides variety in my diet. There are now also white rice flours on the market which, in my opinion, taste much better in baking than brown rice flour.
If you are stuck with rye as a one of the few grains you can eat then life can seem quite tough – rye is a difficult grain to bake with and it does have a very strong taste. But... it is possible to buy light rye flours which have had some of the bran removed and make great breads (and even cakes).
So there are options to explore but don’t risk any if you have been diagnosed with an actual allergy – consult with your doctor first.
Damian et al present four instances of Pomegranate allergy.
The reactions were confirmed as allergies using skin prick testing.
Reference: Damiani E, Aloia AM, Priore MG, Nardulli S, Ferrannini A. Pomegranate (Punica granatum) allergy: clinical and immunological findings. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2009 Aug;103(2):178-180.
Jacobs and Steele report on the case of a 38-year-old woman who presented with a 10-year history of painful ulcerations on her tongue. She reported that she drank large quantities of diet cola and some orange juice daily and that she used cinnamon flavoured toothpaste and mouthwash nightly.
Patch testing showed positive reactions to balsam of Peru (a fragrance as well as a flavouring agent put in cola drinks that cross-reacts with orange juice) and cinnamic aldehyde. The woman was diagnosed with allergic contact dermatitis, placed on a restricted diet and a fragrance-free regimen. Her condition resolved.
Reference: Jacob SE, Steele T. Tongue erosions and diet cola. Ear Nose Throat J. 2007 Apr;86(4):232-3.
Bee pollen has been proposed as a food supplement, but it can be a dangerous food for people with allergy. Martı´n-Mun˜oz et al studied an allergic reaction after ingestion of bee pollen in a 4-year-old boy who had developed rhinitis in the last spring and autumn. You can read the full article on line (please note the article is a pdf file).
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Visit the Food
Can Make You Ill site for articles and information on food allergies and
food intolerance.
Free
Food Diary
Information on Salicylate
Sensitivity
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EFSA Re-evaluates Safety of Litholrubine BK (E180) as a Food Additive
Litholrubine BK (E 180) is a red mono-azo dye authorised as a food additive in the EU and previously evaluated by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
Dietary shortcomings in children on a gluten-free diet.
I’m not sure whether this is good or bad news... Ohlund et al found that Children on Gluten Free Diets appear to follow the same trends as healthy children on a normal diet, with high intakes of saturated fat and sucrose and low intakes of dietary fibre, vitamin D and magnesium compared to recommendations.
EU lawmakers give 'meat glue' red card
The European Parliament has voted to ban bovine and porcine thrombin used as an additive to bind separate pieces of meat together into one piece. The House said the meat glue has no proven benefit for consumers and might mislead them instead.
Nanotechnology
The Food Standards Agency latest magazine provides a general overview of nanotechnology – a technology that may lead to the introduction of engineered nanoparticles into food and a transformation of the nature of food packaging and food production. Nanoparticles are measured in terms of nanometres, which are one billionth of a metre.
You can access the magazine from the link above.
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Copyright: Sharla Race 2010
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Food Can Make You Ill
Your Complete Guide to Food Intolerance and Food Allergy
www.foodcanmakeyouill.co.uk