Feta is high histamine and also inhibits DAO, the enzyme that breaks down histamine and other amines in the body. It is also high in another amine called Tyramine.
Most people can tolerate either the feta cheese or dairy free feta (violife) on a low histamine diet.
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.
Sheep's cheese may be low histamine depending on its age. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to sheep cheese may be different than someone else's. Test your individual tolerance to ingredients carefully and then keep track of them with the Fig app.
Aged cheeses have the highest levels of histamine. That's because, during the aging process, proteins break down into histamine. These cheeses include: Hard cheese like parmesan, cheddar, romano.
Haloumi and other fresh cheeses are low histamine. Aged and ripened cheeses are high histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to haloumi may be different than someone else's.
Sourdough, a fermented bread, can be moderately high in histamine and other amines like tyramine.
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.
Avocados are naturally very high in histamine and such high levels can be problematic for people with histamine intolerance. If you suspect that you may have histamine intolerance, it is best to avoid foods high in histamine, such as avocados.
Cream cheese is low histamine. Fresh dairy products like milk and butter are lower in histamine than aged products like aged cheese. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to cream cheese may be different than someone else's.
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.
Low Histamine Foods
Fruit: blueberries, apricots, cranberries, apples, mango, peaches. Vegetables: Onion, sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, squash, cucumbers, beets. Fats and Oils: animal fats.
Both cauliflower and garlic are low histamine and low lectin (and low oxalate if you need that, too). And both can support your health.
Sweet potato: Sweet potatoes are always an excellent choice when looking for a histamine intolerance recipe, as they are naturally low in histamine (1).
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.
Soft, unpasteurized cheeses like feta can contain Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause mild flu-like symptoms in adults. The bacterium may be quite harmful to unborn babies, however, and pregnant women are advised not to consume unpasteurized cheeses.
Soft, unpasteurized cheeses like feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and goat — as well as ready-to-eat meats like hot dogs and deli meats — may contain Listeria, bacteria that cause mild flu-like symptoms in most adults but can be very dangerous for unborn babies.
Cottage cheese vs feta cheese
If you're watching your waistline, cottage cheese is the winner. it has less than half the calories of feta and one-quarter of the fat. But despite being the leaner choice, it has almost as much protein as feta, as well as one-quarter of the salt.
There is currently no cure for histamine intolerance. The key to success is for the patient to learn to adjust to a low-histamine diet and manage the condition(s) until it either goes away, or for life. The patient needs to avoid stress.
If you're wondering if hummus is low histamine, the answer is... kind of… Although most of the ingredients in hummus are tolerable by many histamine intolerance sufferers, traditional hummus does still contains a few ingredients such as lemon that may set off a histamine reaction!