h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As an asthmatic I am supposed to avoid foods with salicylates in. It's something to do with salicylic acid, a chemical that is in things like aspirin. This is something that the docs don't tell you when you have asthama, so be warned! Don't take aspirin if you have asthma! It landed me in hospital for 3 days, and a friend of mine ended up spending one christmas day in casualty.

The level in foods depends on certain things, but foods containing high levels are:

Fresh apricots
Melons
Grapes
Oranges
Pineapple
Plum
Raspberries
Strawberries
Canned guava
Peaches
Dried fruit e.g. dates, prunes, raisins ·
Fresh chicory
Leeks
Onions
Green pepper
Chilli
Tomatoes and tomato sauce
Baby marrow
Dried celery
Peppermint tea
Vinegar
Curry - very high
Thyme - very high
Cinnamon
Cumin
Mixed herbs
Oregano
Sage
Turmeric
Tarragon

I do find I can eat most of these in samll amounts without problems, but I wouldn't touch an aspirin no matter how much pain I was in. Being well and risking it is different to being ill and risking it again.
(And I admit, I cut and pasted that list from another website, but only because I couldn't be bothered to type them all out from my list on the fridge. And we researchers have to get our info somewhere.)

Blimey - you must be murder to prepare a dinner party for!

But I make up for it by being great company.

I'm asthmatic too

I find that things with sulphur contained in the preservative will sometimes set me off, particularly if my hayfever is playing up at the same time. this tends to be in things like fruit squash. It's also a pain during chemistry practicals, (trying to take A' Level at the moment) because if we burn sulphur the fumes can set me off then too. My teachers at school never used to believe me and think I was trying to get out of doing to work. Typical

FABT

Sulphur? Not heard of that one. Other allergens are Monosodium Glutamate and Hydogenated Vegatable oil. I just keep remembering them.

And for anyone worried about GM products, avoid Modified Stach.

Can anyone tell this subject gets me on my soapbox worse than foglights in the rain?