Check my list

High-histamine foods

These are the foods we rate 2 (moderate) or 3 (high). Each links to a page with its measurements, what each published source says, and lower-rated swaps.

FoodRatingCategoryPublished diets excluding it
Anchovies3HighFish and seafood9 of 10
Brie3HighCheese—
Cheddar3HighCheese10 of 10
Eggplant · disputed3HighVegetables3 of 10
Feta3HighCheese—
Goat cheese3HighCheese—
Mackerel3HighFish and seafood9 of 10
Miso · disputed3HighSoy products4 of 10
Parmesan3HighCheese10 of 10
Salami3HighMeat and poultry10 of 10
Sardines3HighFish and seafood9 of 10
Sauerkraut3HighVegetables7 of 10
Spinach3HighVegetables8 of 10
Tempeh · disputed3HighSoy products4 of 10
Tuna3HighFish and seafood9 of 10
Bacon · disputed2ModerateMeat and poultry2 of 10
Beer · disputed2ModerateAlcohol10 of 10
Bone broth2ModerateMeat and poultry—
Cider2ModerateAlcohol—
Kefir2ModerateDairy and eggs—
Kombucha2ModerateDrinks—
Oat Milk2ModeratePlant milks—
Pineapple Juice2ModerateDrinks4 of 10
Red Wine · disputed2ModerateAlcohol10 of 10
Rice Milk2ModeratePlant milks—
Rye bread2ModerateBread and baked goods—
Sourdough bread2ModerateBread and baked goods—
Sparkling Wine · disputed2ModerateAlcohol10 of 10
Tomato · disputed2ModerateVegetables9 of 10
White Wine · disputed2ModerateAlcohol10 of 10
Wine · disputed2ModerateAlcohol10 of 10

What makes a food high in histamine

Histamine in food is made mostly by bacteria. They convert histidine, an amino acid, into histamine, which is why the foods highest in histamine are either fermented on purpose or have had time for bacteria to work. A 2021 review of ten published low-histamine diets found only four foods that every diet excludes: dry-fermented sausages, cured cheese, wine and beer. All four are fermented. In measurements of foods sold in Spain, dry-fermented sausages averaged 21.57 mg/kg of histamine across 424 samples, and some samples were above 400 mg/kg.

The second group is fish from histidine-rich families, such as tuna, mackerel, sardines and anchovies. Fresh, well-chilled fish of these species is often low, but they can build up large amounts of histamine when the cold chain fails, and canning or cooking cannot remove it afterwards. One can of sardines in the Spanish survey measured 657.05 mg/kg.

The third group is a small set of vegetables that contain histamine even when fresh: eggplant (aubergine), spinach and, to a lesser degree, tomato. Eggplant had the highest average of any vegetable measured, 39.42 mg/kg, yet only three of ten published diets exclude it, so it is one of the places where our ratings disagree with the lists.

Two things do not make a food high on our scale by themselves. The first is being called a "histamine liberator", a food said to make the body release its own histamine; there are no human studies supporting that idea. The second is putrescine, a related amine found in bananas and citrus fruit; it may compete with histamine for the enzyme that breaks it down, but the evidence is limited. Both can move a food to 1 on our scale, never higher. Our methodology explains the full rule.

Storage matters for every food on this page. Leftovers, food kept warm, and fish or meat near its date all have more time for histamine to form, and reheating does not destroy it. Each food page lists its fresh and stored forms separately.

Lower-rated swaps