Lip sores after eating seaweed

April 5, 2023 9:33 AM

Whenever I eat a particular kind of edible seaweed (sheets of sea stone laver - like this), I get sores on both sides of my mouth where my lips join for a few days later. I'm trying to figure out if it's a physical issue (seaweed paper cut?) or a reaction to the actual seaweed.

I've had angular cheilitis from iron deficiency in the past, and this feels like exactly the same kind of wound. Within a few hours of eating the seaweed sheets the side of my mouth starts to hurt, and split-like sores form that take a few days to heal. I took a long break from eating this kind of seaweed when I figured out this was happening - long enough that I totally forgot, bought some recently, and then had the same experience again. I'm confident it's not an iron deficiency issue because I now supplement regularly, my levels are normal and I have no other relevant symptoms.

My mouth is pretty small and the width of the seaweed sheets is about the same as the width of my mouth opening, so I'm wondering if it's a physical abrasion issue whereby the sheets are giving me a slight cut when I eat them, though my (larger-mouthed) partner thinks this is improbable. It could be a reaction to the seaweed itself, but I can eat other kinds of edible seaweed (shredded in ramen, nori with sushi, spicy seaweed snacks) with no issues.

My question is, does anyone else get this, or know what causes it? I'd love to find a way to keep snacking on these seaweed sheets, because they're delicious - just not delicious enough to warrant several days of lip sores.

posted by terretu to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

That kind of laver can really suck the moisture out of any tissue it comes into contact with -- I suppose that could be enough to cause the reaction you're seeing. Can you try creasing/splitting the sheet in half so that it doesn't come into contact with the corners of your mouth?
posted by heatherlogan at 9:45 AM on April 5, 2023

My mouth is pretty small and the width of the seaweed sheets is about the same as the width of my mouth opening, so I'm wondering if it's a physical abrasion issue whereby the sheets are giving me a slight cut when I eat them,

You could maybe do a scientific experiment to test your hypothesis. Cut the sheets into halves or bits and see whether they still give you the same problem.
posted by aniola at 9:46 AM on April 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

I get the same irritation/sores from eating mango. So I don’t think it’s abrasion. I have always assumed I’m just a bit allergic to mango. I eat it anyway because it’s delicious. Ymmv
posted by ohio at 9:55 AM on April 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

I would assume some kind of mild allergic reaction. You say you don't react to other edible seaweed, but the linked seaweed sheets do have some other ingredients/seasonings, so I'd do a quick cross-reference with other seaweed your mouth is okay with.
posted by yasaman at 9:58 AM on April 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

I have a small mouth and experience the same thing when I eat tortilla chips. I think it's just sharp edges/high salt content irritating the skin and I've always chalked it up as the price I pay for deliciousness.
posted by cakelite at 10:00 AM on April 5, 2023 [4 favorites]

I get this when I eat a bunch of potato chips. I always assumed it was from all the salt, I never made the sharp edges connection before.
posted by tan_coul at 10:26 AM on April 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm mildly allergic to mangoes, and what you describe sounds very much like what used to happen to me. I don't know how you would treat/prep the seaweed to avoid the issue, but as far as mangoes are concerned, the source of the allergen is the skin. If I wear plastic or latex gloves when peeling the mangoes, I have no problems.
posted by coppertop at 6:45 PM on April 5, 2023

Seconding HeatherLogan. I love laver seaweed, but the salty dryness sticks to the lining of my mouth and later on causes sores. I have solved this problem by moistening the sheet before I eat it with rice vinegars or a spritz of water or rice.

If you love the dry crunchy aspect, get the laver cut up into fine ribbons and use it as a topping over rice; the moisture from the rice will prevent the dry contact sores. Also, rice crackers with seaweed embedded in them are crunchy and have a layer of soy or egg over them to reduce the dryness.
posted by effluvia at 7:12 PM on April 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

I wonder if it could be an allergic reaction to the oils in seaweed. This particular brand contains sesame and perilla oil, and many brands of snack seaweed do contain one or both, especially sesame oil.

When I eat things I'm allergic to, I'll sometimes get mouth sores after, either inside my mouth or at the corners of my lips (like you're describing). Oils, in particular, have a high concentration of allergens — i.e. one might tolerate sesame seeds on food but not tolerate sesame oil; I can eat some amount of nuts but not nut oils.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 7:26 PM on April 5, 2023 [1 favorite]