Citric acid intolerance

Citric acid intolerance is a little-known type of food intolerance in which sufferers report various symptoms in response to foods or other products containing citric acid that they attribute neither to its properties as an acid nor to an Aspergillus niger hypersensitivity. (In addition to foods naturally rich in citric acid, the fungus Aspergillus niger is a common source of citric acid.)

A form of citrate metabolism called the Citric acid cycle is an essential step in the production of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for human beings and all other eukaryotes. This process takes place in the mitochondria of all cells that contain them. However, according to a website ^[1] by Vicky Clarke, some people report gas, migraines, bloating, cramps, diarrhea, or skin rashes after contact with citric acid.

As with all food intolerances, symptoms may vary between individuals and can mimic those of a food allergy. It mimics allergies to such a degree that some people refer to it as a Citric Acid Allergy. A food intolerance (sometimes called food sensitivity) is a body's inability to digest certain compounds in food. The reasons that this happens seems to be caused by several factors, and more research needs to be done to determine what all of these factors are.

Food intolerances appear to cause reactions in direct proportion to the amount of the offending substance ingested, whereas, any amount of an allergen will cause the immune system to react. According to a website by Luke Hawthorne,^[2] in addition to abdominal problems, other reactions to citric acid have been experienced, including hives and other rashes, blurred vision, rhinitis and difficulty breathing.

It's vitally important to determine whether or not a person has an allergy or an intolerance, and the only way to do this is to see a licensed doctor, preferably an allergist or other specialist.

References

1. ^ http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~vclarke/citric.html
2. ^ http://citric-acid-allergy.ht-ml.org/