Is parsley high in histamine?
Parsley's histamine level is not reported in our sources; we estimate it mostly low, and one study found its histamine did not change over three weeks in the fridge.
- Histamine
- Not measured
- Other amines
- Not measured
- Liberator
- Not on the lists we use
- DAO blocker
- No evidence
What each source says
| Source | Verdict | What it says, in our words |
|---|---|---|
| Storage study cited in the 2018 review 1 | Histamine and other amines in parsley did not change significantly over three weeks in the fridge; no level given. | |
| Leafy vegetables measured in Spain 1 | No histamine in lettuce, traces in chard, an average of 31.77 mg/kg in spinach. Parsley was not tested. | |
| 10 published low-histamine diets 2 | Parsley 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. |
How freshness and processing change it
In one study, parsley kept in the fridge for three weeks showed no significant change in histamine, tyramine, putrescine or cadaverine. The starting level was not reported in our sources. Dried parsley was not measured.
Level not measured; leafy greens range from none to high. (estimate)
No significant change in histamine over three weeks in one study. (estimate)
Not measured. (estimate)
Not measured; tomato is rated 2. (estimate)
Why we rate parsley 1
Parsley has not been measured for histamine in the tables we use, but it is the one herb that appears in our sources at all. A 2018 review by a University of Barcelona team describes a study by Moret and colleagues that kept parsley, courgette, broccoli and cucumber in the fridge for three weeks and found no significant change in histamine, tyramine, putrescine or cadaverine. The review does not report how much histamine the parsley contained, only that the level did not change. That matters, because storage is how histamine builds up in at least one leafy green: in a separate study, spinach gained histamine significantly over 15 days in the fridge.
It does not tell us the starting level, though, and leaves vary. In the same team's survey of vegetables sold in Spain, lettuce had no histamine, chard had traces, 0.79 mg/kg on average, and spinach averaged 31.77 mg/kg, with histamine in every sample. Parsley could sit anywhere in that range. We rate it 1, "mostly low", as an estimate: the storage result points the right way, but no one has published the amount.
Parsley is usually a garnish or a flavouring, with one big exception: tabbouleh, where it is the main ingredient. Tabbouleh usually also contains tomato, rated 2 on this site, so we estimate the salad at 2 rather than 1. If tomato is off your list, a parsley salad with cucumber, which had no detectable histamine in ten samples, keeps the same fresh character.
Flat-leaf and curly parsley were not compared, and dried parsley was not measured. A 2020 review from the same team found no detectable histamine in a group of 12 spice samples sold in Spain, but it does not name them or say whether dried herbs were included.
Parsley does not appear among the foods charted as excluded by the ten published low-histamine diets in the team's 2021 review. Buy it in bunches that are still bright and firm, keep it chilled, and chop it just before use.
Questions about parsley and histamine
Does parsley build up histamine in the fridge?
In the one study we know of, no. Parsley kept refrigerated for three weeks showed no significant change in histamine or related amines. The actual level was not reported in our sources.
Is tabbouleh low histamine?
Tabbouleh was not measured. Its parsley is estimated at 1, but it usually contains tomato, rated 2 on this site, so we estimate the salad at 2. A version with cucumber instead of tomato is closer to 1.
Evidence behind this page
- In a study cited by the 2018 review, parsley, courgette, broccoli and cucumber kept refrigerated for three weeks showed no significant changes in histamine, tyramine, putrescine or cadaverine. 1
- Among leafy vegetables tested in Spain, lettuce had no detectable histamine (4 samples), chard averaged 0.79 mg/kg (8 samples) and spinach 31.77 mg/kg (18 samples). 1
- Histamine in spinach rose significantly over 15 days of refrigerated storage. 2
- A group of 12 spice samples sold in Spain had no detectable histamine; the review does not name the spices or say whether dried herbs were included. 4
- Parsley 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)
- 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)