The highest amount of histamine is produced during the ripening of cheeses, when proteins are degraded to free amino acids including histidine (6, 9, 24, 31). Cheeses are one of the most common products responsible for histamine poisoning in humans (11, 23).
There are some lower histamine options including mascarpone, mozzarella and cottage cheese, as well as some plain soft cheese – select those without additives like thickeners or stabilisers. Cheese made from pasteurised milk is considered lower risk than that made from raw milk.
High histamine foods are often aged, fermented, or soured. They include dairy products, specific fruits and vegetables, processed meats, and alcohol.
Summary. 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.
Eggs are likely suitable for a low histamine diet. Egg yolks are low histamine, and egg whites, while traditionally thought of as being histamine liberators, are likely friendly for a low histamine diet as well.
1) Ginger - Although sticking to a low histamine diet can help to prevent histamine reactions in the first place (8,9), consuming antihistamine foods can actually help to calm a histamine reaction while it's happening. One of the strongest known antihistamine foods is ginger.
FAQ About Bananas & Histamine
Bananas are not directly high in histamine, but many people have reported that bananas are still a trigger for their histamine intolerance symptoms. Such a food is known as a “histamine liberator,” and should therefore be treated like a high histamine food.
Caffeine Intolerance: Symptoms of Coffee Allergies
Coffee is high in histamine which can set off what looks like an allergic reaction but it doesn't occur through the typical allergy mechanism. Instead, the histamine from the coffee causes an inflammatory reaction that can be quite severe in some people.
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.
Potatoes do not have a high histamine content and do not increase the body's histamine burden. Therefore, most people with histamine intolerance can eat them safely. You can also eat potatoes with additional food sensitivities, such as gluten sensitivity.
Ginger, basil, chives, oregano, garlic, peppermint, rosemary are all excellent histamine lowering herbs. Avoid or restrict anise, cinnamon, cloves, curry powder, paprika, and nutmeg. These can liberate histamine and cause mast cell reactions.
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.
Fruits and vegetables are very important in a histamine-reducing diet, but some contain more histamine than others. Fruits such as apples, bananas, melons, figs, grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, mango and pears contain low levels of histamine and will not contribute to symptoms.
Low Histamine Foods
Vegetables: Onion, sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, squash, cucumbers, beets.
White Rice is likely suitable for a low histamine diet. White Rice is likely low in histamine and other amines and does not trigger release of the body's natural histamine.
Cucumber is likely suitable for a low histamine diet. Cucumber is likely low in histamine and other amines and does not trigger release of the body's natural histamine.
There is also interest around vitamin co-factors which aid the DAO enzyme in degrading histamine, such as the B complex vitamins. Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C, in particular, have been shown to reduce symptoms of seasickness and histamine intolerance.
The symptoms of histamine intolerance vary widely.
These include: Flushing, difficulty regulating body temperature, sudden excessive sweating. Hives, rashes, swelling, itchy skin, eczema. Racing heart, palpitations, arrhythmia.
Chicken is low histamine only if it is fresh or frozen. Like all meat and poultry products, chicken is highly perishable and will form histamine rapidly. Avoid ground, marinated, smoked, aged and/or canned chicken.
Butter is low histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to butter may be different than someone else's. Test your individual tolerance to ingredients carefully and then keep track of them with the Fig app.