THE WINE DOCTOR: Are sulfites bad for my health?

Just another mooched article on sulphites I found.

By Matt Nugent
Thursday December 13 2007


Q I hear people talking about sulfites in wine. Are they bad for my health?


A Sulfites have been used since ancient times for many purposes, including the cleansing of wine receptacles by both Romans and Egyptians.

As food additives, they have been used since the 17th century. They are currently used for their preservative characteristics.

It is their antioxidant and anti-microbial properties that have gained them an important role in wine making.

The sulfites either inhibit or kill bacteria or wild yeast, thus encouraging rapid and clean fermentation of wine grapes.

The US Food and Drug Administration estimates that one in 100 people are sulfite sensitive to some degree – but among asthmatics, up to five per cent are at risk of having an adverse reaction to the substance.

The symptoms of a sulfite sensitivity reaction vary from mild to, in extreme cases, life-threatening. The most common symptoms are mild and involve a skin rash accompanied by redness, hives, itching, flushing, tingling and swelling.

Respiratory symptoms include difficulty breathing and wheezing, while gastrointestinal reactions involve nausea and stomach cramps.