Is chard high in histamine?
Chard is mostly low in histamine: eight lab samples averaged 0.79 mg/kg, with traces in only some, against 31.77 mg/kg for spinach, the green it most often replaces.
- Histamine
- Varies by sample
- Other amines
- Low
- Liberator
- Not on the lists we use
- DAO blocker
- No evidence
What each source says
| Source | Verdict | What it says, in our words |
|---|---|---|
| Lab measurements, Spain 1 | Measured | Average 0.79 mg/kg in 8 samples, highest 1.33 mg/kg; putrescine averaged 6.38 mg/kg. |
| Review of amines in plant foods, 2018 1 | Histamine was found in only a few chard samples, all below 2 mg/kg. | |
| 10 published low-histamine diets 2 | Chard is not on the review's chart of foods the diets exclude. | |
| SIGHI food list 3 | See source | See SIGHI's own list for its rating. |
Measured histamine
| Food tested | Samples | Histamine | Other amines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chard sold in Spain 1 (Table 1) | 8 | mean 0.79 mg/kg, range nd–1.33 mg/kg | putrescine mean 6.38 mg/kg (2.4–11.94); tyramine mean 1.90 mg/kg (0.74–3.48); cadaverine mean 0.13 mg/kg |
mg/kg = milligrams of histamine per kilogram of food. "Not detected" means below the laboratory's detection limit.
How freshness and processing change it
No study we use followed chard in storage. Spinach, the leafy green it most resembles, gained histamine over 15 days in the fridge in one study, so buy chard fresh and cook it within a few days. Boiling moved putrescine from chard into the water in one study; histamine was not tested after boiling.
Traces of histamine in some of 8 samples; highest 1.33 mg/kg. (measured)
Boiling moved putrescine into the water in one study; histamine was not tested after boiling. (estimate)
Not measured. Storage time adds histamine, and reheating does not remove it. (estimate)
Why we rate chard 1
Chard, also called Swiss chard or silverbeet, is often cooked the way spinach is, so the useful question is how far apart the two are. On the measurements, very far. A University of Barcelona team tested eight samples of chard sold in Spain. Histamine averaged 0.79 mg/kg, from not detected to 1.33 mg/kg. Spinach, tested by the same team, averaged 31.77 mg/kg and never fell below 9.46 mg/kg.
Chard is one of three vegetables, with asparagus and pumpkin, where the team found histamine only in some samples and at very low levels, under 2 mg/kg. The other amines were also low: tyramine averaged 1.90 mg/kg, putrescine 6.38 mg/kg and cadaverine 0.13 mg/kg. The review notes that the vegetables with histamine, chard among them, also contained tyramine. Tyramine in fresh vegetables seems to be linked to bacterial activity, although the authors say little is known about where it comes from.
No other study in the team's review measured amines in chard, so eight samples are all we have, and none of the studies we use followed chard during storage. Spinach gained histamine over 15 days in the fridge in one study, so the sensible habit is the same for both: buy the leaves fresh and cook them within a few days.
For cooking, a study cited in the 2018 review found that boiling chard moved some of its putrescine into the water. Its histamine was not tested after boiling. With spinach, boiling and pouring the water away cut histamine by 83% on average, which suggests the same method would help with chard, but that has not been measured.
Chard does not appear among the foods charted as excluded by the ten published low-histamine diets in the team's 2021 review.
We rate chard 1, "mostly low", because histamine turned up in some samples, at trace levels. It is the closest measured substitute for cooked spinach: in pies and gratins, in stews and soups, or sautéed with garlic and olive oil. The stems take longer to cook than the leaves, so add them first.
Questions about chard and histamine
Is Swiss chard a good substitute for spinach on a low-histamine diet?
On the measurements, yes. Eight chard samples averaged 0.79 mg/kg of histamine, against 31.77 mg/kg for spinach, and chard cooks in much the same way.
Is rainbow chard different from Swiss chard?
Rainbow and ruby chard are the same plant with coloured stems. The study did not say which kinds it tested, so they were not measured separately.
Evidence behind this page
- Eight chard samples sold in Spain averaged 0.79 mg/kg of histamine (not detected to 1.33 mg/kg), 1.90 mg/kg of tyramine and 6.38 mg/kg of putrescine. 1
- The 2018 review reports that histamine in asparagus, pumpkin and chard was found in only a few samples and at very low levels, under 2 mg/kg, and that the vegetables containing histamine also contained tyramine. 1
- Spinach sold in Spain averaged 31.77 mg/kg of histamine, from 9.46 to 69.72 mg/kg. 21
- In a study cited by the 2018 review, boiling reduced putrescine in Swiss chard by transfer to the cooking water. 1
- Chard does not appear among the foods charted as excluded by ten published low-histamine diets. 2
Sources
- Sánchez-Pérez S, Comas-Basté O, Rabell-González J, Veciana-Nogués MT, Latorre-Moratalla ML, Vidal-Carou MC. Biogenic Amines in Plant-Origin Foods: Are They Frequently Underestimated in Low-Histamine Diets? Foods 7(12):205, 2018. doi:10.3390/foods7120205 (Sánchez-Pérez S et al. 2018)
- Sánchez-Pérez S, Comas-Basté O, Veciana-Nogués MT, Latorre-Moratalla ML, Vidal-Carou MC. Low-Histamine Diets: Is the Exclusion of Foods Justified by Their Histamine Content? Nutrients 13(5):1395, 2021. doi:10.3390/nu13051395 (Sánchez-Pérez S et al. 2021)
- Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI). Food compatibility list for histamine intolerance. histaminintoleranz.ch (accessed November 2026), 2026. Link (Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) 2026)