Mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, avocado, and citrus are generally considered high in histamine.
Spinach and tomatoes naturally contain histamine, as do animal-based foods such as fish, which are contaminated with the corresponding microorganisms. Foods that require fermentation in their production, such as cheese, sausage, sauerkraut, yeast extract, wine and beer, also contain histamine.
Histidine decarboxylase (HDC), the enzyme microorganisms use to create histamine, can be destroyed by cooking or by freezing food for 1-2 weeks, but neither cooking nor freezing destroys histamine-producing organisms.
The only plant-origin products with significant levels of histamine were eggplant, spinach, tomato, and avocado, each showing a great variability in content.
Cooking methods that produce the lowest amount of histamine include the instant pot, air fryer, flash frying on the stovetop, or baking at high heat in the oven for shorter periods of time. Avoid slow cooking methods like the slow cooker, or braising/cooking in the oven for long periods of time.
Boiled, fried, or poached eggs aren't affected by cooking methods when it comes to histamine content. Eggs are low in histamines, this makes them ideal for the low-histamine diet. Chickpeas, peanuts, and lentils have been found to have low concentrations of histamines and may be safely consumed in a low-histamine diet.
Sourdough, a fermented bread, can be moderately high in histamine and other amines like tyramine.
There's another misconception out there about tomatoes and other nightshades: That they cause inflammation. (Spoiler: They don't.)
Drinking plenty of water every day is essential for all bodily functions, including the regulation of histamine levels. Water does aid in the removal of histamines from the body as more that 95% of excess histamines are removed from the body through the urine.
Carrot is likely low in histamine and other amines and does not trigger release of the body's natural histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers.
Tomatoes can be part of your overall produce intake because of their healthful nutrients and compounds, such as lycopene, beta carotene and vitamin C, all of which act as antioxidants and exert anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
Dr Skypala explained: “People with this allergy react whether an ingredient is cooked, raw or in a processed food. For example, those with the most common form of fruit and vegetable allergy, called pollen food syndrome, will only react to raw tomato.
DON'T Avoid Nightshade Vegetables
Take tomatoes, for example. They have lycopene and vitamin C that help curb inflammation.
Natural antihistamines may help you control your seasonal allergies. Common ones are stinging nettle, vitamin C, quercetin, butterbur, bromelain, and probiotics. Some alternative practices—such as acupuncture, nasal irrigation, and exercise—may also help you manage symptoms.
Allergies are your body's reaction to a foreign protein. Usually, these proteins (allergens) are harmless. However, if you have an allergy to a particular protein, your immune system overreacts to its presence in your body. A cascade of reactions leads to a release of histamine, which causes allergy symptoms.
Some people feel that eating foods from the nightshade family, also known as solanaceous vegetables, may make their arthritis worse. But research has shown that there is no link between inflammation and solanaceous vegetables. Examples of nightshade vegetables include: Tomatoes.
As part of his 12-step plan to staying in great shape, Brady said he doesn't eat nightshades – a group of vegetables including aubergines and tomatoes – because they cause inflammation and raise his body's pH.
Steaming or boiling tomatoes is the preferred method of cooking to bring out more lycopene for optimal nutrition. Research indicates lycopene reduces the risk of cancer, improves heart health and enhances neurological response.
White Bread is likely suitable for a low histamine diet. White Bread is likely low in histamine and other amines and does not trigger release of the body's natural histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers.