Haloumi and other fresh cheeses are low histamine. Aged and ripened cheeses are high histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers.
There are some lower histamine options including mascarpone, mozzarella and cottage cheese, as well as some plain soft cheese – select those without additives like thickeners or stabilisers. Cheese made from pasteurised milk is considered lower risk than that made from raw milk.
Aged cheeses such as Parmesan, Gouda, Swiss and cheddar are generally considered to be higher in histamine, while mozzarella, ricotta, cottage cheese and cream cheese have lower amounts of histamine. If you have a DAO deficiency, consuming cheeses with lower histamine content may minimize your reaction.
Feta is high histamine and also inhibits DAO, the enzyme that breaks down histamine and other amines in the body. It is also high in another amine called Tyramine. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to feta may be different than someone else's.
There are a few low histamine cheese options out there.
However, most cheeses are fermented and aged, so most are considered high histamine ingredients.
Cream cheese is low histamine. Fresh dairy products like milk and butter are lower in histamine than aged products like aged cheese. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to cream cheese may be different than someone else's.
But yogurt is also off the menu when you are doing Phase 1 of the Low Histamine Diet. That's because yogurt is fermented with histamine raising cultures.
As a rule, bread is not a histamine bomb. However, it depends on the grain and the other ingredients of the bread. The type of production is also important, because firm types of bread are better tolerated than airy ones. For histamine intolerance, bread from the previous day or toasted bread is also well suited.
Foods to avoid if you are histamine intolerant
Foods to avoid include longer-matured cheeses such as Camembert, Gouda, Parmesan, Emmental and Cheddar. Other foods rich in histamine include smoked products such as salami, cured ham and smoked or pickled fish. You should also avoid game, pork and offal, especially liver.
Sourdough, Long Fermentation and Yeast Extract
These breads, and pretty much all sourdough breads, contain higher amounts of histamine. Yeast extract is made from yeast particles that are broken down enzymatically, creating a whole load of histamines. This is different from just using plain yeast to rise your dough.
White Bread is likely suitable for a low histamine diet. White Bread is likely low in histamine and other amines and does not trigger release of the body's natural histamine.
Goat cheese
“This is because the casein protein in goat cheese doesn't cause inflammatory effects as associated with other kinds of dairy,” Neumann says. Goat cheese is also high in selenium, a nutrient that helps protect the body against inflammation.
This means that mashed potatoes are low histamine, but only if made from fresh potatoes rather than potato flakes (see below). If you fry potatoes, histamine levels rise. It makes no difference what color of potato you purchase: white, red, blue, Idaho, russets, or otherwise, as all potatoes are low histamine.
Peanut butter is low histamine but does act as a histamine liberator; in other words, it triggers the release of the body's natural histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to peanut butter may be different than someone else's.
A. Potatoes do not have a high histamine content and do not increase the body's histamine burden. Therefore, most people with histamine intolerance can eat them safely. You can also eat potatoes with additional food sensitivities, such as gluten sensitivity.
What is the most powerful natural antihistamine? Researchers haven't yet established any natural product as the “best” or “most powerful.” Natural antihistamines with the most research backing their use include stinging nettle, vitamin C, quercetin, butterbur, bromelain, and probiotics.
Not only are almonds low histamine, but almond milk is a great low histamine milk alternative, as long as it doesn't contain any sugar or preservatives.
Spices. Strong spices such as hot paprika, curry and chili peppers are definitely a no-go on a low histamine diet, and so many doctors have told me to avoid them. But there are many other spices that can add lots of flavour to your dishes!
Cucumber is likely low in histamine and other amines and does not trigger release of the body's natural histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to cucumber may be different than someone else's.
Sweet potatoes have low levels of histamine while also stimulating the secretion of digestive enzymes from the pancreas, which is great considering that histamine intolerance often includes symptoms of digestive distress in many individuals.