Histamine Foods

The purpose of this page was created under the original question, is popcorn low in histamine? While that was the main focus, there were numerous other frequently asked questions that came up and are discussed below. 

Is Popcorn Low Histamine?

I’ve seen a few alternate views on this but the reality is that popcorn (and corn itself) contains lectins which are known to cause higher levels of histamine production. To put it short, popcorn is not low in histamine.

That doesn’t mean popcorn can’t be enjoyed. Everyone has a different tolerance level to different things. If you’re concerned about the effect of certain foods then you should speak to your doctor and ask if foods such as corn and popcorn will be safe to eat for you.

Is Popcorn Gluten Free?

So what about popcorns gluten-free status? Thankfully this question doesn’t have a complex answer as popcorn and corn are both naturally gluten-free! So they are fairly safe to eat, but there have been proteins found in corn that could cause problems for someone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

Is Popcorn Vegan Friendly?

Popcorn in its simplest form is derived from just corn. This is great news for vegans because it means popcorn is vegan-friendly. 

However, things get a little complicated as butter and cheese are added. Depending on the brand of popcorn you’re eating, it might not be vegan. The best option you have is to get good at reading ingredient labels and search for any comment about it containing dairy, which will be an instant warning to stay away.

Is Popcorn Keto Friendly?

Popcorn is a common snack and being on a diet may exclude it from your food options. But, if you’re on a keto diet then you can consider a popcorn snack safe! Like most things on a keto diet, you’ll still have to watch your intake.

The number of carbs in the popcorn you buy will vary by brand. Be sure to keep an eye on the carb count because any added butter may increase the number of carbs per serving. Also, the serving size is important to track as you may only be limited to a small portion. 

Is Popcorn A Good Source Of Fiber?

Every brand of popcorn will vary and have different nutrition values, but popcorn itself without any additives is fairly high in fiber. A 1 oz serving of popcorn will average around 3.6 grams of fiber. Considering the how small a 1 oz serving is, 3.6 grams is a good amount of fiber

Is Popcorn High In Potassium?

If you’re looking for snacks to add to your diet that is high in potassium, you can strike popcorn off the list. 

Popcorn is low in potassium and is not a good source if you’re looking for potassium-filled snacks. A 1 oz serving of popcorn will only contain 78mg of potassium on average. 

Is Popcorn Low FODMAP?

Popcorn itself is low FODMAP and safe to eat up to 56 grams before having any concern about FODMAP content. That’s perfect since staying under 56 grams for popcorn is fairly easy. 

7 Things You Should Know About Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a delicious addition to most meals. Whether they be roasted sweet potatoes or a casserole with marshmallows, you’ll be sure to enjoy them. 

But what do we really know about yams, other than their popularity around Thanksgiving? Well, there’s a lot to know about these root vegetables other than how great they are during autumn. 

So let’s look at some of the most commonly asked questions about sweet potatoes!

Sweet Potato Benefits

So what are the benefits of eating sweet potatoes, if any?

Nutrient Filled

Sweet potatoes aren’t exactly nutrient-rich, but they do offer plenty of vitamins that are required in a healthy diet. 

A one-cup serving of sweet potatoes contains roughly 448mg of potassium, 4g of dietary fiber, and 2.1g of protein. The vitamin content for the same serving size will yield about 5% of the daily value for vitamin C, 4% for iron, 15% vitamin B6, 8% magnesium, and 4% calcium. 

Obviously, these aren’t game-changing numbers but they do offer some help. Considering they are usually a side dish, sweet potatoes are a great opportunity to catch up on any daily values you’re missing. 

Supports Immune System

Sweet potatoes are a rich source of beta-carotene, a compound that is converted to vitamin A when ingested. Vitamin A is crucial to a healthy immune system and who doesn’t love staying healthy. 

In addition to providing support for your immune system, vitamin A aids in keeping the lining in your gut healthy. Since most health issues or diseases originate from what you eat, having a healthy gut can also prevent severe illnesses. 

Are Sweet Potatoes High In Histamine?

If you’re looking for a vegetable that is low in histamine then you’ll be happy to learn about sweet potatoes!

Sweet potatoes are low in histamine and do not trigger the release of the body’s natural histamine. This doesn’t mean they are histamine free, but overall they are safe to eat.

If you’re concerned about any histamine intolerance and want to be safe, I recommend checking with your doctor to determine what’s safe to eat in your diet. 

Can Sweet Potatoes Be Frozen?

Yes, sweet potatoes can be frozen. However, there are some best practices to follow when freezing sweet potatoes that you should follow. 

First, avoid freezing raw sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes have high water content and are likely to get freezer burn if you try to freeze them raw. 

Secondly, blanche before you freeze! This will add to their crispness and also avoid any problems with expanding after freezing. 

Are Sweet Potatoes Keto?

Keto diets generally want to avoid high carb foods and will focus on lower carb meals. Sadly, sweet potatoes are fairly high in carbohydrates, meaning they aren’t keto-friendly. 

That being said, you don’t necessarily have to avoid sweet potatoes at all costs. If you eat them in moderation and control your portions to fit the number of carbs you’re allowed, then you may be able to still enjoy them. 

Are Sweet Potatoes Gluten-Free?

Sweet potatoes are naturally gluten-free and safe to eat. However, problems may arise in their preparation and any ingredients added in. As an example, if you’re preparing your sweet potatoes in an area where gluten-containing foods also are prepared, then they may be at risk of cross-contamination. 

The best solution is to check any ingredients that you may be adding to your sweet potatoes and avoid preparing them around any kinds of wheat, grains, or other gluten-filled food. 

Are Sweet Potatoes High In Fiber?

Sweet potatoes are rich in many nutrients and fiber is one of them. The average medium-sized sweet potato contains roughly 3.8 grams of fiber, making it a great source of fiber. 

Fiber is a beneficial nutrient that promotes a healthy digestive system. That adds another healthy aspect of sweet potatoes, because of their high fiber content. 

Are Sweet Potatoes High In Potassium?

We discussed the health benefits earlier and the content of potassium was mentioned.

Sweet potatoes are relatively high in potassium and a great source if you’re missing potassium in your diet. A one-cup serving of sweet potato contains a staggering 448mg of potassium, which is a good amount. 

Summary

Sweet potatoes are a great addition to any plate. They are low in histamine, high in fiber, high in potassium, gluten-free, and offer a lot of nutrients. The biggest downside to sweet potatoes is that they aren’t keto friendly. But, if you’re not following a keto diet, then I strongly recommend adding them to your diet!

Are Potato Chips Low In Histamine?

The answer of whether potato chips are low in histamine or not will depend on a few factors. While yes, plain unflavored potato chips made from only potatoes are low in histamine. However, not all potato chips are created equal!

Since potatoes are low histamine, then potato chips should be low histamine as well. But, there are plenty of potato chip brands and flavors that may alter their cooking process. For example, if potato chips are made in and cooked in oil, they may alter how they react with your body and create an allergic effect you might be sensitive too.

On top of how they are cooked, different ingredients may make a normal potato chip that was low histamine, into a high histamine treat if certain herbs and spices are added. 

So, a homemade potato chip that wasn’t made in oil should be low histamine. But keep in mind when buying another brand of chip that they may not be and you should check each individual brand!

Are Potato Chips High In Potassium?

When people think of foods full of potassium, the first food they think of is usually bananas. What many people don’t know, is that potatoes generally have a higher amount of potassium than bananas (if you compare one fruit to one potato). 

One banana has around 425mg of potassium per banana. Meanwhile, one potato has around 925mg of potassium per potato. So yes, potatoes do have a high potassium content!

What Makes Something Low Histamine?

Histamine levels can be hard to determine in foods, but they play a major role in many of the body’s systems.

While your body produces histamine on it’s own, the chemical can also be found in numerous foods. The level at which it’s created in your body when consuming certain foods determines if a food is low or high in histamine. 

Most people on a low histamine diet are doing so because they have an increased sensitivity to histamine. 

Are Potato Chips Keto?

Anyone who’s on a keto diet is aware of the high amount of carbs in potatoes. Well, because the main ingredient of potato chips is so high in carbs, it means their by-product of chips is also high in carbs. Anything high in carbohydrates is sadly not welcome on the keto diet!

So, the chances are that most potato chips you’ll come across won’t be keto and should be avoided if you’re on a low carb diet. 

Do Potato Chips Cause Inflammation?

Potato chips are usually prepared in an unhealthy vegetable oil and filled with salt (sodium). Both of these are factors likely to cause bodily inflammation. Those are just two factors that are in involved in the production of most potato chips, there may be additional herbs, spices, and flavorings that make them more prone to inflammation. 

NOTE: If you have a nut allergy or have shown to have a reaction to almonds or other nuts, you should avoid them and consult with a doctor to determine if you are allergic to them or not. 

Are Pistachios High in Histamine?

While most nuts aren’t naturally high in histamine, they do contain histidine. So while a pistachio (depending on spices added if you buy them packaged) isn’t necessarily high in histamine, they can cause a similar reaction to those sensitive to histamine. If you haven’t tried pistachios before and are trying them for the first time, I’d recommend asking a doctor and taking an allergy test beforehand. If you have eaten pistachios before and aren’t sure if they caused a slight reaction, then eliminating them and reintroducing them into your diet can help determine if that’s what caused the reaction. 

The tips listed above for elimination and reintroduction are to be done AFTER consulting a doctor or physician. 

Are Nuts Naturally High in Histamine?

Nuts aren’t usually high in histamine but do contain similar chemicals and can cause a similar reaction. Therefore, they should be treated the same and considered high histamine.

Some examples of nuts to avoid are peanuts, cashews, almonds and pistachios.

Are Pistachios Low FODMAP?

Pistachios are sadly high histamine do to them containing GOS and fructans. Unlike nuts and their histamine relation, there are some nuts that are low FODMAP such as peanuts and pine nuts.

Summary

Sadly pistachios contain histidine, while not histamine, it can cause a similar reaction to those sensitive to histamine. Therefore, pistachios and most nuts should be avoided if you have a histamine intolerance. 

Are Eggs High in Histamine?

Well it depends which part of the egg you’re eating. It turns out, eggs aren’t 100% high in histamine production. The egg white is high in histamine so it should be avoided if possible, but the egg yolk is low in histamine. 

This difference is important because it means eggs are low in histamine as long as you separate the yolk and whites and only eat the yolk. Not everyone is the same though and some people may be able to handle different levels of exposure. So be sure to ask your doctor or dietician concerning what you should be eating. They may suggest to slowly introduce egg whites to see how your body responds to the increase in histamine production. 

Nutrition Facts for Eggs

Eggs have some interesting nutrition facts and these ones are for if you eat the whole egg and not just one part.

The average 50g egg contains roughly 78 calories, 5g of fat, 62mg sodium, 6g of protein, and a surprising 187mg of cholesterol. Aside from a slightly higher amount of cholesterol, it’s no surprise why they’re so common to eat for breakfast.

How To Make Eggs High Histamine

The only way to ensure there isn’t high histamine production from eating eggs, is to only eat the yolks. 

Everyone reacts differently to different foods though, so you may be able to eliminate it and slowly reintroduce it to test your tolerance and how it makes you feel. More importantly, if there are adverse side effects already noticed from eating eggs, then they should be avoid and you should talk to your doctor. 

Egg Yolk Recipes

If you’re avoiding histamine foods and want to stay away from egg whites, then there are still recipes that use egg yolks! These are three delicious recipes that make use of them but ensure the other ingredients used are also low histamine because the brands used might not be!

Crème Brulee 

Crème Brulee is one of my all time favorite desserts! A vanilla treat that I’ve been in love with since trying it for the first time over a decade and a half ago. 

Egg Yolk Cookies

If Crème Brulee isn’t a dessert you’re looking for, why not go with a classic? Cookies are a very popular dessert for a reason and these egg yolk cookies will aspire to their cookie cousins excellence.

Pound Cake

Finally, another great dessert that’s a bit more involved but well worth the effort. A pound cake is a simple dessert most people will love and this one only uses egg yolks.

NOTE: If you have a nut allergy or have shown to have a reaction to almonds or other nuts, you should avoid them and consult with a doctor to determine if you are allergic to them or not. 

Are Almonds High in Histamine?

Almonds aren’t naturally high in histamine, however there are certain chemicals that may affect histamine intolerant people. For example, almonds contain lectins, phytic acid, salicylates, and digestion lowering enzymes. So while almonds don’t always cause issues, they might depending on your tolerances. 

The best advice I could find is to eliminate and reintroduce possible foods that cause reactions. It’s recommended to seek medical help from a professional though and go off what they say. 

Health Benefits of Almonds

Almonds are a widely used nut and provide an impressive amount of nutrients per serving. Roughly one ounce of almonds has around 3.5 grams fiber, 6 grams protein, 14g fat, 20% of RDI Magnesium, 37% RDI Vitamin and 32% RDI for Manganese. Those aren’t the only things in almonds, but some of the most notable vitamins and minerals. 

Another benefit is that almonds are fairly high in antioxidants. So they basically help fight issues with aging and inflammation!

Disadvantages of Eating Almonds

The obvious disadvantage is the possible problem with anyone who will have a reaction with lectins, phytic acid, salicylates, and digestion lowering enzymes. 

Most other disadvantages come from eating almonds in excess, such as constipation and decreased nutrient absorption. There are other disadvantages of over consuming, but those are easy to avoid by simply limiting the amount you eat. 

Is Almond Milk High in Histamine?

Almond milk is high in histamine but similar to plain almonds, you may not have the same reaction as someone else. You can test your individual tolerance by eliminating it form your diet and slowly reintroducing it.

The best course of action is of course to seek help from a dietician or doctor concerning your reactions to almond milk. 

Is Almond Flour High in Histamine?

Almond flour is in the same boat as normal almond nuts, it is low in histamine. However, there are still chemicals that reside in it that may cause a reaction. That being said, almond flour is a great lower histamine substitute to other options. 

Are Almonds Gluten Free?

Almonds are naturally gluten free and safe to eat. So if you are a person with celiac, then almonds can be consumed without worry! 

Summary

So are almonds high in histamine? Well it depends and the answer seems to vary by who consumes them. While almonds themselves are low in histamine, there are still chemicals in them that can cause reactions. The best course of action is to consult a doctor or dietician concerning any reactions to almonds. 

Are Potatoes High in Histamine?

Potatoes themselves aren’t very high in histamine, in that they don’t seem to contribute to having an intolerant reaction after eating them. That being said, everyone is unique and not all potatoes are created equal!

While some potatoes may be fine to eat without reacting, some will and that’s not only because of the type of potato. A lot of the time, it seems the biggest contributor to reactions is how the potatoes are cooked or prepared. It seems most potatoes are fine when cooked with low histamine oils and as long as they aren’t fried.

So those mashed potatoes you’re craving for dinner will be fine, just as long as you don’t overindulge or cook them with high histamine ingredients. 

Nutrition of Potatoes

The following information is pulled from Healthline regarding the nutrition of potatoes. 

Below are the calories and other basic nutritional information of a medium-baked potato (6 oz.).

• Calories: 161
• Fat: 0.2 grams
• Protein: 4.3 grams
• Carbs: 36.6 grams
• Fiber: 3.8 grams
• Vitamin C: 28% of the RDI
• Vitamin B6: 27% of the RDI
• Potassium: 26% of the RDI
• Manganese: 19% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 12% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 12% of the RDI
• Niacin: 12% of the RDI
• Folate: 12% of the RDI

As you can see, there are quite a few nutritional advantages to eating potatoes as they have quite a few vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to your overall health. They are a high-carb food, but they aren’t meant to be eaten in large quantities so it shouldn’t be a problem. 

Not everything about potatoes is good though.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Eating Potatoes

Continuing from the early advantages of potatoes, they are high in antioxidants. That simply means that potatoes contain chemicals that help neutralize free radicals, harmful molecules that can cause serious health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. 

Another benefit is they are naturally gluten-free and are very filling. Gluten is a widely avoided chemical in dieting, even so for those without celiac disease. This makes it a great addition to one of the most common restrictive diets. 

Not all things are great about potatoes though, despite being low in histamine and gluten-free.  

One such disadvantage is that potatoes are classified as a high glycemic food as they can quickly raise blood sugar levels. This makes it food to keep an eye on when you’re diabetic or suffer from not having balanced blood sugar levels. 

I also mentioned earlier that they are high in carbs. This means it’s another part of this great vegetable that needs to be monitored when planning to have it in a meal.

Are Red Potatoes High in Histamine

Red potatoes fall into the same category as other potatoes in that they are considered a low histamine food. The same rules apply, however, that if they are prepared with high histamine ingredients or fried, they will have higher levels of histamine production associated with eating them. 

Are White Potatoes High in Histamine

Quite unsurprisingly, white potatoes are also a low histamine food and can be consumed safely in smaller portions. Keep in mind that they are also prepared safely with any ingredients or cooking types that may raise their histamine levels.

Are Baked Potatoes High in Histamine

Potatoes themselves are low in histamine, but the cooking method can affect the histamine levels of food. Currently, I was unable to find any information on baking a potato and its histamine level. There was only research on frying, grilling, and boiling, where frying and grilling alone were identified to have raised histamine levels in the food being cooked. 

Keep track yourself!

Everyone is different and will respond differently to certain histamine levels within the food they eat. The only way to know for certain how you’ll react is to experiment. That doesn’t mean downing a bunch of potatoes and seeing how you feel. You should speak to a doctor or dietician and consult with them on how to go about eliminating high histamine foods or foods you react to. 

Summary

Potatoes are low in histamine by themselves. However, they can be cooked or prepared with ingredients that may raise histamine levels. The best thing you can do is monitor what’s being cooked with the potatoes and limit your portion sizes.

Is Coffee High in Histamine?

Coffee is high in histamines and can trigger an allergic reaction that will be slightly different than a normal allergic reaction or similar. If you’re intolerant, some symptoms may include shortness of breath, hives, rashes, palpitations and more. 

The number of people affected severely by histamine production from caffeine are very rare to find though and generally it’s a small percentage of the population. 

What is a Histamine?

A histamine is a chemical found in your own cells, used in your immune system to rid itself of a certain substance. These substances might not actually be harmful, but your body will see them and send out histamines and attack these intruders. 

The release of these chemicals increase blood flow in the areas “under attack” and can cause inflammation. The triggers can be any foreign substance from pollen to a food. 

Does Decaf Coffee Contain Histamine?

Regardless of the brand, decaffeinated coffee can’t guaranteeably be histamine free simply because of how it’s produced. While those with caffeine sensitivities won’t have anything to worry about, those sensitive to histamines may still find some in decaf coffee. 

Coffee Alternatives

Most teas are considered low histamine, so if you’re still looking for a warm beverage for energy, a decent tea may do the trick. Not every tea will be safe, so even though a lot of the ones I found were fine, I’d still double check the specific tea brand you intend on purchasing. 

There are also herbal and organic coffees produced with the intent of limiting toxins and histamines. There are actually loads of low histamine brands out there such as Cafix, Naturalis INKA, and some of Dandy Blends options.