Fruits and vegetables are very important in a histamine-reducing diet, but some contain more histamine than others. Fruits such as apples, bananas, melons, figs, grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, mango and pears contain low levels of histamine and will not contribute to symptoms.
These histamine liberators include kiwi fruit, strawberries, bananas, papaya, citrus fruits and pineapple as well as food additives like carrageenan; certain foods are known to block the activity of the enzyme that is involved in breaking down histamine – an enzyme called diamine oxidase (DAO).
High Histamine Foods
Fruit: Citrus fruits, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pears. Vegetables: Eggplant, avocado, tomatoes, olives, beans. Dairy: Cheese, yogurt, processed cheese.
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.
Helps Fight Allergies: Red Apples
An apple a day keeps the allergist away. Red produce like apples contains a compound called quercetin. This compound is responsible for the red color and works as a natural antihistamine in your body.
Eggs are low in histamines, this makes them ideal for the low-histamine diet. Chickpeas, peanuts, and lentils have been found to have low concentrations of histamines and may be safely consumed in a low-histamine diet.
There is currently no cure for histamine intolerance. The key to success is for the patient to learn to adjust to a low-histamine diet and manage the condition(s) until it either goes away, or for life.
Drinking plenty of water every day is essential for all bodily functions, including the regulation of histamine levels. Water does aid in the removal of histamines from the body as more that 95% of excess histamines are removed from the body through the urine.
Yogurt is a fermented product that contains moderate levels of histamine. Many individuals with histamine intolerance are eventually able to tolerate small amounts of yogurt.
Literature reports describe kiwi fruit as a food with significant effects on human health, including anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
The first signs of a kiwi allergy are usually mild and may include a prickly, itchy, or tingling feeling in and around the mouth. People may also develop a rash in areas where the skin made contact with the fruit.
“Antihistamines” control allergy symptoms by blocking histamine activity. But our body can also produce enzymes such as histamine-N-methyltransferase and diamine oxidase (DAO) capable of inactivating histamine.
Antihistamines block cells from seeing histamine and can treat common allergies. Medicines like steroids can calm the inflammatory effects of allergies.
Block and reduce nighttime histamine release
You can block nighttime histamine release and get a better night's sleep by taking 0.25 -1 mg of ketotifen or zaditen at night.
These include: Flushing, difficulty regulating body temperature, sudden excessive sweating. Hives, rashes, swelling, itchy skin, eczema. Racing heart, palpitations, arrhythmia.
Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, which means it can lower histamine levels and mitigate allergic reactions and symptoms. Consume plenty of Vitamin C rich foods, like tropical fruits, citrus fruits, broccoli and cauliflower, and berries.
Second- and third-generation antihistamines are less likely to cause drowsiness. Of these, cetirizine works the fastest but has a higher chance of making you feel drowsy. Fexofenadine is the least drowsy option.
Broccoli is likely suitable for a low histamine diet. Broccoli is likely low in histamine and other amines and does not trigger release of the body's natural histamine.
It makes no difference what color of potato you purchase: white, red, blue, Idaho, russets, or otherwise, as all potatoes are low histamine.