Potassium Sorbate (preservative)?

I'm going to read more about Potassium Sorbate and add here what I find.

Potassium Sorbate comes from potassium hydroxide which comes from wood ash. The potassium hydroxide is mixed with sorbic acid. The sorbic acid neutralizes the potassium hydroxide. I don't exactly know what they are neutralizing but basically Potassium Sorbate is made by combining those 2 elements.

To make Potassium hydroxide they leach the wood ashes and this results in potassium carbonate. Then they heat the potassium carbonate to release the carbon dioxide and this leaves potassium oxide. Then they add water and this makes Potassium hydroxide. :/ That's a lot of messing with wood ash.

To make sorbic acid there is even more complex chemistry which includes using zinc, cadmium, metal oxide to get the final product. I always assumed it was just the remains of orange or lemon juice. It is crazy what they do in a lab to produce it. It so happens sorbic acid is also a trigger for me.

Potassium sorbate is used to inhibit molds and yeasts. It can be used in wine. It is used in dried fruits a lot. Many herbal supplements use it to increase shelf life and stop mold from forming. It can also be used in creams, lotions, etc.

Wow. I didn't expect to find all of this. I'm into natural food. I think as it's often at the end of a list and sounds vaguely natural I would normally dismiss it as anything to worry about. I avoid sorbic acid but I still thought it was natural. I wont go into the process here but after what I just read I will never consume sorbic acid again. Well, that's just the place I have come to. I don't know if this has triggered my current headache but I'm staying away from it in future. 😀

Hi Livvy

Sorry to read that you are suffering from migraines.

I have suffered from them for about 25 years, so I know where you're coming from. Until about two months ago, I hadn't had an attack for about a year. And now the things have returned with a vengeance.

Like you, I find that potassium sorbate is one of the triggers. You probably know that Potassium Sorbate is also known as E202. I have found that bananas are rich in naturally occuring Potassium Sorbate.

However after avoiding Potassium Sorbate like the plague, I have found out that many manufacturers are now using Potassium Sorbate as an ingredient in personal care items, such as shampoo and shower gel, to replace SLS and Parabens in their products.

Potassium Sorbate used in personal products triggers migraines more quickly than foodstuffs as it doesn't go via the liver.

Nowadays it is an absolute nightmare trying to avoid the stuff.

I have found that Avon products don't contain Potassium Sorbate. At the moment.

Any way, I hope that this has given you further insight in how to avoid migraines.

I have suffered with migraines for over 20 years. I determined, through extensive migraine journaling, in 1998 that any amount of potassium sorbate in my diet triggered a three day migraine. Some of my doctor's would not even consider that Potassium Sorbate was a trigger. My favorite nurse practitioner refered me to a study out of Germany she had read and suggested I cut out all preservatives. With har help I determined that nitrites and sulfites are also triggers.