Histamine is a chemical released by the immune system known for its role in contributing to allergy symptoms. Histamine has other important functions too, including sleep-wake cycle and cognitive function regulation. Histamine intolerance can lead to high histamine levels in the body because it doesn’t break down histamine properly, causing bothersome symptoms.
This article explores the relevance of histamine content in foods, including mushrooms, and how histamine impacts overall health and well-being.
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What is Histamine?
Histamine is a signaling chemical that sends messages to various cells within the human body. While histamine has several functions, it’s typically known for causing allergy and anaphylactic symptoms, some of which can become severe or life-threatening.
Allergies are the body’s response to allergens or foreign proteins the body is allergic to, and its immune system overreacts to them.
Some individuals experience histamine intolerance and related conditions, such as histamine poisoning or histaminosis. Histamine intolerance causes high histamine levels because of the body’s inability to properly break down this chemical.
Symptoms of histamine intolerance include:
- Nasal congestion
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Hives
- Fatigue
- Irregular or painful menstrual periods in women
- Diarrhea or other digestive problems
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Itching
- Shortness of breath
- Hives or a rash
- Flushing
- Irregular heartbeat
- Low blood pressure (hypotension)
- Tongue, throat, or lip swelling
Histamine is a bioactive amine synthesized by decarboxylation of a precursor amino acid called histidine. Histamine metabolism involves extracellular oxidative deamination of amino groups or intracellular methylation.
Healthy people can break down and eliminate histamine using a diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme, but insufficient DAO expression or the inhibition of its activity increases the chance of histamine accumulation within the body and toxicity.
Which Foods Are High in Histamine?
Some foods are high in histamine or cause the body to release more histamine. A high intake of such foods may lead to allergy symptoms, headaches, or an upset stomach.
Foods high in dietary histamine or those that cause cells to release histamine include:
- Wine, beer, champagne, and other alcohol
- Aged, unpasteurized, smoked, and blue cheeses
- Aged or processed meats (cold cuts, regular bacon, sausage, etc.)
- Some fruits: strawberries, bananas, pineapple, kiwi, plums, citrus fruits, papaya, etc.
- Tomatoes, eggplant, and spinach
- Pickled vegetables
- Avocados
- Canned fish and shellfish
- Peanuts
- Other nuts
- Licorice
- Chocolate
- Soy products
- Egg whites
- Pork
- Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, fermented meats, etc.)
- Smoked, pickled, salted, dried, marinated, and canned foods
- Legumes (chickpeas, beans, lentils, etc.)
Individuals are sometimes (less than 20% of the time, according to research studies) told to avoid mushrooms as part of a low-histamine diet.
Colorants and preservatives can also increase histamine levels. Some medications, such as blood pressure medicines, antibiotics, prescription painkillers, local anesthetics, and diuretics, may increase histamine in the body.
Food storage matters, too. To minimize bacteria production, choose fresh, refrigerated, or frozen foods over canned, shelf-stable, and highly processed foods.
It’s vital to identify foods high in histamine for individuals with a histamine intolerance. While nearly all foods contain some histamine, the specific foods to limit or avoid on a low-histamine diet vary from person to person based on their sensitivity.
Are Mushrooms High in Histamine?
Are mushrooms high in histamine? Mushrooms are generally low-histamine foods and safe to include in a low-histamine diet. Common types of edible mushrooms include shiitake, reishi, cordyceps, cremini, white, button, and portobello mushrooms.
However, while histamine levels in mushrooms vary, studies show that a high putrescine (another type of amine) content in mushrooms could increase the adverse effects of histamine and be the reason mushroom consumption causes histamine intolerance symptoms in some people.
The researchers suggest that this is why some people associate eating mushrooms with histamine intolerance side effects and choose to avoid mushrooms.
Another study analyzed 53 processed and unprocessed mushrooms. The researchers found that spermidine and putrescine were the most common amides in mushrooms and that histamine was only present in high amounts in eight samples of dried Polish forest mushrooms.
A study examining the histamine and other biogenic amine content in an array of different foods found no detectable amounts of histamine in mushrooms but did detect putrescine, spermidine, and small amounts of spermine.
Interestingly, medicinal mushrooms (shiitake, reishi, cordyceps, etc.) may offer allergy symptom relief.
Mushrooms and Histamine Intolerance
Most edible mushrooms are low in histamine but are a source of histamine-like amines like putrescine. This could potentially lead to symptoms in people with histamine intolerance.
It’s vital to watch for side effects, such as headaches, nasal congestion, fatigue, and gastrointestinal disturbances, after eating mushrooms. There is high variability in responses after consuming mushrooms in people with histamine intolerance.
Individuals should work closely with a healthcare provider to determine the amount and type of mushrooms that are okay to include in a low-histamine meal plan.
Managing Histamine Intolerance
A key strategy for identifying and avoiding high-histamine foods is to keep a list of such foods on hand. Individuals with histamine intolerance should minimize the intake of high-histamine foods and work with their healthcare provider to develop a customized meal plan.
Other tips for maintaining a low-histamine diet include choosing fresh, whole foods whenever possible and avoiding processed, aged, dried, canned, very ripe, and fermented foods.
Individuals with histamine intolerance should check in with their doctor about taking antihistamine medications or altering their current medication regimen. They may benefit from taking dietary supplements, such as copper, vitamin B6, and vitamin C, to further reduce histamine levels in the body and any bothersome side effects.
Routine lab testing helps determine how well histamine intolerance is being managed.
Practical Tips for Including Mushrooms in a Low-Histamine Diet
Practical tips for including mushrooms in a low-histamine diet include:
- Choose fresh mushrooms over canned, dried, and cooked forms.
- To minimize bacteria production, store mushrooms in the refrigerator and toss them out as soon as they show signs of molding, aging, or decay.
- Eat mushrooms raw when possible. If they must be cooked, braise or steam them instead of grilling to minimize histamine production.
- Cook at home vs. dining out when possible.
Cooking at home ensures mushrooms are prepared in a way that minimizes histamine content.
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Key Takeaways
- Are mushrooms high in histamine? Mushrooms are generally considered low-histamine foods, they do contain histamine-like amines that might lead to side effects similar to histamine intolerance, such as nasal congestion, fatigue, headaches, or digestive problems.
- Consume fresh mushrooms overdried, canned, or grilled to minimize histamine and other amines.
- Taking a personalized dietary approach to manage histamine intolerance is critical by tracking potential symptoms after eating mushrooms or other amine-containing foods that may contribute to or worsen histamine intolerance symptoms.
- Individuals at risk of or who struggle with histamine intolerance should seek professional advice regarding their individualized dietary needs.
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