Histamine Food List

If your histamine bucket is overflowing or if you have a genetic predisposition leading to histamine intolerance or sensitivity it is important to follow identify your low histamine food list as it will reduce the load off your body. The low histamine food list I have prepared will help to reduce the histamine related symptoms.

Some foods are naturally high in histamine and certain food preparation techniques such as fermentation increase histamine.

General Rules

• Avoid leftovers as they have high histamine levels. Cook every meal fresh.
• Avoid canned foods and ready meals
• Avoid eating ripened and fermented foods (older cheeses, alcoholic drinks, products containing yeast, stale fish)
• As much as it is possible, only buy and eat fresh products
• Don’t allow foods to linger outside the refrigerator – especially meat products
• Avoid Gluten due to its ability to permeate the gut

High Histamine Foods to Avoid

• Fermented foods: yogurt, milk kefir, sauerkraut, water kefir
• Aged cheese
• Dried fruits
• Certain fruits like citrus and strawberries
• Certain vegetables- avocados, tomatoes, spinach, eggplant
• Smoked and cured meats including bacon, salami, sausages & sardines
• Vinegar
• Deli meats (preservatives)
• Artificial colours
• Packaged meals ie: frozen meals
• Shellfish
• Beans and pulses – chickpeas, soybeans, peanuts
• Nuts – walnuts, cashew nuts
• Chocolates and other cocoa-based product
• DAO blockers: Alcohol, Black tea, Energy drinks, Green tea, Mate tea
• Coffee (even though research now shows coffee has certain health benefits, caffeine blocks the DAO enzyme. I would not recommend de-caffeinated coffee either as the manufacturing process can introduce histamine to it)

Low Histamine Foods to Eat

• Fresh meat
• Freshly caught fish
• Fresh fruits (except those listed above)
• Fresh vegetables (except those listed above)
• Grains like white rice and oats if tolerated
• Fresh herbs
• Plain nuts and seeds
• Coconut
• Coconut oil, butter, lard, tallow

Histamine Liberators

In addition to low histamine foods, it’s also important to pay attention to histamine liberators. Histamine liberators release histamine inside the gut.

• Most citric fruits – kiwi, lemon, lime, pineapple, plums…
• Cocoa and chocolate
• Nuts
• Papaya, banana
• Beans and pulses
• Tomatoes
• Wheat germ
• Additives – benzoate, sulphites, nitrites, glutamate, food dyes

Everyone has their own threshold; it is important you find out yours. Knowing your condition enables you to take control of your symptoms thus leading you to a healthy and happy life.

You can check out my recommended supplement guide here.

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