Nuts/Seeds and salicylate: 34 foods rated

Almond reaches people well beyond the whole nut — almond milk, flour, butter and marzipan all carry whatever it carries — and nothing published ranks its salicylate against the other nuts.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Anise is a dried seed and carries salicylate as dried seeds do — the assay that measured spices found salicylic acid in every one it tested. What is particular to anise is the route: it reaches people through drinks and sweets more than through cooking, so pastis, anise liqueurs and aniseed confectionery matter more here than the pinch in a loaf. A glass is a serving the kitchen never gives.

• Paterson J.R. et al., J Agric Food Chem 54 (2006) 2891–2896, salicylic acid content of spices and its bioavailability — it found salicylic acid in every spice it tested and gives a ceiling for the group, up to 1.5 per cent by weight, but no value for any one spice, so it ranks nothing

Brazil nuts are high in salicylates. They are usually eaten a few at a time for the selenium, and that habit keeps the salicylate portion small — worth preserving.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Ground hazelnuts hold the same high salicylate level as whole ones, but grinding is what makes the portion grow — a recipe folds in far more than you would eat by hand.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Hazelnuts are high in salicylates, and the spreads and pralines made from them deliver a far bigger portion than a handful of nuts would.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Macadamias are high in salicylates despite their mild taste — the flavour gives no clue to the load, which is a recurring trap with this intolerance.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Peas sit high on the salicylate scale, which surprises people who class them as a plain vegetable. Cooking does not lower it; the serving size does.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Pecans are high in salicylates, and they mostly arrive inside sweet baking — pies and cookies — where the nut portion is larger than it looks.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Pistachios are high in salicylates, and the shell-by-shell way they are eaten makes the portion creep up without feeling like much.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Walnut carries salicylate and no measurement places it: the one survey that put 112 foods through GC-MS for this axis states that the walnut is not among them, and the surveys that do cover nuts publish group ranges rather than a value for any single kernel. The lever a reader actually has is the portion — walnuts are eaten by the handful, and unlike an apple there is no peeling and no cooking step that takes salicylate out of a kernel.

• Malakar S., Gibson P.R., Barrett J.S. & Muir J.G., J Food Compos Anal 57 (2017) 31–39, salicylic acid by GC-MS in 112 foods — cited for the scope of its list, which does not include the walnut, so it carries no figure for it

Cashews are lower in salicylate than almonds but still moderate, and they are eaten by the handful more readily than harder nuts.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Pine nuts: moderate in salicylate in themselves, but they arrive mostly inside pesto, where they are combined with basil, garlic and often lemon — several moderate sources in one spoonful.

• Scotter M.J. et al., Food Chemistry 105 (2007), free and acetyl salicylic acid in foods by GC-MS, and Venema D. et al., J Agric Food Chem 44 (1996), acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid in foods by HPLC

Broad bean: pulses sit low on salicylate elimination lists. The pod is greener than the seed and carries a little more, which matters only if you eat young pods whole.

Chia seed is low in salicylate, and it is eaten in small quantities anyway, so it rarely contributes much regardless of the level.

Flax seed is low in salicylate whole or ground. Flax is usually taken by the spoonful, which keeps any contribution small.

Hemp seed: low in salicylate, and used as a topping rather than a bulk ingredient — the portion keeps it negligible in practice.

Lentils are low in salicylate, like most pulses. They matter more on the FODMAP axis than this one.

Peanut is low in salicylate, and notably lower than tree nuts - peanuts are a legume, not a nut, which is why they behave differently here.

Psyllium husk is low here, and it is taken for fibre in measured spoonfuls, so the salicylate contribution stays small even with daily use.

Pumpkin seed: low in salicylate, and unaffected by roasting or salting. A practical substitute where nuts sit higher.

Rapeseed: low in salicylate as a seed, and lower still once pressed and refined into oil.

Red lentils: low in salicylate, and split so they cook down quickly. As with all pulses, the FODMAP rating is the one that usually decides the portion.

Sunflower seed is low in salicylate, one of the more usable seeds when nuts are being avoided. Roasting does not change it.