Phenols are the chemical compounds that give color to foods such as the red in a raspberry and the blue in a blueberry; phenolic compounds created by plants are called salicylates. Phenols are also found in artificial colors, artificial flavors and preservatives, and these can cause symptoms in some people.

Symptoms of Sensitivity

Sensitivity to phenols and salicylates usually occurs within 20 minutes to two hours of ingestion. Signs of sensitivity to phenols and salicylates can include:

Red cheeks or ears after eating
Hyperactivity
Inappropriate laughter
Irritability
Impatience

Aggression
Lack of focus
Headache
Hives
Allergies

Please note that these symptoms are not exclusive to sensitivity to phenols and salicylates, as they can also be caused by other foods or conditions.

Mechanism of Action

Phenols and salicylates are sulfur-containing compounds, and sulfur is processed by an enzyme called phenolsulfotransferase (PST). Children who have autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, dyslexia and Sensory Processing Disorder as well as those with immune-system disorders such as allergies and asthma often have difficulty processing sulfur (known as low sulfation).

Ultimately, low sulfation can be caused by any of a variety of factors, some of them genetic, and some of them acquired:

In addition, some phenols chemically look very similar to neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine which is also a phenolic compound, and can act as neurotoxins by binding to neurotransmitter receptors.

Foods to Avoid

Obviously, removal of problematic foods (some are listed below) is one of the first things to do to reduce symptoms. There is no way to eliminate all phenols because they are in every food with color, but reducing their intake can greatly improve these symptoms. The Feingold diet eliminates some salicylates and all artificial phenolic additives, reducing some of the phenols in the diet. Sara’s diet removes all known phenolic compounds.

High Phenol Foods

Phenols are commonly found in:

Berries of all kinds
Grapes
Raisins
Apples
Bananas
Almonds

Almond milk
Tomatoes
Green peppers
Corn
Wheat
Rice

Legumes
Spices such as turmeric
Artificial colors
Artificial flavors
Preservatives

High Salicylate Foods

Natural salicylates are found in:

Almonds
Apples
Apricots
All berries
Cherries
Clove
Coffee
Cucumbers

Currants
Grapes and raisins
Nectarines
Orange
Peaches
Peppers (bell and chili)
Pickles made from cucumbers

Plums
Prunes
Raisins
Tangerines
Tea
Tomatoes

What Else Can Be Done

No child wants to think that they will have to avoid problematic foods for the rest of their life. That’s a big burden for a child to carry. By implementing some of the following recommendations, you can lessen the load on your child’s body, allow it to heal and perhaps reduce the need to avoid problematic foods.

Heal the Gut

Removing problematic foods can reduce gastrointestinal inflammation and is thus the first step to reducing symptoms. The next step is to implement a gut-healing diet such as the GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) diet or Body Ecology Diet. A specialized practitioner such as a naturopath or functional-medicine doctor can help with gastrointestinal tests, probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes and nutritional supplements.

Allergy Elimination Techniques

BioSET and NAET are similar allergy-elimination techniques. They are both non-invasive and use a combination of chiropractic techniques, acupressure and Traditional Chinese Medicine to either permananently eliminate or at least reduce the allergic impact of specific foods and environmental triggers.

Lower the Total Load of Stressors

A body cannot heal if it is in a state of stress. Stress doesn’t always come in the form of emotional stress. It can also be due a child’s total load of stressors such as:

Biological stressors such as
- A diet full of processed foods
- Lack of good sleep
- Lack of exercise
- Nutritional deficiencies
Environmental stressors such as environmental toxicity
Behavioral stressors such as too much screen time
Educational stressors such as an inappropriate curriculum
Physical stressors such as:

Lowering these stressors in combination with implementing mind-body-and-spirit therapies as well as physical therapies can all help to lower stress.

About Maria Rickert Hong CHHC

Maria Rickert Hong is a Co-Founder of, and the Education and Media Director for, Epidemic Answers, the 501(c)3 sponsoring non-profit of The Documenting Hope Project.

She is a former sell-side Wall Street equity research analyst who covered the oil services sector at Salomon Smith Barney and Lehman Brothers under Institutional Investor #1 ranked analysts. Later, she covered the gaming, lodging & leisure sector at Jefferies & Co. and Calyon Securities. She quit working on Wall Street when her first son was born.

Prior to working on Wall Street, she was a marketing specialist for Halliburton in New Orleans, where she also received her MBA in Finance & Strategy from Tulane University.

She is the author of the bestselling book Almost Autism: Recovering Children from Sensory Processing Disorder and the co-author of Brain Under Attack: A Resource for Parents and Caregivers of Children with PANS, PANDAS, and Autoimmune Encephalitis. She is a co-author of Reversal of Autism Symptoms among Dizygotic Twins through a Personalized Lifestyle and Environmental Modification Approach: A Case Report and Review of the Literature, J. Pers. Med. 2024, 14(6), 641.

Maria is also a Certified Holistic Health Counselor. Her work can be found on EpidemicAnswers.org, DocumentingHope.com, Healing.DocumentingHope.com, Conference.DocumentingHope.com and MariaRickertHong.com

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