Sulfite Food Allergy and the Link to Autism

Like millions of other Americans, I am sensitive to sulfite preservatives and sulfur dioxide in foods and prescription drugs. Sulfites give me headaches that last for 24 hours, though the most commonly reported symptom is asthma.  In 1986, the FDA banned sulfites for use on salad bars after dozens of people died from anaphylactic shock. Today, salad bars are safe but the rest of our food still contains sulfur preservatives.  And every day, the use of sulfur grows as American food habits evolve.  Sulfites and sulfur dioxide are most noticeable in wine, dried fruit, sulfa drugs, instant potatoes, french fries, pizza and lemon juice concentrate.  But they are also hidden in hundreds of ingredients like corn syrup and gelatin which find their way into thousands of foods. Because sulfite preservatives cause me so much trouble, I call them the Brimstone Demons.  If you suffer from asthma, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, G6PD deficiency, headache, heart arrhythmia, hives, irritable bowel, lupus, rosacea, swelling or other allergic symptoms, perhaps the Brimstone Demons are causing trouble in your life. To help with this problem, I have written a short book titled Headaches, Asthma, Fries and a Cola.  To read the free book, click No Sulfites eBook on the menu above.  If you are in a hurry, the menu pick Where to Now? contains a quick overview and a list of problem foods and additives you need to avoid.

In a new twist on a difficult problem, the oxides of sulfur may be significant players within autism. Most children with autism have very disturbed sulfur chemistry, for instance urine sulfite levels that are 51 times normal and blood sulfate that is only 1/3 normal. These problems are caused by mutations that lead to poor expression of the genes creating sulfite oxidase enzyme. I believe I have similar mutations that lead to my sulfite intolerance. Thankfully, I was born before the autism epidemic began and I am not strongly affected. To explain this connection, I have written another book called Autism, Enzymes and the Brimstone Demons. A summary of the theory behind this book is presented under the menu pick Autism Book. Three studies follow the summary, providing evidence to support these ideas. The Facebook Study analyzes water and beverages consumed by mothers of children with autism during their pregnancy. The New Jersey Study correlates sulfate in tap water with autism prevelance as reported by the state registry. The Kidney Analysis demonstrates why sulfate dysfunction is such an important aspect of autism. Taken together, these reports suggest that autism may be largely preventable by avoiding sulfite and supplementing with sulfate during pregnancy and infancy. I hope you find all of the information on this website informative and helpful. If you have questions or comments, I am happy to answer email ( rybett@aol.com ).