Some foods don't contain high levels of histamine, but they are “histamine liberators” that promote the release of the chemical in our body. These include: Pineapples. Bananas.
Bananas act as histamine liberators. In other words, they trigger the release of the body's existing histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to unripe banana may be different than someone else's.
FAQ About Bananas & Histamine
Bananas are not directly high in histamine, but many people have reported that bananas are still a trigger for their histamine intolerance symptoms. Such a food is known as a “histamine liberator,” and should therefore be treated like a high histamine food.
Natural antihistamines may help you control your seasonal allergies. Common ones are stinging nettle, vitamin C, quercetin, butterbur, bromelain, and probiotics. Some alternative practices—such as acupuncture, nasal irrigation, and exercise—may also help you manage symptoms.
Allergists recommend long-acting, non-sedating antihistamines — ones that won't make you sleepy — for everyday use. Though you may know them by their brand names, the generic versions tackle the same problems: Cetirizine (Zyrtec®, Aller-Tec®, Wall-Zyr®). Fexofenadine (Allegra®, Aller-ease®, Aller-Fex®, Wal-Fex®).
The best way to clear histamine from the body is to start an elimination diet that involves only eating and drinking substances that contain low amounts of histamine.
Antihistamines block histamine activity, seeking to stop the allergic reaction. Many allergy medications on the shelves of your local drugstore work as antihistamines. But there are also certain foods and plant extracts that may similarly block the effects of histamine.
High Histamine Foods
Fruit: Citrus fruits, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pears. Vegetables: Eggplant, avocado, tomatoes, olives, beans.
People with late-stage kidney failure need to closely monitor potassium consumption. Foods high in potassium also can interfere with some medications for high blood pressure and heart failure. It certainly would take more than one banana to raise potassium levels to a dangerous level for the average person, Spees said.
Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine by reducing the amount of histamine your body produces in response to an allergen. It might help reduce mild symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and watery eyes due to allergic rhinitis.
Food substitutes
In cases of mild allergies, you may consult your doctor if it is safe to eat a cooked banana since cooking it may deactivate the protein that causes the allergy. However, if your allergy is severe, it is advisable to avoid it completely and eat other fruits of a similar nutritional value.
It's important to note that long-term use of first-generation antihistamines, like Benadryl, may increase the risk of dementia and cognitive decline, research suggests. And there's always a risk of taking too much of an antihistamine, especially with long-term use.
Depending on your symptoms, you can take antihistamines: Every day, to help keep daily symptoms under control. Only when you have symptoms. Before being exposed to things that often cause your allergy symptoms, such as a pet or certain plants.
Cetirizine has the fastest onset of action among the newer antihistamines. Fexofenadine does not impair psychomotor or cognitive skills and shows no dose-related increase in sedation but has a slower onset of action than diphenhydramine and cetirizine.
Probably not. Honey has been anecdotally reported to lessen symptoms in people with seasonal allergies. But these results haven't been consistently duplicated in clinical studies.
Camu camu berries are one of the highest food sources of vitamin C and blueberries and greens are both great sources of quercetin, a natural antihistamine.
5. Turmeric is a spice that can prevent the release of histamine from mast cells and can even inhibit anaphylactic reactions.
Honey is likely low histamine; however, many patients with a histamine-related issue prefer to limit intake of sugars, since blood sugar is linked to histamine levels. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to honey may be different than someone else's.