Histamine is released as part of the body’s natural immune response to an allergen or injury, but for some people, too much histamine or a histamine intolerance can cause or exacerbate symptoms such as itchy skin, a stuffy nose, or a range of digestive issues from cramps to bloating.

There are some foods that are high in histamine, which, for some histamine-intolerance sufferers, aggravate or worsen their symptoms, but there are also some that are naturally low in histamine, which may help ease or reduce the severity of histamine-related symptoms. These foods form part of a low-histamine diet, which essentially means avoiding or reducing foods that are high in histamine or which may trigger the release of histamine.

A low histamine diet, let's be honest, can be quite restrictive, and so it’s important to work with a registered nutritionist to ensure that your overall diet is balanced; otherwise, you could run the risk of nutritional deficiencies, which can lead to other health problems. It’s also important to understand why you have a high histamine load or histamine intolerance and work to address the root cause.

Discover our full range of histamine 'supplements' zeolite clinoptilolite products, or check out even more educational articles and videos.

Our top 20 best low-histamine foods:

1. Eggs

Eggs are a low-histamine food and a complete protein, making them a great addition to a low-histamine diet. Egg yolks provide a good source of vitamin D, which has also been shown to help stabilise mast cells, the cells in the body that release histamine.

2. Fresh or frozen meat

When it comes to meat, it’s often the cooking method that influences histamine levels, such a frying or grilling, so boiling or poaching your meat helps to keep histamine levels low.

3. Fresh or frozen fish

Canned fish are high in histamine and best avoided, but fresh or frozen fish, such as salmon, cod, or hake, are low-histamine and very easy to prepare for low-histamine diets, e.g., by boiling or poaching.

4. Blueberries

Berries are packed with antioxidants and polyphenols that support the gut microbiome, which plays an important role in managing histamine.

5. Apples

Apples, especially their skin, are rich in quercetin, which helps to inhibit the production and release of histamine from mast cells, and acts as a natural antihistamine.

6. Quinoa

Quinoa is packed with nutrients and, like eggs, is a complete protein. It also contains copper and zinc, which can supporting with breaking your histamine down. Copper is essential for managing histamine levels because it is a cofactor in the production of diamine oxidase (DAO), the primary enzyme that breaks down ingested histamine in the intestines. 

7. Mozzarella

Aged and ripened cheeses, including Parmesan, cheddar and Stilton, are all high in histamine. However fresh cheese such as mozzarella is low in histamine. 

8. Artichokes

These vegetables are a great source of luteolin, a bioflavonoid that helps to keep mast cells stable.

9. Onions

Like apples, onions, especially red onions, are a great source of quercetin, which is a natural antihistamine.

10. Ginger

Compounds found in fresh ginger, including gingerol, help stabilise mast cells and have natural anti-inflammatory benefits.

11. Pomegranate

Pomegranates are not only a good source of vitamin C, a natural antihistamine, they also support gut health and contain a polyphenol called ellagic acid, that can help stabilise mast cells through its powerful anti-inflammatory effect. However, we would suggest eating a whole pomegranate rather than the juice, as most juices are heat-treated, which destroys vitamin C.

12. Sprouted lentils

Sprouted lentils have been found to be an excellent source of the DAO enzyme, the enzyme that is responsible for metabolising histamine.  They are also easy to digest and packed full of protein.  Small black, green, or Puy lentils work best. 

13. Mung bean sprouts

Like lentils, mung bean sprouts are a natural source of DAO, but they also contain vitamin C and quercetin, which, as we mentioned, are both antihistamines.

14. Broccoli

Broccoli is high in the antihistamine vitamin C, but broccoli also contains sulforaphane, which has been found to help stabilise mast cells.15. Cauliflower

Like its cousin broccoli, cauliflower is also a good source of both vitamin C and sulforaphane.

16. Garlic

Fresh garlic, not aged garlic, is high in vitamin C, a natural antihistamine that helps to break down histamine in the body faster.

17. Watercress

Watercress contains two key nutrients, flavonols and megastigmanes, that can significantly inhibit histamine release.

18. Chives

Chives belong to the allium family, like onions and garlic, and have mast cell stabilising properties that prevent the release of histamine.

19. Almonds

Almonds contain key nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, vitamin B12 and phosphorus, all of which have been shown to increase DAO enzyme levels.

20. Butternut squash

Butternut squash is high in vitamin E, which inhibits histamine release from mast cells.

Call us on 02476363873 or email us at hello@madebydaily.com to discuss your questions with a member of our clinical team.

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