Histamine is an organic compound that can be found in many foods.
Histamine is produced by the body’s immune system to fight infections. It also helps regulate blood pressure, heartbeat and other vital functions.
Histamine intolerance occurs when the body produces too much histamine or has trouble removing it from cells. As a result, people with this condition may experience symptoms such as flushing, headaches and stomach upset after eating foods high in histamine.
Low histamine fruits
Apples, pears and plums are low in histamine, but citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruits) contain high amounts of histamine. Other low-histamine fruits include apricots, blueberries and blackberries.
Low histamine nuts
Most nuts are very low in histamine. However, pecans contain a moderate amount of histamines and peanuts are high in histamines. If you want to avoid these nuts, choose walnuts or almonds instead.
Asparagus is one of the lowest-histamine vegetables out there — it contains less than 10mg per 100g serving of fresh asparagus. Other low-histamine veggies include celery (10mg per 100g serving), broccoli (11mg per 100g serving), carrots (7mg per 100g serving), cabbage (6mg per 100g serving) and spinach (5mg per 100g serving).
There are a few main categories of foods that cause histamine reactions, including:
Alcohol — and the histamine-releasing bacteria in our gut that consume alcohol
Eggs — because they break down into histamine in our bodies
Histamine liberators — foods with high levels of vitamin C (citrus fruits), tyramine (aged cheeses), or folic acid (spinach)
Many vegetables are low in histamine, so they are great options to consider if you’re looking to reduce your intake or eliminate the intake of these foods altogether. You can find out more about specific vegetables by checking out this list compiled by the Hormone Balance Center.
Low-Histamine Vegetables
Low-histamine vegetables include:
Cucumber
Celery
Cabbage (white and red)
Spinach and kale
Asparagus
Artichokes
Mushrooms (shiitake, button and portobello)
Although high histamine foods can cause problems for some people, others can tolerate them well and have no issues at all.
Histamine is a chemical that the body produces in response to an allergic reaction. It can also be found in many foods, including fish, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, processed meats and fermented dairy products.
Low histamine diet: Foods to avoid
Some low histamine foods are safe to eat while others must be avoided completely. Here are some examples of common low histamine foods:
Low histamine fruits: Apples, bananas, cherries, grapes and strawberries
Low histamine vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage, kale and spinach
If you have histamine intolerance, you may be wondering what foods are safe for you to eat. The list of foods that are high in histamine is quite long, but there are some low-histamine options that can help you manage your symptoms.
Histamine is a chemical released by the immune system in response to certain triggers. It causes inflammation and other reactions that help fight off infection, but it can also cause health problems when there’s too much of it in the body.
If you have histamine intolerance, you may experience digestive symptoms like diarrhea or heartburn after eating certain foods. Or your skin may react to sunlight with a rash or hives after eating a food high in histamine.
Low Histamine Foods
Low histamine foods are important for people who have histamine intolerance or histamine intolerance. This is because the main dietary sources of histamine are high-protein foods and fermented products.
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Sweet potato
Carrots
Beets
Celery
Spinach (cooked)
A low-histamine diet is a way of eating that focuses on foods that are less likely to cause allergic reactions.
The idea behind a low-histamine diet is that some foods might contain histamine, a chemical produced by the body during an allergic reaction. Histamine can also be released by bacteria in the gut when you eat certain foods. If you have histamine intolerance, you may react to high levels of histamine by getting symptoms such as headaches and diarrhea.
A low-histamine diet means avoiding many common foods that contain histamine, including:
citrus fruits (such as oranges and grapefruit)
bananas
shellfish
alcoholic beverages (including wine)
The following foods are high in histamine:
Almonds
Apples (including seeds)
Apricots
Bananas
Beer and wine
Berries, including strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and cranberries
Cabbage (raw)**
Canned tomatoes and tomato paste**
Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate**
Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit**
Dairy products such as milk, cheese and cream** (except butter)**
Eggs** (particularly the whites)**
Histamine liberators are foods that promote the release of histamine, which can cause symptoms of histamine intolerance, such as inflammation and congestion.
High-histamine foods include:
Alcohol
Fermented foods (alcoholic drinks, cheese, yogurt)
Caffeine (coffee, tea)
Chocolate
Nuts and seeds
Shellfish (crustaceans)
The list below contains many of the foods that are known to be high in histamine.
If you eat a lot of these foods, it may be worth eliminating them for a period of time and seeing if your symptoms improve.
Note that this list is not exhaustive, but it does contain many common histamine-rich foods.
High-histamine foods include:
Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, hard liquor)
Aged cheese (blue cheese, cheddar)
Avocados
Bananas
Citrus (oranges, grapefruit, tangerines)
Dairy products (butter, cream cheese)
Fish (tuna, shrimp)
Fruits with peels such as apples and pears. The peel contains salicylates which are converted to histamine in the body. Apricots also have peels with salicylates but they don’t have enough salicylate to cause problems unless consumed in large amounts. Some people do tolerate peeling off the skin of one or two fruits per day without problems but those who notice worsening symptoms from consuming even small amounts of salicylates should avoid all peels altogether until their symptoms are under control.