Skin Rash Food Triggers Cheat Sheet

Photo credit: Romina Farias

Photo credit: Romina Farias

Uncontrollably itchy skin, rashes covering your child's body... You can't figure out what's causing it. You've tried it all.

  • Prescription skin creams and medications

  • Elimination diets

  • Every skin care product under the sun

  • Antihistamines

  • Baths and soaks

  • Coconut oil (it fixes everything, right?)

The list goes on, and none of it works...

The connection to gut health can be why. If your child suffers from chronic skin rashes, they have gut problems.

When there are gut problems, various healthy foods can cause problems. Many fruits and vegetables can even trigger flares because they contain natural chemicals that some people react to. The list of these triggers is long, as you’ll see!

Here are 3 of the 10 categories of food triggers for skin rashes like eczema and the common foods they are found in. This is not a complete list!

Salicylates

Examples of vegetables high in salicylates include (1):

  • Chili

  • Tomato

  • Zucchini

  • Broccoli

  • Artichoke

  • Cucumber

  • Spinach

  • Eggplant

  • Squash

  • Sweet potato

Fruits high in salicylates (1):

  • Apricot

  • Blueberries

  • Dates and dried figs

  • Grapes

  • Oranges and grapefruit

  • Pineapple

  • Granny smith apples

  • Cherries

  • Peaches

Nuts high in salicylates (2):

  • Almonds

  • Peanuts

  • Pistachios

  • Pine nuts

  • Nut chips, crackers, and other products made from these nuts

High salicylate herbs (1):

  • Allspice

  • Anise seed

  • Celery

  • Cinnamon

  • Cumin

  • Dill

  • Curry powder

  • Ginger

  • Honey

  • Mint

  • Mustard

  • Oregano

  • Paprika

  • Sage

  • Turmeric

  • Worcestershire sauce

  • Thyme

Many products are high in salicylates (3):

  • Mints, peppermints, chewing gum

  • Acne products (salicylic acid)

  • Aspirin (salicylic acid) (4)

  • Air fresheners

  • Toothpaste

  • Soaps

  • Shaving cream

  • Shampoo and conditioners

  • Razors with aloe strips near the blade

  • Some pharmaceutical medication

Histamine (biogenic amines)

Foods high in histamine include (5):

  • Fermented alcoholic beverages

    • Wine

    • Champagne

    • Beer

  • Fermented foods

    • Sauerkraut

    • Vinegar

    • Soy sauce

    • Kefir

    • Kombucha

    • Yogurt

  • Vinegar and foods that contain vinegar

    • Pickled foods

    • Mayonnaise

    • Olives

  • Cured meats

    • Bacon

    • Salami

    • Luncheon meats, hot dogs

  • Soured foods

    • Sour cream

    • Buttermilk

    • Soured bread

  • Dried fruit

    • Apricots

    • Dates

    • Figs

    • Raisins

  • Most citrus fruits and grapes

  • Aged cheese including goat cheese

  • Walnuts, cashews and peanuts

  • Avocados, eggplant, spinach, and tomatoes

  • Smoked fish and certain species of fish

    • Mackerel

    • Mahi-mahi

    • Tuna

    • Anchovies, sardines

Some foods release histamine (5):

  • Alcohol

  • Bananas

  • Chocolate

  • Cow’s Milk

  • Nuts

  • Pineapple

  • Shellfish

  • Strawberries

  • Tomatoes

  • Wheat Germ

  • Artificial preservatives and dyes

Some foods can interfere with the enzyme that breaks down histamine (6,7):

  • Alcohol

  • Energy drinks

  • Black tea, mate tea, green tea

  • Soy protein, soy protein concentrate, soy protein isolate

  • Pectin

  • Maltodextrin

  • Whey protein, whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate

  • Anything protein fortified

  • Protease, protease enzymes, enzymes

  • Anything ultra-pasteurized

  • Anything fermented

Nightshades

Examples of nightshades include (8):

  • Potatoes (white, red, yellow, blue-skinned)

    • Sweet potatoes and yams are not nightshades

  • Peppers

  • Eggplant

  • Chili peppers

  • Capsicum

  • Goji berries

  • Peppers

  • Paprika

  • Tobacco

  • Tomatoes

NOTE: This is not a suggestion to remove all these foods from your child’s diet! While some foods might trigger symptoms, food isn’t the root cause of your child’s rashes.

Learn about all 10 triggers, what foods they are in, and what to do about them in the eBook,“Skin Rash Food Triggers.”

References

  1. Skypala IJ, Williams M, Reeves L, Meyer R, Venter C. Sensitivity to food additives, vaso-active amines and salicylates: a review of the evidence. Clinical and Translational Allergy. 2015;5:34. doi:10.1186/s13601-015-0078-3.

  2. Swain AR, Dutton SP, Truswell AS. Salicylates in foods. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1995;85(8):950-960.

  3. ATP Science. Salicylate Foods – sensitivity, intolerances and food list. Published March 8, 2015. Available from: https://atpscience.com/salicylate-foods-sensitivity-intolerances-and-food-list/. Accessed February 18, 2018.

  4. Baenkler H-W. Salicylate Intolerance: Pathophysiology, Clinical Spectrum, Diagnosis and Treatment. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. 2008;105(8):137-142. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2008.0137.

  5. Kohn JB. Is There a Diet for Histamine Intolerance? Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2014;114(11):1860. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.09.009.

  6. Maintz L, Novak N. Histamine and histamine intolerance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;85(5):1185-96. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17490952.

  7. Myers A. Everything You Need to Know About Histamine Intolerance. Mind Body Green. Published October 3, 2013. Available from: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11175/everything-you-need-to-know-about-histamine-intolerance.html. Accessed February 18, 2018.

  8. Eczema Life. Are nightshades bad for eczema? Available from: https://www.eczemalife.com/pages/are-nightshades-bad-for-eczema. Accessed February 18, 2018.