High Histamine Food List

We have compiled a high histamine food list that you can see below. However unfortunately it's not quite as simple as these foods are high histamine so you should avoid these, or these foods are low histamine so you can eat them all. 

Everyone responds differently so its important that you keep a food diary so you are aware of what you respond to. The food list below is split into 2 sections, high histamine foods and Low histamine foods.

We also have a key for certain properties that can be found within the foods such as:  

(H) High Histamine Foods
These are foods that have a high histamine content.

(L) Histamine Liberators
These foods are not necessarily high in histamine (even though they could be) but they encourage the release of histamine from the basophils and mast cells.

(B) Blockers or Inhibitors
These are foods that block diamine oxidase or other histamine degrading enzymes.

Low histamine foods
These foods "should" be the best foods to consume when you are trying to maintain a low histamine diet as they have been reported to have lower histamine levels.

Please note this list is not definitive for a more in-depth guide please see the SIGHI food list here

Dairy Products

Low histamine:

  • Cream cheeses (very young and without additives)
  • Gouda in small quantities
  • Mascarpone Cheese
  • Milk (pasteurised and UHT)
  • Mozzarella Cheese
  • Quark
  • Ricotta Cheese

Higher Histamine (Avoid):

  • Hard cheeses, blue cheeses, mould cheeses, matured cheeses etc - H
  • Feta - H
  • Cheddar - H
  • Processed Cheese - H
  • Sour-cream - H
  • Yoghurt - H

Drinks & Beverages

Low histamine:

  • Mineral & Tap water
  • Chamomile Tea
  • Elderflower Cordial
  • Peppermint Tea
  • Rooibos Tea
  • Sage Tea

Higher Histamine (Avoid):

  • Avoid all alcohol - H L B
  • Green tea - B
  • Energy Drinks - B
  • Coffee
  • Chocolate Drinks
  • Ovaltine
  • Oat Milk / Drink (often fermented enzymatically)
  • Rice Milk / Drink (often fermented enzymatically)
  • Soy Milk / Drink
  • Black tea - H B
  • Orange Juice - L
  • Tomato Juice - L
  • Drinks with Caffeine and Carbonated (Coca-Cola, coffee, lemonade etc)

Eggs

Low histamine:

  • Egg Yolk

Higher Histamine (Avoid):

  • Egg whites - L

Fats and Oils

Low histamine:

  • Canola Oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Olive Oil
  • Pumpkin seed oil
  • Rape Seed oil

Foods to Avoid:

  • Sunflower Oil 
  • Walnut Oil

Fish & Seafood

Low histamine:

  • Most Fish (freshly caught or frozen)
  • Trout (freshwater and when fresh)

Foods to Avoid:

  • Smoked fish - H L 
  • Fish (on ice or fridge) - L 
  • Tuna - L 
  • Crab - L 
  • Bivalves (Mussels, clams, scallops) - L 
  • Crawfish - L 
  • Crayfish - L 
  • Lobster - L 
  • Prawn - L 
  • Seafood - L 
  • Shellfish - L 
  • Shrimp - L 

Fruits

Low histamine:

  • Apples
  • Apricot
  • Blackberry
  • Blackcurrants
  • Blueberries
  • Cheery
  • Coconut
  • Dates
  • Dragon fruit
  • Figs (fresh)
  • Goji berry
  • Gooseberry
  • Grapes
  • Melons (except watermelon)
  • Nectarine
  • Peach
  • Pomegranate
  • Raisins

Foods to Avoid:

  • Avocado - L 
  • Banana
  • Citrus fruits - L 
  • Cocoa (chocolate and powder)
  • Grapefruit - L 
  • Guava
  • Kiwki fruit - L
  • Lemon - L
  • Lime -L
  •  Mandarin Orange
  • Orange
  • Pear
  • Pineapple - L
  • Plum - L
  • Prune - L
  • Raspberry
  • Rhubarb
  • Strawberry - L
  • Watermelon - L

Herbs, Spices & Seasoning

Low histamine:

  • Basil
  • Dill (in small quantities)
  • Chives (in small quantities)
  • Coriander
  • Ginger (in small quantities)
  • Mint
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Turmeric

Foods to Avoid:

  • Blue fenugreek
  • Bouillon / Stock (Due to yeast extract, meat extract, glutamate) try our low histamine stock
  • Cinnamon
  • Cumin - L
  • Curry powder
  • Fenugreek
  • Jeera - L
  • Meat Extract
  • Mustard, mustard seeds, mustardseed powder - L
  • Paprika
  • Pepper / Peppercorns (Black & White)
  • Seasoning made of Hydrolysated proteins
  • Soy Sauce
  • Vanilla extract
  • Yeast extract

Meat

Low histamine:

  • Beef (when fresh)
  • Chicken
  • Duck
  • Ostrich
  • Turkey
  • Veal (when fresh)
  • Poultry Meat

Higher Histamine (Avoid):

  • Dried Meat (any kind) - H
  • Ham (dried and cured) - H
  • Game - H
  • Mince Meat (packaged or open sale) - H
  • Salami - H
  • Sausages - H
  • Smoked meat - H
  • Venison - H
  • Wild meat - H
  • Pork - L

Seeds & Nuts

Low histamine:

  • Brazil nuts
  • Chia Seeds
  • Macadamia Nuts
  • Pistachio Nuts
  • Psyllium Seed Husks
  • Pumpkin Seeds

Higher Histamine (Avoid):

  • Almond
  • Cashew Nuts - L
  • Hazelnuts - L
  • Sesame
  • Peanuts
  • Pine Nuts
  • Walnuts
  • Most Nuts

Vegetables & Starches

Low histamine:

  • Artichoke
  • Asparagus
  • Beetroot
  • Bell Pepper (sweet)
  • Bok choi / pak choi
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage (green and white)
  • Carrot
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Courgette
  • Cucumber
  • Cornflakes (with no additives)
  • Garlic (in small amounts)
  • Leeks (in small amounts)
  • Lettuce iceberg, head and leaf lettuces
  • Marrow
  • Oats (some varieties may cause flatulence)
  • Onions
  • Parsnip
  • Potato
  • Radish
  • Red Cabbage
  • Rice
  • Rice noodles
  • Quinoa
  • Squashes
  • Sweet corn
  • Sweet Potato
  • Wild rice
  • Yam
  • Zucchini

Foods to Avoid:

  • Aubergine - H 
  • Avocado - L 
  • Beans (pulses) - L 
  • Bell pepper (hot) 
  • Buckwheat 
  • Baked goods 
  • Bread
  • Brussels Sprouts - L  
  • Barley malt 
  • Chickpeas
  • Chilli pepper
  • Eggplant - H 
  • Green Beans
  • Kelp (Seaweed)
  • Lentils
  • Olives
  • Peas 
  • Pickled Vegetables (Gherkins, Cucumbers etc) -  H
  • Pulses (soy, beans, peas etc) -  L
  • Soy (Soy Beans, soy flour)
  • Spinach
  • Sunflower seeds - L 
  • Tomato - L 
  • Wheat 
  • Rye 

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