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Overview

About Tangerine

A tangerine is really a type of mandarin, and it inherits the same trigger profile rather than a milder one.

It acts as a histamine liberator, runs high in salicylates and sits high in oxalate, so despite being an easygoing, low-drug-interaction citrus it can still bring on flushing, itching or stone-forming risk in people who are sensitive to those pathways.

Sensitivities

How Tangerine scores

Watch for

What trips people up

  • Histamine liberator, capable of triggering flushing, hives or headaches without being high in histamine itself
  • High in salicylates, so it belongs on the watch list for anyone with salicylate sensitivity
  • High in oxalate, relevant for a low-oxalate diet or a history of calcium-oxalate stones
  • Not a notable FODMAP concern, so digestive complaints usually point elsewhere

Diet fit

Where it fits

Swap ideas

More alternatives

FAQ

Common questions about Tangerine

Is a tangerine the same as a mandarin for food triggers?

Botanically a tangerine is a variety of mandarin, and for trigger purposes they behave the same way: both are histamine liberators, high in salicylates and high in oxalate. Choosing a tangerine over a mandarin does not lower any of those.

Can tangerines cause hives or flushing?

They can. Tangerine is a histamine liberator, so it can prompt your body to release histamine and produce hives, flushing or itching, and its salicylate content is a second, separate trigger for some people.

References

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Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.