For a low histamine diet, focus on fresh, unaged, soft cheeses like mozzarella, cottage cheese, ricotta, cream cheese, mascarpone, and goat's cream cheese, as well fresh goat cheese, while avoiding hard, aged, or fermented cheeses such as Parmesan, cheddar, blue cheese, and Gouda, which are high in histamine. Always choose plain versions without additives and remember that freshness is key for lower histamine levels.
Haloumi and other fresh cheeses are low histamine. Aged and ripened cheeses are high histamine. Every person has unique dietary triggers. Your reaction to haloumi may be different than someone else's.
Milk Products to avoid: Avoid fermented milk products such as cheeses, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream. Cheeses include processed cheese, cheese slices and spreads. Avoid cheddar, Emmenthal, Harzer cheese, Gouda, Roquefort, Tilsiter, blue cheese, brie, camembert, feta, romano, cottage cheese and ricotta cheeses.
Philadelphia Original Whipped Cream Cheese Spread. This product has 1 ingredient that is high Histamine and 5 ingredients that may be high Histamine.
Mozzarella (fresh): A fresh cheese with no aging process. Cheddar (young): Make sure it's a young-aged cheddar, as older varieties contain more histamine. Parmesan (in small amounts): Although Parmesan is an aged cheese, a small amount is usually well-tolerated, but this is individual.
If you tolerate milk: butter, ghee, cream, cream cheese, ricotta, mozzarella, and other soft cheeses that have not been aged or fermented. The fresher, the better when it comes to low histamine levels in food.
Here are some cheeses that are often recommended for gut health:
The types of cheese analyzed and the ranges of histamine found were: colby, 0.3--2.8; camembert, 0.4--4.2; cheddar, 1.2--5.8; gouda, 1.3--2.4; provolone, 2.0--23.5; roquefort, 1.0--16.8; mozzarella 1.6--5.0; and swiss, 0.4--250 mg histamine/100 g.
Fermented foods, which sourdough is, are high histamine foods. I have slowly added back in some of the foods I cut out that I really miss and have recently started making my own sourdough.
Ginger: A Natural Antihistamine
Ginger has long been celebrated for its anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties. It helps block histamine release while supporting the immune system. To harness its benefits, prepare ginger tea by steeping fresh slices in hot water for 3–5 minutes.
8 Low Histamine Bread Products
But you can also experience them, and/or migraine headaches, digestive troubles, among other negative effects, if you eat certain foods, such as avocados, yogurt, or peanuts — all of which are high in histamine.
Olive Oil 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 olive oil may be different than someone else's.
Breakfast for histamine intolerance with recipe ideas
The healthiest cheeses are often fresh, low-sodium options like Cottage Cheese, due to its high protein and low calories, and Mozzarella, known for being lower in sodium and fat. Other excellent choices include Ricotta, Goat Cheese, and Parmesan, offering good protein, calcium, and flavor without excessive calories, though portion control remains key for all cheeses.
Many common pizza ingredients are packed with histamine, including: 🍅Tomato sauce: Tomatoes are high in histamine and can cause its release. 🧀Cheese: Aged cheeses like mozzarella and parmesan are particularly loaded with histamine. 🍕Processed meats: Toppings like pepperoni, salami, and ham are also high in histamine.
Fermented foods e.g. yoghurt, kefir, and sauerkraut are rich in histamine and should be avoided if you are a HIT sufferer.
The eight foods responsible for about 90% of food allergies are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. A ninth allergen, sesame, was recently added to this list in the U.S., making it the "Big 9" due to its prevalence and the severe reactions it causes.
Low-Histamine Foods (Score 0)
If you're a cheese lover, you're in luck! 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.
So if you suffer from histamine intolerance, you should prefer calmer sports such as strength training, Pilates or yoga. Interesting fact: Cardio training releases histamine and other inflammation substances, but the effect only takes temporary (up to 72 hours).
Unfortunately, feta cheese is high in histamine, but cottage cheese is a great choice. Naturally, lactose-free cheeses include hard and aged cheeses, such as parmesan, cheddar, and Swiss cheese. Unfortunately, hard and aged cheeses are high in histamine.
Goat cheese, or chevre contains only A2 casein, while cow's milk has both A2 and A1 beta casein proteins. The A2 casein protein prevents gut inflammation, which in turn can prevent the formation of systemic inflammation.
Spotlight the Super Six:
When it comes to the plants you eat, you want to eat from across the six different plant groups: vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes (beans and pulses), nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices.
Luckily, the aging process that kills off the potentially dangerous pathogens from raw milk and makes cheese safe to eat also allows the development of beneficial bacteria! Gorgonzola, parmesan, cheddar, and gouda are just some of the aged cheeses that can be beneficial to your gut health.