The Low Histamine Diet & Food List

A Tolerance Kitchen article.

The below content has been created with the input of a range of dietitians and sources. Following a low histamine diet should always be done alongside a qualified dietitian. Your own unique intolerances may make you more susceptible to certain foods than others, and long term adherence can lead to deficiencies in other important nutrients. You can find a list of trusted histamine dietitians here, all of whom offer 1:1 online sessions to help you get started and work with you to create a personalised diet. 

We've also created a downloadable pdf version of the below information here, which you can print at home.

What is a Low Histamine Diet?

A low histamine diet is often used by people with histamine intolerance or DAO deficiency to help reduce symptoms of having an excess build up of histamine in their bucket. It’s commonly used by dietitians working to diagnose histamine intolerance, through a process removing specific foods from their clients diets in order to best determine the unique triggers impacting them.

It’s important to note however that creating a perfectly accurate list of foods that are high in histamine isn’t feasible, as histamine accumulation in food can vary based on a range of different factors, including:

• How fresh the food is, especially with regards to meat, fish and fruit (as well as aged cheeses, which are higher in histamine than soft cheeses)
• Where the food is grown
• The extent of bacterial contamination during storage
• How processed or fermented the food is

Rather than be a definitive list, this guide categorises foods into low, moderate, and high histamine accumulation to help you make informed choices, based on the most up to date science available. Before we dive in, it’s important to note a few things:

• Individual tolerance varies. You should always personalise your diet with a registered dietitian if possible, as you may have stronger or weaker reactions to specific foods in any category
• A low histamine diet should ideally be followed for a short period of time only, as there are some essential nutrients that are naturally lower within low histamine foods
• If you can’t get enough of certain nutrients due to your own intolerances, you should consider taking supplements. Some of the more common deficiencies that can occur due to following a low histamine diet (and the low histamine foods they are found in):
  • Vitamin C - found in red peppers, blackberries, cherries, apricots and peas
  • Omega 3 & 6 - found in flaxseed and chia seeds, but commonly taken as a supplement
  • Magnesium - difficult to meet beyond basic requirements on a low histamine diet

We've created this list to be open source - if you're a histamine dietitian and you have evidence that certain foods have helped your clients, we'd love to hear from you.

Let’s get cooking.

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Low Histamine Accumulation Foods

Low histamine accumulation foods form the basis of a low histamine diet. These foods are generally well tolerated when fresh and minimally processed. Remember that freshness can have a large impact on the histamine content of food, so you should ensure that all foods are eaten as fresh as possible, or chilled or frozen in order to preserve their freshness if being saved for later.

While most cereals and starches are low in histamine and form the basis of a low histamine diet, it’s important to remember that overall gut health is important, and that the best way to naturally improve this is with a balanced diet including lots of fruits, vegetables and seeds - think of your five a day!

Low Histamine Foods Table

 

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Medium Histamine Accumulation Foods

These foods may be tolerated in small amounts depending on individual sensitivity. For some people with DAO deficiency, it may be appropriate to take diamine oxidase supplements to assist in breaking down histamine found in medium and higher accumulation foods.

Moderate Histamine Foods Table

 

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High Histamine Accumulation Foods

These foods are most likely to trigger symptoms and are usually avoided on a low histamine diet. Many foods on the list below are often labelled as superfoods for gut health, including things like kimchi and kefir, which can make more general advice around gut health found online appear contradictory and challenging for people with histamine intolerance.

For most people a strong, high-functioning gut microbiome is more important than cutting histamine completely out of their diet. The gut microbiome is what enhances our overall capability to break down foods, and the diamine oxidase enzymes that our body creates or that we supplement are all enhanced through a healthy, high-functioning gut. 

Working with a dietitian is the best way to ensure that you are balancing your histamine levels with the appropriate amount of gut-positive foods and bacteria for long term health.

High Histamine Foods Table