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This page contains information on tips for maintaining a low-nickel diet, and most importantly it contains a nickel-content calculator for food products as released by FDA’s TDS (Total Diet Study) publication, revised edition of 2017.
Being allergic to nickel can be frustrating, especially after a recent diagnosis to nickel allergen; the sudden drastic change in the normal way of life which one is used too, the constant worrying of nickel ingestion or contact, the fear of whether indulging in ones “usual” activities might result in a flare-up of an allergic reaction, it can be nightmare!
There is a lot of information online, maybe even too much, and with such information scattered all around the web, it’s quite laborious to find a complete, useful, FDA-approved information about the nickel allergy online.
Allergic reaction to nickel can range from a mild localized rash to severe symptoms but can be life-threatening too.
Tool for checking the nickel content of over 200+ food/snack items
Not sure about the nickel content of a particular food? Use the “nickel content checker “search tool to check how much nickel there is in your food.
This is a simple but handy tool to assist those looking to start a new low nickel diet journey.
Try searching steak, beet (beetroot,) beans or any food name you have in mind.
**BF means baby food.
Ready to maintain your low-nickel diet? Click here to use our Nickel content checker now
What is a low-nickel diet?
Complete abstinence or avoidance of nickel allergen in daily life is difficult, even almost impossible, hence the only realistic way to keep one’s allergic reaction to its allergen at bay is by drastically cutting down the daily intake or contact of food and items that contain it.
That’s how the term low-nickel diet was born; which means the consumption of food with the smallest amount of nickel content, actively monitoring of one’s daily consumption, and avoiding products that are especially high in its allergen.
As there is no cure for nickel sensitivity, a low-nickel diet plays an important role in the effective reduction of an allergic reaction.
Besides using hypoallergenic jewelry and tools, strict monitoring of a low nickel diet has to be observed and maintained.
Before embarking on a low nickel diet, there are certain useful notes and guidelines which should be followed, these would generally assist in the quest for a “nickel-free” living.
Vegetables low in Nickel
Many vegetables contain nickel traces, some, much more than the others. Most green leafy vegetables are high in nickel.
Most notably, spinach, collard greens, broccoli(variations in nickel level), spinach, lettuce, iceberg lettuce, are all on the top of the nickel allergy food pyramid and should be avoided at all cost.
Fortunately enough, not all vegetables are high in nickel, there are quite a handful of vegetables low in nickel, and it’s crucial to know these low-nickel content vegetables especially when maintaining a low nickel diet.
The following are reported to be some vegetables low in nickel, and they include
celery
cucumber
corn
tomatoes (But should avoid cooking in stainless steel pots. It’s advised to use of nickel-free cookware instead)
mushrooms
olives
bell peppers
cauliflowers
zucchini
eggplants
carrots
potatoes
beets
onions
parsnip
Boiling is the most advised method of cooking vegetables as nickel is found to be significantly reduced when some high nickel-content vegetables are boiled, as opposed to fried or grilled.
It’s also essential to remember that the key to keeping bouts of allergic reaction to nickel at bay is to enjoy your food at a moderate portion.
Important recommendations for “nickel-free” diet
- The recommended daily consumption of nickel according to the FDA is 0.2mg or 220µg per day, but this number isn’t a definite number as there may be fluctuations in the number between different individuals with varying levels of nickel sensitivity. Therefore, the target number (for a safer dosage) should be between 100 and 200µg per day for adults, and less than 100µg for children.
- As mentioned in the posts “foods high in nickel” and “nickel allergy food pyramid” it’s a rule of thumb AVOID chocolates, oats, and sunflower seeds or any food products that are made from them, as these contain the highest amount of nickel allergen in the nickel allergy food pyramid.
- Always flush water from the tap/faucet first thing in the morning, as nickel builds up whenever a tap stays unused for a certain duration of time, for example, during night sleep.
- Always take a tablet of vitamin C DURING every meal, as this slows down nickel absorption by the body. Only take Vitamin C at the same time when you’re eating a meal as eating it any other time has little to no effect. Additionally, avoid taking other multi-vitamin supplements.
- Eat iron-rich food, these, similar to vitamin C can reduce nickel absorption, iron skillets and cookware (Amazon link) is advised for preparing an even higher iron-rich food.
- Make sure to use nickel-free cookware, in order to avoid more nickel leaching from the stainless steel into food content.
Top 3 Best Nickel-free Cookware on Amazon
These are the top 3 nickel-free cookware on Amazon. Being sensitive to nickel, one needs to avoid ceratin stainless steel metals, and that includes stainless steel cookware as they may contain some percentage of nickel unless stated otherwise.
These nickel-free cookwares are highly recommended for a low-nickel diet.
For more list of the best nickel free cookware, visit the link.
Got any questions or suggestions about the nickel content checker? send us an email or ask away via the comment section down below
REFERENCES
- www.nal.usda.gov/
- https://medscape.com
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
- www.fda.gov/
- ATSDR. Toxicological profile for nickel. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Public
- Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA. 2005.
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