Comments on: Pine Mouth Syndrome, the Surprising Source of a Metallic Taste in my Mouth

By: Eliza Cross

Eliza Cross — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 13:35:51 +0000

In reply to Karen. I'm so sorry to hear that you experienced the dreaded Pine Mouth!! It's great that you reported it to the retailer, because it's definitely not any fun to experience. Hope neither of us ever experiences it again! ~Eliza

By: Karen

Karen — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 22:31:06 +0000

Yup — happened to me, from a bag of pine nuts from my favorite big-box retailer. Quite a while ago, possibly around the time you had it. It was indeed dreadful, making everything taste like metal for weeks. I’m sure I ate a little more than you did, but given the intensity, I don’t doubt for a minute that three nuts could cause it. Blech! Glad we both figured it out. I did return the bag and inform the retailer, and since then have been able to eat pine nuts again (so great toasted!!).

My only wonder is whether growing up in Maine, which is called “the pine tree state” mostly because of white pines, might somehow have induced sensitivity in me. Hmmmm.

By: Eliza Cross

Eliza Cross — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 18:55:51 +0000

In reply to Aubrie. Aubrie, the only thing that helped me was swishing lemon juice and the passage of time!

By: Aubrie

Aubrie — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 18:39:10 +0000

does the vinegar really help with pine mouth?

By: Eliza Cross

Eliza Cross — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 15:05:29 +0000

In reply to Lisa. Lisa, I'm so sorry you had to experience this strange malady. It sounds like you did an excellent job of sleuthing all possible causes. You may want to mention your experience to the pizza restaurant, in case they recently switched pine nut suppliers. Hope you feel better very soon! xoxo

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 10:55:09 +0000

Wow! So you might have solved this mystery for me! Pine nuts were definitely not on my list of possible explinations for this off taste in my mouth. I have a case of poison ivy that left me wondering, did some get in my mouth??? It’s like a chemical burn feeling. I’ve been on a steroid thanks to this case of poison ivy, that could do it, right? And I’ve been around clove oil trying to kill the poison ivy roots in the yard. (I would use round up in this case but we didn’t have any). Then there’s the fact that I’ve been laying mulch for a week in our yard. Feel like it gives me that menthol cigarette taste. Hmmmmm…. I’ve also eaten dairy a bit which I typically avoid– and has a way of coating my mouth and making food more tasteless. It feels like I burnt my taste buds with coffee, or ate too many salt and vinegar chips. Strawberries yesterday tasted just like nail polish remover…This has persisted for days! So hard know the source. But pine nuts??? So interesting because I just had a yummy pesto pizza from a reputable pizza place twice in the last week (leftovers the second time!) . You’ve got me wondering if that is actually the source of this issue! A month, huh? Well, I’ll try the vinegar rinse and see if that helps. Thanks!

By: Eliza Cross

Eliza Cross — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 19:03:09 +0000

In reply to Ms. P.. Oh Ms. P, I am so sorry and you have my full sympathy. I hope your symptoms subside quickly! xo

By: Ms. P.

Ms. P. — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 13:53:40 +0000

Hi, I am experiencing this malady as I write. The countries of origin of the nuts stated on the package are “Korea, Russia and Vietnam”. The seller, a well known food emporium based in Monrovia CA, apparently has a caveat on the back of the package warning about this!! Who knew!! Do I have to read every package of food I buy to see where it comes from?? The answer is now YES!