The Food Culprit List
(as defined by studies performed by Drs. Wray, Vlagopoulos,
and Siraganian and Drs. Hay and Reade):

buckwheat, whole wheat, rye, barley, flour

chocolate

nuts, figs, shellfish, soy, French mustard, vinegar

pineapples, apples, tomatoes, lemons, cheese, milk

Many of our readers have e-mailed to share their experiences with foods and canker sores as well. Chocolate, in particular, seems to be a problem for many people. Another common culprit among our readers appears to be alcoholic beverages (made from wheat, rye, or barley).

We suggest eliminating one of the items (in the list above) at a time from your diet. Track the effect this has on your canker sore occurrences. Then move down the list until you've identified all the foods that may be causing your canker sores.