Histamine is a chemical created endogenously by the immune system and is present in some foods. By eliminating foods with histamine for six weeks to three months, and later reintroducing them, we can find which histamine laden foods your body can and can not tolerate. In addition, an elimination diet will help clear any antibodies to food sensitivities present.
The most prominent high-histamine foods are fermented, aged or processed. It is best to consume fresh foods as much as possible.
Foods High in Histamine or DAO Inhibition:
- Fermented goat, sheep and cow dairy products (cheese, kefir, yogurt, etc.)
- Fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, pickled vegetables, natto, soy sauce, coconut aminos, miso, sourdough/yeast breads, etc.)
- Fermented liquids (kombucha, vinegars, alcohols)
- Processed, smoked and cured meats (sausages, salami, ground meat, etc.)
- Alcohol (wine, beer, champagne, liquor, etc.)
- Certain vegetables and fruits (tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, avocado, plantains, citrus, strawberries, etc.)
- Certain seafood (anchovy, sardines, tuna, smoked trout, eel, smoked and wild salmon, etc.)
Drugs that Impact Histamine:
- DAO inhibitors
- Anti-Inflammatories
- Pain Medications
- Muscle Relaxers
- Cardiovascular Medications
- Etc.
Talk to your medical provider about specific medications that impact histamine.
Low-Histamine Foods:
- Fresh meat (duck, chicken, goose, turkey, wild boar, pheasant, grass-fed beef, bison, elk, goat, lamb, mutton, pork, quail, rabbit, veal)
- Fresh fruit (currants, apple, apricot, blackberries, cherries, elderberries, fig, grapes, guava, jackfruit, litchi, mulberries, pear, peach, pomegranate, raspberries, tomatillo)
- Fresh vegetables (green onions, pumpkin, artichoke, arugula, asparagus, potato, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, lettuce, carrot, cassava, cauliflower, celery, chard, chicory, collard greens, cucumber, dandelion greens, fennel, kale, leek, okra, onion, bok choy, parsnips, parsley, radish, rutabaga, shallot, savoy cabbage, squash, zucchini)
- Herbal tea
- Whole-grains and products
- Fresh/frozen fish (carp, plaice, crayfish, hake, lobster, trout)
- Egg
- Fresh milk and products (cream, raw milk, whey, mozzarella, ricotta, etc.)
- Cooking oils
- Herbs
For specific food clarifications, talk to your nutritionist and download the “Food Intolerances” App by Baliza GmbH.
