Have a nickel allergy and don't know where to start?

[Dudley]

So I have a nickel allergy that even is affected by the foods I eat. Most people don't realize the many of our foods we eat contain a lot of nickel.

Here are the ones that affect a vegan diet and leave me lost, how can I make this work, especially sufficient protein considering all the major sources of vegan proteins have high nickel. Lots of information on what not to eat but none on how to eat as a vegan with nickel allergy.

High Nickel Content Foods:

Grains:

wheat, oats, oatmeal, buckwheat, rye, millet... essentially all seeds

Vegetables:

Beans, lentils, legumes, peas, soy products (tofu, soy sauce, soy beans) sprouts, brussel sprouts,

asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, canned vegetables, red kidney beans,

chickpeas, cabbage, mushrooms, (dark leafy veg. like kale, collards)

Fruits:

Canned fruit cocktail, pears, bananas, canned fruits, tomatoes, raisins, rhubarb, dried fruit

Beverages: Tea, chocolate milk, beer, red wine

Nuts:

All nuts

OTHER SOURCES OF DIETARY NICKEL TO AVOID:

Chocolate and cocoa powder (especially dark chocolate)

Commercial salad dressings

Canned foods in general

Stainless-steel cooking vessels used for cooking acidic foods

The first quart of tap water drawn from any faucet in the morning

I currently take vitamin D, in large quantities (this helps keep the inflammation in check) and take vitamin C with my meals (this competes with the nickel ion and interferes with absorption).

I break out in rashes over body and have itchy skin, and have constant heartburn if I have too much nickel and generally feel crappy like I have a cold.

[Dudley]

So the lack of response means what? That veganism isn’t a solution for 20% of the population? It’s been a month. Are no dietitian on here?

My Doctor recommends I eat meat, eggs, and milk products because they are lowest in nickel. I’m not going to bother doing the courses on animal abuse...there is no point in guilting myself for having to survive on the proceeds of these industries. I’ll attempt to live a sustainable life as best I can and hopefully raise happy chickens once my city allows it.

[Ashley6]

Interesting! I have a Nickel allergy as well. No wonder those foods I ate made me feel awful.

[Gavin Eldridge]

Hey @Dudley & @Ashley6, I wanted to reach out and apologize for not responding to this sooner. I am just a volunteer developer (no background in diet/health/nutrition) so I won't be providing any helpful information (today at least) in regards to your specific questions on nutrition. I do want to let you know that your question seems both honest & important though and I have pinged our internal team that this question has gone unanswered for months which we all agree is not the kind of service we want to provide on this forum. On behalf of our team, we apologize and want to let you know that we are working to improve our process for tracking questions & responding in a timely manner.

Here is a reminder of what veganism is:
"Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment."

On your sentiments here: "I’m not going to bother doing the courses on animal abuse...there is no point in guilting myself for having to survive on the proceeds of these industries". I would still recommend you consider spending the time educating yourself on animal abuse/exploitation, not to guilt yourself, but to educate yourself/others.

Here are some resources team members have found that may be helpful:
https://www.reddit.com/r/vegan/comments ... l_allergy/
https://nutritionfacts.org/

Thank you for asking your question -- I hope that a nutritionist/dietician can contact you soon and provide better information than I but in the meantime I felt that I should at least reach out and let you know that we hear you.