Meat, poultry, and fish should all be fine, provided they are not packaged or preserved. Cooking for yourself at home is a great way to ensure you are eating fresh food.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are generally a safe and healthy option, so it's a good idea to try and incorporate as many of these as possible into your diet.
In addition to keeping your histamine down, fresh fruit and vegetables are an essential source of vitamins and minerals. There are some exceptions to this, but we’ll get to those later.
It's a good idea to try and incorporate whole grain bread, pasta, rice, oats, and flour into your normal diet. Sourdough bread and products high in yeast should be avoided, however.
Frozen meals also tend to be high in preservatives, too, so it’s best to avoid these whenever possible. Again, cooking for yourself at home is a much safer bet.
To reduce those histamine levels it may well help to cut out citrus fruits, including any juices. Remember to eat plenty of other fruits, however, as these are an essential part of a healthy diet.
We have already seen that dairy products are high in histamines and can therefore trigger allergic symptoms. Indeed, do your best to replace these with non-dairy alternatives where possible.
Bear in mind, however, that eggs are okay and that certain cheeses are more harmful than others: histamine levels in cheese depend on the age and temperature at which they were stored.
Often found in products that contain tree nuts are chocolate and cinnamon, which, unfortunately, are also to be avoided.
It can be difficult to diagnose histamine intolerance, and you definitely can’t diagnose yourself at home. If you are suffering with symptoms, consider making an appointment with an allergist.
Probably the allergist will suggest you follow a strict histamine-free diet to see if that makes you feel better.
If you are not able to manage your allergy symptoms with changes to your diet, your doctor might prescribe you an antihistamine.
Antihistamines block the histamines in your body and prevent them from causing troublesome symptoms. You should wait to be prescribed an antihistamine before taking it.
Look for herbal remedies that contain natural histamine blockers, such as quercetin, turmeric, stinging nettle leaf, vitamin C, or vitamin D.
A dietician will be able to draw up a meal plan for you, so you don’t have to worry about picking the wrong foods. Your allergist may be able to make a recommendation for someone to see.
If your gut is unhealthy, you are more likely to experience allergic reactions and develop high histamine levels. A strong gut is essential for a healthy immune response.
Taking a probiotic or eating foods with probiotics can do wonders for your gut health and therefore alleviate your allergy symptoms.
Sources: (WikiHow) (Clean Eating Kitchen)
As previously mentioned, fresh vegetables are generally good for lowering histamine levels. There are some exceptions to this rule, however.
If you suffer with seasonal allergies, you'll know just how annoying it can be. When it comes to sneezing and itchy eyes, the culprit is histamine, and we all have it in our bodies.
Some people are more sensitive to histamine than others and suffer with debilitating symptoms. If that's you, it's worth bearing in mind that there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your histamine levels. Since most histamines come from food, most of the useful changes you can make are related to diet.
Intrigued? Check out this gallery to find out how you can reduce histamine in your body.
How to reduce histamine in the body
And relieve your allergy symptoms!
HEALTH Allergies
If you suffer with seasonal allergies, you'll know just how annoying it can be. When it comes to sneezing and itchy eyes, the culprit is histamine, and we all have it in our bodies.
Some people are more sensitive to histamine than others and suffer with debilitating symptoms. If that's you, it's worth bearing in mind that there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your histamine levels. Since most histamines come from food, most of the useful changes you can make are related to diet.
Intrigued? Check out this gallery to find out how you can reduce histamine in your body.