Complete list of high histamine foods: Personal Guide
If you’re here looking for a Complete List of High Histamine Foods, chances are you already suspect that your body is not too happy about certain foods. You may have noticed a link between your sudden migraine, an unexplained rash, or feeling anxious after eating.
That’s why keeping a food diary is so important.
Histamine Reactions
Before we get into it, there’s something you need to know: no list is absolute. In fact, you should consider this guide, and any others you find out there, as a starting point, not a truth set in stone.
Why is this? People with histamine intolerance (HIT) often have other intolerances. What feels good to one person may cause symptoms in another. Yes, frustrating.
So what happens after you’ve eliminated the usual suspects? Well, here comes the fun part: setting your threshold. That is, finding out how much you can tolerate without your body protesting. This process can take weeks or months, but it’s worth every effort if you get your well-being back in the end.
How to read this list
The following Complete list of high histamine foods is organized into two major groups:
- Foods with low histamine content, generally well tolerated.
- Foods with high histamine content or that act as histamine releasers or blockers.
We also include a small key to help you navigate:
(H): Foods with high histamine content.
(L): Histamine releasers.
(B): Blockers or inhibitors (affect DAO or other enzymes that break down histamine).
But remember, this is just a compass. No one knows your body better than you. Are you ready to find out?
Tips to avoid going crazy before the list
Are you overwhelmed by so much information? Relax, it’s normal. Here are some practical tips to keep you calm (and your histamine levels under control):
- Avoid fermented, cured or overripe foods.
- (Yes, that includes that blue cheese that you love madly…)
- Watch out for canned and processed foods.
- Buy fresh whenever you can.
- (And keep it in the fridge, not on the altar of forgotten things.)
- Don’t leave meat or fish out too long.
- Keep your kitchen clean, but don’t obsess.
- Learn to cook what you can eat.
(Doesn’t sound so bad if that means mastering quinoa, right?)
Complete list of high histamine foods
Dairy products
Low histamine:
- Young cream cheeses, mascarpone, quark, ricotta cheese, pasteurized or UHT milk.
High levels of histamine (avoid):
- Cured, hard, blue, cheddar cheeses – H
- Feta cheese – H
- Processed cheese – H
- Sour cream – H
- Yogurt – H
Beverages
Low histamine:
- Chamomile tea, mint, rooibos, sage.
- Tap or mineral water.
High levels of histamine (avoid):
- Alcohol – HLB
- Black tea – HB
- Orange or tomato juice – L
- Coffee, chocolate drinks, carbonated beverages.
Did you know that some plant milks can also have a negative effect? Enzymatic fermentation often increases the histamine in oat, rice, or soy milks.
Meat and fish
Low histamine:
- Fresh meat (beef, chicken, turkey, veal, ostrich).
- Certain fresh fish such as trout, hake or flounder.
High levels of histamine (avoid):
- Dried, cured, smoked meat – H
- Sausages, ham, minced meat – H
- Fish such as tuna, shrimps, shellfish – HL
Eggs
Low histamine:
- Yolk.
High histamine levels (avoid):
- Whites – L
Fruits
Low histamine:
- Apples, pears, grapes, coconut, blueberries, figs, etc.
High histamine levels (avoid):
- Citrus fruits – L
- Kiwi, pineapple, strawberry, plum – L
Vegetables
Low histamine:
- Carrot, broccoli, pumpkin, potato, lettuce, cucumber.
High histamine levels (avoid):
- Eggplant – H
- Tomato – HL
- Spinach, legumes, onion – L
Seeds and nuts
Low histamine:
- Chia seeds, pumpkin, pine nuts.
High levels of histamine (avoid):
- Walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts – L
What now?
Maybe you’re wondering: do I have to give up everything I love?
No. You just need to redirect your love.
Learning to live with HIT can feel like losing a part of you… until you discover that it’s not about restriction, it’s about reconnection. With your body, with your intuition, with your health.
And while this Complete list of high histamine foods may seem long, it’s full of clues about what you can eat and enjoy.