Are hazelnuts high in histamine?
Hazelnuts are low in histamine: none was detected in 9 hazelnut samples tested in Spain, and putrescine and tyramine were found only in small amounts.
- Histamine
- Not detected
- Other amines
- Low
- Liberator
- Claimed, unproven
- DAO blocker
- No evidence
What each source says
| Source | Verdict | What it says, in our words |
|---|---|---|
| Lab measurements, Spain 1 | Measured | No detectable histamine in 9 samples; putrescine averaged 1.18 mg/kg. |
| 10 published low-histamine diets 2 | 2 of 10 exclude nuts as a group. | |
| Clinical review, 2024 4 | Lists nuts among foods a low-histamine diet avoids. | |
| Histamine-liberator claim 2 | Nuts are listed among suggested histamine-releasing foods; no human study supports the claim. | |
| SIGHI food list 5 | See source | See SIGHI's own list for its rating. |
Measured histamine
| Food tested | Samples | Histamine | Other amines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazelnuts sold in Spain 1 (Table 2) | 9 | not detected | putrescine mean 1.18 mg/kg (nd–3.19); tyramine mean 0.49 mg/kg (nd–2.63); cadaverine not detected |
| Nuts sold in Spain (group) 2 (Table 1) | 47 | not detected | putrescine mean 4.40 mg/kg (ND–39.51); spermidine mean 28.64 mg/kg |
| Nuts (group) 3 (Table 1) | 41 | mean 0.45 mg/kg, range nd–11.86 mg/kg | median not detected |
mg/kg = milligrams of histamine per kilogram of food. "Not detected" means below the laboratory's detection limit.
How freshness and processing change it
Hazelnuts are sold dry and the samples tested had no histamine. No study we use followed amines in hazelnuts during storage, and the paper does not say whether the samples were raw or roasted. Histamine is heat-stable, so roasting would not remove any.
No histamine in 9 samples; little putrescine or tyramine. (measured)
Not measured. Made from hazelnuts alone; check the label for added ingredients. (estimate)
Not measured. Contains chocolate or cocoa, which 6 of 10 published diets exclude. (estimate)
Why we rate hazelnuts 0
Hazelnuts had no histamine in the measurements we have. A University of Barcelona team tested nine samples of hazelnuts sold in Spain, the largest set for any single nut in its 2018 review, and none had detectable histamine. Two other amines turned up in small amounts: putrescine averaged 1.18 mg/kg, with 3.19 mg/kg in the highest sample, and tyramine averaged 0.49 mg/kg, up to 2.63 mg/kg. Cadaverine was not detected. That putrescine level is among the lowest of the nuts the team measured, under half the almond average of 2.47 mg/kg and far below the 14.84 mg/kg found in pistachios.
The wider nut figures point the same way. The team's 2021 survey of 47 nut samples sold in Spain found no histamine in any of them. A 2020 review from the same group, using a different set of 41 nut samples, reports an average of 0.45 mg/kg, with at least half having none and the highest at 11.86 mg/kg, but it does not say which nuts those were.
The published lists treat hazelnuts as part of "nuts". Two of the ten low-histamine diets in the 2021 review exclude nuts, and a 2024 clinical review lists nuts among the foods a low-histamine diet avoids at first and reintroduces later. The reasons given are other amines and the idea that nuts make the body release its own histamine, which no study in people supports. The measured amines in hazelnuts are low, so the first reason does not fit them well.
We rate hazelnuts 0, "low". Nine samples from one survey is a reasonable base for a nut, though not a large one. Ground hazelnuts and hazelnut butter were not measured; they are made from hazelnuts alone, so we give them the same estimate. Chocolate hazelnut spread is a different product. It contains chocolate or cocoa, which six of the ten diets exclude, so we rate it 1 as an estimate and suggest judging it as chocolate rather than as hazelnuts. Hazelnuts are also a good stand-in for pistachios, which carry far more putrescine, in baking and pesto.
Questions about hazelnuts and histamine
Is hazelnut spread low histamine?
Chocolate hazelnut spread was not measured. Hazelnuts themselves had no histamine in testing, but the spread contains chocolate or cocoa, which 6 of 10 published low-histamine diets exclude. We rate it 1 as an estimate.
Are roasted hazelnuts low in histamine?
The paper does not say whether the nine samples were raw or roasted, and none had histamine. Histamine is heat-stable, so roasting would not remove it, but there was none to remove in the samples tested.
Evidence behind this page
- Nine hazelnut samples sold in Spain had no detectable histamine or cadaverine; putrescine averaged 1.18 mg/kg and tyramine 0.49 mg/kg. 1
- Across 47 nut samples sold in Spain, no histamine was detected; putrescine averaged 4.40 mg/kg. 2
- A 2020 review reports an average of 0.45 mg/kg of histamine in 41 nut samples, with a median of not detected and a maximum of 11.86 mg/kg. 3
- Two of ten published low-histamine diets exclude nuts, and six of ten exclude chocolate. 2
- A 2024 clinical review lists nuts among the foods a low-histamine diet avoids, to be reintroduced later. 4
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)
- Comas-Basté O, Sánchez-Pérez S, Veciana-Nogués MT, Latorre-Moratalla M, Vidal-Carou MDC. Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art. Biomolecules 10(8):1181, 2020. doi:10.3390/biom10081181 (Comas-Basté O et al. 2020)
- Jochum C. Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Beyond. Nutrients 16(8):1219, 2024. doi:10.3390/nu16081219 (Jochum C 2024)
- 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)