Lemon juice

Lemon juice is notable for histamine, salicylate and oxalates. Clear on FODMAPs, lactose, gluten, fructose, oligosaccharides, sorbitol, sucrose, tyramine and nickel.

Lemon juice contains moderate levels of histamine. Lemon juice is the citrus liberator in its most concentrated everyday form - a bottle is the juice of many lemons, and it is used freely because it reads as an acid rather than as a food. The histamine content of a lemon tells you nothing; the reaction comes from the release. Citrus is on the elimination lists as a liberator, but the current review attributes its symptoms to its other amines — putrescine above all — competing for the enzyme that clears histamine.

Lemon juice contains moderate levels of salicylate. Lemon juice: the juice is moderate; the zest and pith are far higher. Recipes that call for both juice and zest deliver much more than the juice alone suggests. Neither study publishes a value for this particular drink.

Lemon juice contains only low levels of oxalates. Lemon juice is low in oxalate and does something better: it is a common source of citrate, and citrate is what stops calcium oxalate crystallising in urine. Stone-management guidance recommends it for that reason - this is one of the few foods on the axis that actively helps. Amounts vary by brand and recipe, so always check the label of the exact product.