Overview
About Blackberry
Blackberries are a strongly anti-inflammatory berry, and unlike strawberries they are not a histamine trigger.
What makes them a trigger food is salicylates: blackberries sit among the higher-salicylate fruits, and they are high in the polyol sorbitol, a FODMAP. So a big bowl can bring on itching, a stuffy nose or gut symptoms like bloating in salicylate-sensitive people, while those who react mainly to histamine usually tolerate them fine.
Sensitivities
How Blackberry scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- High in salicylates, one of the higher-salicylate berries, so a common trigger if you react to aspirin or salicylate-rich produce
- High in sorbitol, a polyol FODMAP that can cause bloating, wind or loose stools when you eat a generous portion
- Low in histamine and not a histamine liberator, so if you tolerate blackberries but not strawberries, histamine is probably not your issue
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Blackberry
Are blackberries high in salicylates?
Yes. Blackberries sit among the higher-salicylate fruits, so they can be a trigger if you are salicylate-sensitive or react to aspirin. Symptoms range from itching and hives to a blocked or runny nose and, for some, gut upset.
Are blackberries low FODMAP?
Only in a very small amount. Blackberries are high in the polyol sorbitol, so a normal handful is high FODMAP and can cause bloating and gas. Monash lists a tiny serving as tolerable, but a full bowl is a common gut trigger.
Why do blackberries bother me but blueberries do not?
Both are high in salicylates, but blackberries are also high in sorbitol while blueberries are lower in it. If a big serving of blackberries leaves you bloated, that sorbitol is the likely reason.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.