Salicylate Intolerance and The Sulphation Pathway

Salicylate intolerance is one of the most common conditions we see in our clinics. The biological process that is a major underlying driver of this condition is called the sulphation pathway, which is also associated with reactions to histamine, some amines and even chlorine.

Learn more about the sulphation pathway, what can cause salicylate intolerance to develop, how Positive Association Technique (PAT) can help relieve the symptoms of salicylate intolerance and how to support your sulphation pathway.

What are salicylates?

Phenols are a group of food chemical compounds found in plants. Salicylates are a specific type of phenol and they act as a natural pesticide and protect plants from insects, fungi, bacteria and disease.

They are present in fruits, especially if unripe and in the skin, vegetables, nuts, spices, herbs, james, honey, tea, coffee, yeast extracts, beer, wine, and natural flavorings. 

Processed and packaged foods also contain phenols which are synthetically produced that manufacturers add to artificially flavor, colour, and lengthen shelf life. They can be found in perfumes, bath and beauty products and are easily absorbed through the skin. They are also commonly found in cleaning products, washing powders, botanical oils, and medications.  

Phenols and salicylates can also be beneficial to our bodies, the fruit and vegetables that contain salicylates are strong antioxidants and they can reduce pain and inflammation which is why they are the basis of non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs like aspirin. 

You can obtain a full list of foods containing salicylates in our Free Food Chemical Intolerance E-Pack.

What are the symptoms of salicylate intolerance?

Symptoms of a phenol/salicylate sensitivity varies a lot from person to person and can mimic other conditions, making it hard to pinpoint. 

Also, this is not something that can be tested for with medical allergy tests like skin prick testing or a RAST, so it often flies under the radar.

The symptoms of salicylate intolerance can involve any bodily system and varies widely from person to person. Symptoms can seem to flare up randomly, which can make them tricky to pinpoint and manage. This is because symptoms only flare-up once you surpass your individual “threshold” of tolerance. It’s like a glass of water slowly getting topped up with a dropper that eventually overflows.

Also since salicylates are so prevalent in our diets, especially healthy diets, it can make it really confusing for people when they feel like they’ve cleaned up their diet but are still reacting to everything!

So there are both physical and behavioral issues that can occur when reacting to them.

Physical symptoms include – headaches, hives, eczema, changes in skin colour especially around the mouth, cheeks or ears.  Sinus symptoms of runny and or blocked nose, sinus infection, nasal and sinus polyps, asthma.  Gut symptoms of abdominal pain, colitis, diarrhea, inflammation.

Since phenols cell membranes are also made up of fat and water, so they can easily cross the blood brain barrier too and access the brain. So on the behavioural side there can be hyperactivity, mood swings, irritability, or aggression, repetitive body movements or noises(stimming), laughing at inappropriate times, and night waking.

How does salicylate intolerance compare to a classic allergic reaction?

While a classic allergic reaction involves the immune system, and usually causes immediate symptoms when exposed to the allergen, salicylate intolerance doesn’t involve the immune system and people experience often only experience symptoms once they have surpassed their individual threshold tolerance.

This is because salicylates are detoxified from the body via a biological process called the sulphation pathway, which occurs in the liver. The sulphation pathway also processes histamine from foods, histamine produced by the immune system, and certain types of amines including tyramine in mature cheese and phenylethylamine in chocolate. 

An accumulation of salicylates can occur when your sulphation pathway isn’t working optimally, which can cause reactions to develop in sensitive people, and the tolerated amount varies from person to person.

How does the sulphation pathway work?

So how it works is sulphate attaches to phenols, like salicylates, to assist detoxification, but our bodies need to first make the sulphate. This involves using protein, which converts to sulphite then converts sulphite to sulphate. 

To make sulphate we need protein, molybdenum, magnesium, zinc, omega 3 fatty acids, and the vitamins B1, B2, B5 and B6.  

An enzyme called phenol sulfotransferase (PST) then transports the sulphate to its final destination, attaching sulphate to the phenols/salicylates to flush them out.

So if you are not a good sulphate producer and don’t produce enough for the sulphation pathway to clear what you’re consuming, they can start to accumulate and cause reactions to develop. 

Also, if you have the condition Gilberts syndrome, your body produces too much bilirubin which indicates poor sulphate production or transport, which means it is harder to metabolize phenols/salicylates, and you may react to them.

You can also be low in the enzyme PST, but that is usually a result of low levels of sulphate in the body, not because the enzyme is defective.

Research by Dr. Rosemary Waring, at the University of Birmingham, also found that children on the Autism Spectrum have low levels of the enzyme PST and low levels of sulphate.

What causes salicylate intolerance?

Some people are actually genetically susceptible to phenol sensitivity and salicylate intolerance as the SUOX gene produces another enzyme called sulphite oxidase – this converts sulphites into sulphate in the body. If the gene is mutated, it can impact the functioning of the enzyme, which decreases sulphate and can lead to PST deficiency.

It is also known that artificial food dyes and glyphosate (commonly known as the herbicide called Round-up) both actually impair the sulphation pathway.

Although, since the sulphation pathway requires enough sulphate to attach to phenols or salicylates to detoxify then, any food or chemical that requires or uses up sulphate, will put extra pressure on this process, and can cause things to build up and cause  reactions to develop.

So like we said earlier, the sulphation pathway also processes histamine from foods, histamine produced by the immune system, and certain types of amines in food, but there are some other substances that use up sulphate too. 

For example, when some people are exposed to mould they can develop an intolerance to high salicylate foods, especially if their gut health is compromised. 

This is because mould toxins and salicylates use the same sulphation pathway to detoxify both substances, and they both also use the antioxidant glutathione to help the body do this. 

So if your body has been exposed to mould and its mycotoxins, it will use up a lot of your stores of glutathione to detoxify the mould and there may not be enough for salicylate detoxification as well. To further exacerbate the problem, salicylates are a potent depleter of glutathione, leaving less available in the body overall! 

Another example is chlorine, which is easily absorbed by the skin from swimming pools and even tap water, and is also detoxified by the same sulphation pathway. This is why chlorine reactions are so common in sensitive people. Interestingly, The American Academy of Pediatrics’ study on the effects of chlorine on nearly 1000 children found that chlorine impacted the immune system of children, increasing their symptoms of everything from allergies to asthma to behaviour.

Lastly, if there are gut issues on top of the sulphation pathway issues – such as candida or leaky gut, the phenol and salicylate particles are able to repeatedly enter the bloodstream, which puts additional pressure on the sulphation pathway.

How can Positive Association Technique (PAT) help relieve salicylate intolerance?

Salicylate intolerance is one of the most common conditions we see in clinic, and it can really be implicated in various symptoms associated with eczema, asthma, IBS and even brain fog and headaches.

We’re all qualified Naturopaths who use a form of muscle testing (or kinesiology) to assess your reactions to various food chemicals like salicylates, amines and histamine, as well as other food, airborne and chemical substances.

How muscle testing works is you’ll hold onto a sample vial of the substance, and we’re looking for a change in your muscle strength to indicate a reaction. If the muscle in your arm stays strong, that shows your body is ok with that, but if your muscle weakens then it indicates a reaction to the substance. 

We then use a chiropractic tool called an Acustim to stimulate nerve bundles and acupressure points down either side of the spine, while you’re holding onto that sample, to help re-train your body to no longer have the negative reaction to the substance. 

So most clients find that following a Positive Association Technique (PAT) session for salicylates, their tolerance threshold significantly increases, or some even get complete relief from their symptoms. Salicylates is usually part of a PAT treatment plan for various skin issues, digestive symptoms and even respiratory issues.

Also, to help prevent reactions from re-developing again in the future, we should really be supporting our sulphation pathway to prevent the accumulation causing issues again.

How can you support your sulphation pathway?

One really easy way to support your sulphation pathway at home is to bathe in epsom salts or use magnesium oil topically, as they both contain magnesium sulphate. We can take advantage of our skin absorbency, and the sulphate part of the molecule is absorbed through the skin and can increase overall sulphate levels. For example, it’s great for kids to have an epsom salt bath after swimming in a chlorine pool.

Although it is important to start with a small amount and build up slowly if you are especially sensitive, just as detoxing too quickly can cause other symptoms. 

You also want to be avoiding the substances that put pressure on your sulphation pathway, such as chlorine and mould, as much as you can.

A great way to reduce your chlorine exposure is by drinking filtered water, and getting a shower filter that filters the chlorine out of your tap water.

You’ll also want to address any mould issues in your home, we actually did a blog post about mould with lots of great tips, which you can read HERE.

It’s also worth connecting with a Naturopath that can look into correcting any deficiencies in the vitamins and minerals we talked about earlier that are needed to make sulphate, and address any underlying leaky gut and candida issues that are allowing phenols and salicylates to enter the bloodstream and put pressure on the sulphation pathway. 

Natural Allergy Treatment

At Health & Wellness Australia & Auckland (HWA), we use a technique called muscle testing (or kinesiology) to help pinpoint your reactions to various foods, food chemicals, airborne and chemical substances.

Following testing, you can work with your qualified Naturopath to address the reactions to these substances using a natural allergy treatment called Positive Association Technique (PAT).

We have clinics located all over Australia and in Auckland, New Zealand, and help hundreds of people manage their symptoms each year.

To find out more about how we can help you, get in touch!

• Call us on 1300 853 023 / 09 479 5997 (NZ) to chat to our friendly staff
• Send us your question HERE
• Request a Free PAT Information E-PACK HERE

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Please note that this blog post contains general information only. Always consult your health care professional before changing your diet, starting new supplements or regarding any medical condition.