Nickel and the food supply

NICKEL AND THE FOOD SUPPLY!

The nickel allergy develops with various symptoms but did you know that nickel is not only present in common objects but also in food?

NICKEL AND THE FOOD SUPPLY

Nickel is a so-called heavy metal present in the external environment and in our organism. The subjects who are intolerant or allergic develop a genuine contact dermatitis whenever the skin comes into contact with objects or products that contain this item.

Amongst the most common symptoms we find:

• Redness, burning and itching of the skin
• Formation of small blisters on the areas of the skin that have come into contact with the Nickel
• Nausea and headache
• Dermatitis and itching, also by contact occurring on the face, hands, legs;
• Aphthous ulcers or inflammation in the mouth and gums;
•  Abdominal swelling;
•  General ailments;
• Sense of fatigue and heaviness;
• Sense of nausea;
• Headache.  The symptoms are also determined by the amount of nickel which the organism ingests or by the amount with which it comes into contact.

With one or more symptoms we must carry out a test to discover precisely if it is allergy, intolerance or other and it is possible to make a PATCH TEST.

Hypoallergenic patches are placed on the back of the patient, containing small quantities of substances with an allergic potential.

The full implementation of the patch test requires that the patches will remain in contact with the skin of the patient for at least 48 hours. In this period of time it is required to avoid heavy physical activity as perspiration is in fact able to aggravate the symptoms of the allergy to nickel and it is obviously forbidden to expose the area of the body to the sun and water.

After this period, the doctor removes the patches and observes the topical reaction to individual substances. Depending on the state of the skin the doctor verifies the kind of allergy and how serious it is.

NICKEL AND THE FOOD SUPPLY

Nickel is also found in foods and that is why there is a correlation between nickel and the food supply.

Although we are not able to verify the amount present in the various foods we are able to know which are the foods that are more likely to contain nickel and these are:

 

• Seafood/fish such as herring, lobsters, oysters, molluscs, salmon and mackerel
• Asparagus, mushrooms, onion, maize, tomatoes, spinach and lettuce
• Beans, Peas
• Whole wheat flour and corn flour
• Pears and plums
• Hazelnuts, Almonds, peanuts and walnuts
• Rhubarb
• Tea, cocoa, chocolate
• Margarine
• Chemical yeast and starch
• Canned Food
• Tap Water

THEN THERE ARE FOODS THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED QUITE FREE FROM NICKEL AND WHICH CAN THEREFORE BE CONSUMED WITH MODERATION SUCH AS:

• Cabbages, cucumbers;
• Flour;
• riso;
• Coffee;
•  Olive oil;
• Eggs;
• Fruit (except the one mentioned above).

THEN THERE ARE FOODS THAT CAN BE FREELY CONSUMED:

• All meat;
• Fish (except the one previously mentioned);
• Milk and derivatives;
• Potatoes.

USEFUL ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTOLERANT OR ALLERGIC TO NICKEL

– Avoid contact with all objects that may cause a contact dermatitis, for example articles of jewelery, bracelets, keys, kitchen utensils, scissors, straps Watches, zippers, jeans buttons etc.
– Use crockery in glass or stainless steel that does not cause allergies
Nickel can also be found in some cosmetics and dyes of various kinds, hence always read the labels first.

Take a look at our tried and tested method: Anti-Diet