High-Histamine Foods
Some foods are naturally high in histamines. Others don’t have a lot of histamine but trigger your white blood cells to make it. If you have histamine intolerance, both kinds of foods can lead to too much histamine in your body and trigger unpleasant symptoms.
• Alcoholic beverages, especially fermented ones like beer and wine
• Canned and smoked fish, raw fish that is not perfectly fresh
• Cured meat
• Dry-fermented sausages
• Cheese
• 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.
• Yeast – even though it does not contain histamine as such, yeast serves as a catalyst for minor or major histamine generation during leavening depending on product.
High-histamine fruits
Although many fruits are not high in histamine, they can trigger the release of histamine.
• Banana
• Pineapple
• Papaya
• Citrus fruits (such as lemons, limes, and oranges)
• Strawberries
• Cherries
High-histamine vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Soybeans
Sauces and condiments
• Sauerkraut
• Soy sauce
• Vinegar
• Chili powder
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
High-histamine seafood
Frozen, smoked, and canned seafood, as well as fish that are not fresh anymore, can have high levels of histamine. Pay particular attention to:
• Mackerel
• Sardines
• Tuna
• Herring
• Shellfish
Nuts and seeds
The following nuts don’t have a lot of histamine but are high in histamine-like chemicals:
• Almonds
• Chestnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Pistachios
Fermented foods
The amount of histamine in fermented foods (such as kimchi and kefir) can vary based on preparation techniques and the length of aging. Sauerkraut is particularly high in histamine.
Alcohol
Beer and wine, especially red wine, have high levels of histamine. Migraines triggered by red wine are likely linked to histamine intolerance.
Packaged meat
Choose fresh meat over packaged, smoked, or otherwise preserved products. Be especially cautious with anything that has mold on it such as prosciutto.
This means avoiding:
• Sausage
• Deli meats
• Bacon
Cheese
Aged, smoked, unpasteurized, pasteurized, and blue cheeses are high in histamine.
One study found that the age of cheese and the temperature at which cheese is stored can affect histamine levels. The histamine content found in cheeses stored at 22 C was higher than the histamine content found in cheese stored at 4 C.
Legumes
Legumes are a broad category of beans, lentils, and peanuts. The following legumes don’t have a lot of histamine but have high levels of histamine-like chemicals:
• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Peas
• Peanuts
• Soybeans
Other foods
Other foods that could raise your histamine levels are:
• Tea
• Licorice
• Chocolate
• Pork
• Egg whites
• Additives (such as colorings, thickeners, and preservatives)
Medications
Some medications can raise your histamine levels, including:
• Antidepressants
• Diuretics
• Blood pressure medications
• Opioids
• Muscle relaxants
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Antibiotics
Ask your doctor whether any of your medications could contribute to high histamine levels. They may be able to help you find an alternative medication.
Low-Histamine Foods
• Non-citrus fruits like apples, blueberries, mangoes, peaches, pomegranates, and more
• Fresh vegetables (but not tomato, eggplant, or spinach)
• Gluten-free grains, such as rice, quinoa, amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, and millet
• Honey
• Fresh meat and chicken
• Eggs
• Some fish, including trout and hake – the fresher the better
• Salmon: Only fresh or flash-frozen within 30 minutes of catch
• Fresh pasteurized milk and milk products
• Milk substitutes, such as goat milk, sheep milk
• Healthy cooking oils
