Navigating Salicylates for Plant-Based Health

Introduction

I’ve read over a dozen books on Vegan nutrition and not once did I ever come across Salicylates. This is extremely odd, given that salicylates are only found in plant foods; and you would think given it’s ability to harm some people it would at least be worthy of mention. With that mind, I think it makes sense to shed some light on this obscure topic. If you’re anything close to being on plant based diet, you’ll find this post worthwhile.

Before starting, a few items of note:

• I do have a salicylate allergy, but it doesn’t appear to be severe so far as I can tell.
• I consider a plant based whole foods diet to be the optimal diet generally speaking, and a having a salicylate allergy forces one to reevaluate such a diet with much more nuance. As such, this post is meant to add value to the space rather than be prescriptive in anyway.
• This post is based on my own tests, reading, research and AI assistance with respect to writing and researching.

What are Salicylates?

Salicylates are natural chemicals found in plants. They act as a built-in immune system for the plant, protecting it against insects, fungi, and disease.

• Fungi/Bacteria – the plant can crank up salicylates (Salicylic Acid (SA)) at a fungal or bacterial infection site and can kill off it’s own cells in the area thus quarantining the infections and starving it.
• Viruses – salicylates can help trap viruses in dead tissue so that they can’t replicate.
• Insects – Bugs eat plants – after all there’s little a plant can do to stop this because they can’t really go anywhere. However, when an insect eats too much of a plant, the plant releases salicylates which is like a pesticide thus deterring the insect. Basically, salicylates can make the plant sap less nutritious or toxic.

While salicylates are famously known as the key ingredient in aspirin, they are also present in a vast array of fruits, vegetables, and spices.

For most people, salicylates are anti-inflammatory and beneficial. However, for some with “overactive” immune systems these natural compounds can trigger a sensitivity or intolerance.

Salicylates Health benefits

“Nature’s Low-Dose Aspirin”

Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and spices means that you’re already consuming salicylates. This low, steady intake of salicylates from a plant-based diet can mimic the effects of a low-dose aspirin (roughly 75 mg), which helps thin the blood and may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. This can be beneficial for heart health. Long-term consumption of dietary salicylates is also linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer, and finally they act as natural antioxidants, reducing the systemic inflammation that leads to chronic issues like type 2 diabetes.

Medicinal Benefits: Pain and Fever

Salicylates can have Analgesic effects providing pain relief in that they block the enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2) that create prostaglandins, the chemicals responsible for sending “pain signals” to your brain.

They can also have Antipyretic effects helping to reduce fever in that they signal the brain’s thermostat (the hypothalamus) to lower the body’s temperature.

Interesting fact, humans have been using salicylates from willow bark for pain relief for thousands of years.

Topical Benefits: Skincare

Because salicylates are “keratolytic” (meaning they break down the outer layer of the skin), they are a used quite often in dermatology.

• Acne Treatment: Salicylic acid dives into pores and dissolves the “glue” holding dead skin cells together, preventing clogs.
• Conditions with Scaling: It’s used to treat psoriasis, dandruff, warts, and calluses by softening and loosening thick or scaly skin so it can be easily removed.

Allergy vs. Intolerance Trap

My main focus in this post is on salicylate intolerance, but it is important to distinguish between a true allergy and an intolerance:

• Allergy: Even a tiny amount of the triggering agent in this case saliyclates can cause hives, swelling, or anaphylaxis. These issues can be quite serious requiring medical intervention.
• Intolerance/Sensitivity: A pharmacological reaction where the body cannot process the “dose” of the chemical. Symptoms are often delayed and can include brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, and digestive issues. This mainly leads to discomfort, rather than any life threatening issues.

Testing

There is no simple blood or skin-prick test for salicylate intolerance or allergy, however there are ways of determining if you have issues with salicylates.

Elimination Diet: This is the gold standard. Under the guidance of a dietitian, you remove high-salicylate foods for 2-4 weeks and then systematically reintroduce them.

Aspirin Challenge: Performed only in clinical settings, where a doctor monitors your reaction to a controlled dose of aspirin.

Blood Test: There is a salicylate blood test that checks for salicylates, however I understand that it’s not very useful because it just indicates that you ate plants within a few hours. The test is available at Ampath and the reference range of the blood test is 0-0.72 mmol/l. When I did the test my level was < 0.12 so it appears that even on a plant based diet and my having a salicylate allergy, this isn’t a big deal for me.

Allergy Test: When an allergist ran a battery of tests on me, he ran a Lancet test called Lys-Aspirin(C151) that’s in the category of FLOW-CAST tests (Basophil Mediated Allergy). This test gives the indication of salicylate intolerence/allergy.

Diet: The Plant-Based Conundrum

As a proponent of whole-foods plant-based (WFPB) nutrition, this is where it gets tricky. Many “superfoods” are exceptionally high in salicylates:

High Salicylate Foods	Low Salicylate Alternatives
Spinach, Broccoli, Zucchini	Cabbage, Celery, Green Beans
Berries, Grapes, Pineapple	Bananas, Peeled Pears, Papaya
Turmeric, Cumin, Curry	Sea Salt, Garlic, Parsley
Almonds, Peanuts	Cashews, Poppy Seeds

Vegetarian, Vegan and Whole Food Plant Food diets often have the highest salicylate intake because the diet is centered on plants. If you are a vegan and feel worse despite eating “clean,” salicylate sensitivity might be the culprit.

This is quite strange to consider because whole foods plants are quite healthy, and yet the salicylates in them can cause a number of worrying health issues like:

• Headaches
• Nasal congestion
• Changes in skin color
• Itching, skin rash, or hives
• Swelling of the hands, feet, and face
• Stomach pain or upset
• Eczema
• Nasal polyps
• Runny nose
• Intestinal inflammation
• Diarrhea
• Colitis

Omnivore diets generally have lower salicylate loads, as animal products (meat, eggs, dairy) are virtually salicylate-free.

Low Salicylate diet

If you do find you have a salicylate intolerance then pursuing a low salicylate diet can be recommended. This diet is no fun because the choice of foods is scant.

This site has a very good searchable spreadsheet of foods that highlight salicylates in negligible, low, medium, high and very high quantities. It is a great resource to help one navigate a salicylate intolerance.

https://hungrytoheal.com/salicylate-food-list/

I also found the book Salicylate Intolerance and The Healthier I Ate The Sicker I Got by Joan Ablahani to be an excellent read about her personal experience with salicylates. She found that a low salicylate diet worked well to address her symptoms.

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Benzoate is related to Salicylates. It’s part of the same family of compounds. When my allergist told me that I might be allergic/intolerant to salicylates i.e. aspirin, I was like “Relax, don’t worry about it, I don’t take aspirin. And I’ve had aspirin without any problems”. He responded that actually salicylates i.e. aspirin are in every plant food so I might want to consider modifying my diet. This took me by surprise because as a Vegan I had never heard of this before.

I was further surprised to hear that sodium benzoate, part of of the same family as salicylates, is also found in many cosmetics like soap, toothpaste and deodorant. So as a result I’ve changed the cosmetics I use, but likewise sodium benzoate is quite widely used in cosmetics so it is tricky to easily find products without them.

This leads me to a worrying concern, in that some compounds can subtly harm us, and happen to be quite ubiquitous and all pervasive. If you’re dealing with a health issue, these borderline antagonists can further exacerbate any challenges you may already have and you wouldn’t even know about it.

My status with Salicylates

My allergist tells me I might have a salicylate allergy/intolerance based on the tests I’ve run. However, the blood test (as inconclusive as that is) and just my general response to plant foods indicates that I don’t really have a problem with salicylates – I’m probably extremely mildly intolerant of salicylates. So I’m personally I’m not going to worry about salicylates but I reckon salicylates need a bit more awareness.

Eosinophils and Basophils

The section has a lot of speculation on my part so treat it with caution.

I’ve decided to graph a lot of my blood work, and turns out that eosinophils and basophils do play a part in allergic responses.

• Eosinophils typically rise in response to allergic diseases, asthma, or parasite infections.
• Basophils are the rarest type of white blood cell and are heavily involved in releasing histamine during an allergic reaction. Here are the graphs.

Based on the fact that my eosinophils and basophils have remained in normal range, I suspect salicylates aren’t really a problem for me. In fact, I suspect that I also don’t have any broader allergic issues including histamine or mast cell issues. Therefore this is something I’ll be aware of, but not worry about.

Dr Terry Wahl

Since I have autoimmune conditions, I read Dr Terry Wahls book “The Wahls Protocol” which I found to be very enlightening. As much I prefer being plant based and her protocol does include meat, I still learned a lot from the book. Her protocol is extremely whole foods, with a lot of plants in it. She reckons that while plants are extremely healthy and should definitely be eaten, there are compounds that can be harmful. To avoid the nasty effects of these compounds she suggests cycling through different plants regularly rather than eating the same plants over and over again. This prevents those harmful compounds from building up in the system. I can’t speak to the validity of this idea, but it does make a lot of sense, so it’s something I try do with my own diet.

Recommended Resources

If you suspect salicylates are impacting you, these books are useful:

• Salicylate Intolerance and The Healthier I Ate The Sicker I Got by Joan Ablahani
• The Salicylate Handbook by Sharla Race: A practical guide to navigating the diet.
• Friendly Food by the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH): The “bible” of food chemical sensitivity.

Conclusion

I was years into being a vegan before I heard of salicylates being mentioned. A few years after that, I was surprised to find that I myself had a salicylate allergy/intolerance. Even though it doesn’t appear to effect me in any significant way, it’s one of those variables that can compound to potentially undermine ones health. If you’re on a plant based diet, I hope I’ve shed some light on this obscure dietary topic.

Photo by Raelle Cameron on Unsplash