Foods with histamine and other amines (Updated list 2024)

Food intake can be a trigger for adverse reactions. Food intolerance is an abnormal non-immunological response of the body to the ingestion of food or its components in a normally tolerated dose.

Foods High in Histamine

NOT RECOMMENDED

VEGETABLES

• Spinach.
• Tomato.
• Tomato juice.
• Ketchup.
• Canned, pickled vegetables.
• Sauerkraut.
• Kimchi.
• Pickles.
• Canned mushrooms.
• Ceps.
• Morels.
• Agaricus.

FRUIT

• Strawberries.
• Raspberries.
• Lemon.
• Lime.
• Orange.
• Tangerine.
• Grapefruit.
• Ripe banana.
• Pineapple.
• Kiwi.
• Yellow kiwi.
• Guava.
• Ripe avocado.

All overripe fruits

CEREALS

• Wheat and wheat derivatives.
• Wheat germ.
• Pastries.
• Cookies.
• Packaged breads.
• Canned corn.

LEGUMES

• Soy.
• Soy drink.
• Bean sprouts.
• Soy Tempe.
• Soy yogurt.
• Tofu.
• Lentils.
• Chickpeas.
• Bean.
• Peanut.
• Peanut butter.

DRIED FUTURES AND SEEDS

• Walnuts.
• Cashews.

MEATS AND EGGS

• Sausages of all kinds: fuet, salami, chorizo, salchichón, mortadella, ham...
• Canned meats.
• Ultra processed meats: sausages?
• Marinated meat.
• Smoked meat.
• Packaged minced meat.
• Meat cakes.
• Pate.
• Viscera.
• Egg whites.
• Packaged boiled egg.
• Egg.
• Pre-cooked food.

DAIRY

• Cured cheese.
• Semi-cured cheese.
• Soft cheese.
• Cream cheese.
• Grated cheese.
• Cheese to melt.
• Powdered cheese.
• Blue cheese (penicillium).
• Slices of cheese.
• Fondue.
• Cured gouda.

*the more cured the cheeses, the more histamine they carry

FISH

• Canned, marinated, salted, smoked or pickled fish.
• Tuna.
• Mackerel.
• Herring.
• Sardines.
• Anchovies.
• Mahi mahi.
• Seafood: mussels, shrimp, prawns, crabs, lobsters.
• Fish sauces.
• Packaged fish soups.

SPICES AND DRESSINGS

• Vinegars (especially wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, Modena vinegar).
• Sauces with vinegar.
• Monosodium glutamate.
• Soy sauce.
• Licorice.
• Spicy spices: chili, mustard grains, chillies, black pepper, ground ginger, garlic powder.

OTHERS

• Cocoa.
• Cocoa paste.
• Milk chocolate.
• Dark chocolate.
• White chocolate.
• Carob.
• Algae.

DRINKS

• Alcohol (of all kinds).
• Sugary drinks.
• Fruit juices not recommended.
• Kombucha tea.

Low Histamine Foods

RECOMMENDED

VEGETABLES

• Onion.
• Shallot onion.
• Purple Onion.
• Leek.
• Celery.
• Zucchini.
• Cucumber.
• Garlic.
• Pumpkin.
• Carrot.
• Radish.
• Beet.
• Turnips.
• Arugula.
• Canons.
• Endives.
• Endive.
• Watercress.
• Cauliflower.
• Brussels sprouts.
• Red cabbage.
• Broccoli.
• Artichokes.
• Yellow pepper.
• Red pepper.
• Green asparagus.
• Pak choi.
• Bimis.

FRUIT

• Apple.
• Green banana.
• Mango.
• Coconut.
• Lychees.
• Grenade.
• Fresh currants.
• White grape.
• Red grape.
• Melon.
• Fresh blueberries.
• Blackberries.
• Fresh figs.
• Peach.
• Apricot.
• Nectarine.
• Cherries.
• Coconut.

CEREALS

• Buckwheat.
• White rice.
• Basmati rice.
• Integral rice.
• Darling.
• White quinoa.
• Red quinoa.
• Black quinoa.
• Teff.
• Sorghum.
• Spelt.
• Rye.
• Corn (not packaged).
• Corn flour (cornstarch).

*choose them eco

LEGUMES

• Red lentils.
• Red lentil pasta.
• Peas.
• Azuquis.

DRIED FUTURES AND SEEDS

• Nuts.
• Macadamia nuts.
• Chestnuts.
• Pistachios.
• Hazelnuts.
• Pinions.
• Sunflower seeds.
• Pumpkin seeds.
• Seeds.
• Sesame.
• Linen.
• Chia.
• Hemp.
• Poppy.
• Nuts.

MEATS AND EGGS

It is important that it is as fresh as possible

• Eco chicken.
• Eco turkey.
• Eco beef.
• Echo lamb.
• eco rabbit
• Frozen meat (that has not been stored for a long time).
• Eco chicken egg.
• Eco quail egg.

FISH

It is important that it is as fresh as possible and gutted as soon as possible.

• Frozen white fish (and that has not been stored for a long time).
• Hake.
• Sole.
• Cod.
• Snuff.
• Perch.
• Pout.
• Golden.
• Trout.
• Bass.
• Rooster.
• Tilapia.
• White snapper.
• Rooster.
• Sea bream.

DAIRY

• Mozzarella.
• Burrata.
• Curd.
• Cottage.
• Fresh goat cheese.
• Fresh sheep cheese.
• Fresh cow cheese.
• Buffalo mozzarella.
• Mascarpone.
• Organic butter.
• Goat milk.
• Sheep's milk.
• Organic ghee.

In small quantities:

• Sheep yogurt.
• Goat yogurt.
• Cow yogurt.
• Feta cheese.

TUBERS

• Potato.
• Purple potato.
• Potato starch.
• Sweet potato.
• Yucca.
• Male banana (not very ripe).
• Tupinambo.

OILS AND DRESSINGS

• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Flax oil.
• Sesame oil.
• Coconut oil.
• Sunflower oil.
• Fish oil.
• Organic apple cider vinegar.
• Salt.
• Fresh herbs.

DRINKS

• Rice.
• Coconut.
• Rice and coconut.
• Gluten-free oats.
• Quinoa.
• Hemp.
• Almonds.

*choose them without added sugar or sweeteners

• Tea without theine.
• Green tea without theine.
• Natural coffee (in very small quantities).
• Decaffeinated coffee.
• Rooibos Infusions.

OTHERS

• Stevia.
• Honey (very punctually).
• Coconut sugar.
• Homemade fruit jams allowed.

(The ideal is to sweeten as little as possible)

Recommendations for following a low histamine diet:

• Prefer fresh and minimally processed foods, since packaged and fermented foods contain more histamine.
• Read product labels carefully for ingredients with histamine.
• Avoid packaged sauces and condiments.
• Fresh animal proteins, avoiding packaged products.
• Most cases of histamine poisoning are due to rotten foods or canned animal proteins, especially fish.
• Prefer organic meats, fish or eggs.
• Prefer poultry over beef; If beef is chosen, let it be grass-fed.
• Avoid slow cooking and marinating.
• Avoid leftovers unless they are frozen immediately and reheated quickly.
• Organic eggs with numerology 0 or 1, always cooked.
• Avoid eating organ meats.
• Fresh fish of the day and gutted is the safest option.
• Choose cheeses with low histamine content; fresh ones have less histamine.
• Prefer goat or sheep dairy.
• Maintain good hygiene in the kitchen, wash your hands and utensils, and clean the refrigerator and freezer.
• Fruits and vegetables should be washed and disinfected well, even if they are consumed with their skin.
• Avoid plastic kitchen utensils and food storage containers.
• Do not heat plastic containers in the microwave.
• Avoid slow cookers, smoked or marinated foods.

Bibliography:

• Join FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Evaluation of certain contamination in food (2011).
• FDA bad bug book
• EFSA, Scientific opinion on arsenic in food,7(10); (2009).
• Signes-Pastor, A. et al., Geographical variation in inorganic arsenic paddy field samples and commercial rice from the Iberian Peninsula. Food Chem. (2016).