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.
Cheeses You May Try with Histamine Intolerance
If you are eating cheese, choose soft cheeses, such as mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone, cottage cheese, and cream cheese. Opt for low-lactose or lactose-free dairy if you can to avoid lactose sensitivities.
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.
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.
Jarlsberg cheese is high histamine. Cheese may be high or low histamine depending on its age. Aged cheese is higher histamine than fresh cheese. Every person has unique dietary triggers.
Ricotta and other fresh cheeses are low histamine. Aged and ripened cheeses are high histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to ricotta may be different than someone else's.
Sourdough, a fermented bread, can be moderately high in histamine and other amines like tyramine.
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.
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.
Low Histamine Foods
Fruit: blueberries, apricots, cranberries, apples, mango, peaches. Vegetables: Onion, sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, squash, cucumbers, beets.
Carrot is likely suitable for a low histamine diet. 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. Your reaction to carrot may be different than someone else's.
Cancer-Fighting Properties: Cauliflower and histamine intolerance actually go very well together (unless you have a sulfite sensitivity), as in cauliflower histamine content is very low, and it's overall a very healthy food.
Make Better Cheese Choices
Hard, aged cheeses like Swiss, parmesan, and cheddars are lower in lactose. Other low-lactose cheese options include cottage cheese or feta cheese made from goat or sheep's milk.
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.
Mozzarella and other fresh cheeses are low histamine. Aged and ripened cheeses are high histamine.
This means that mashed potatoes are low histamine, but only if made from fresh potatoes rather than potato flakes (see below). If you fry potatoes, histamine levels rise. It makes no difference what color of potato you purchase: white, red, blue, Idaho, russets, or otherwise, as all potatoes are low histamine.
Oats are low histamine in accordance with the SIGHI list for histamine. Please be mindful that we all have personal food sensitivities.
A. 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.
Apple is likely suitable for a low histamine diet. However, be especially careful with dried fruits which tend to contain preservatives like sulfur dioxide or sulfites. These can trigger reactions in some patients.
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.
Olive oil though, is rated as low histamine on the SIGHI list. It's also described by Mast Cell 360 that 'olive oil's polyphenols and healthy fats are supportive of mast cells'.