Overview
About Cider
Cider is fermented apple juice, and that mix of fruit sugars plus fermentation stacks several triggers at once.
As an apple drink it is high in excess fructose and the polyol sorbitol, both FODMAPs, and because it is fermented and usually sulfited it carries moderate histamine and sulfites, while the alcohol itself is pro-inflammatory and slows the enzyme that clears histamine. So cider can cause flushing, a stuffy nose, headache or gut symptoms through more than one pathway. In the US, unfermented pressed apple cider shares the fructose and sorbitol but not the alcohol or histamine.
Sensitivities
How Cider scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- Fermented and usually sulfited, so it carries moderate histamine and sulfites, a common cause of flushing, congestion or headache in histamine- or sulfite-sensitive people
- High in excess fructose and sorbitol from the apples, both FODMAPs that can bloat a sensitive gut
- Alcohol is pro-inflammatory and slows DAO, the enzyme that breaks down histamine, so it can amplify a reaction to whatever you eat alongside it
- Moderate tyramine from fermentation, worth noting if you take an MAOI or are prone to migraine
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Cider
Why does cider give me a stuffy nose or flushing?
Cider is fermented, which raises its histamine, and the alcohol slows DAO, the enzyme that clears histamine from your body. Together that can cause nasal congestion, flushing or a headache. Added sulfites, common in cider, are a separate trigger for the same symptoms.
Is cider high FODMAP?
Yes. Cider is made from apples, so it is high in excess fructose and sorbitol, both FODMAPs. That is on top of the alcohol, so a pint can bring on bloating and gas as well as the usual effects of drinking.
Does cider contain sulfites?
Most commercial cider does. Sulfites are added as a preservative and antioxidant, and cider is a moderate-sulfite drink, so if sulfites give you wheezing, headache or congestion, cider is a likely trigger.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.