Histamines are natural substances produced by the body in response to exposure to an antigen or trauma. Histamines are also present in a wide array of foods and beverages. Still other foods and beverages, while free of histamines themselves, can trigger a massive release of histamines by the body. Histamines attach to cells in the body and cause them to leak fluid or swell, producing a host of unwelcome symptoms.
Food Allergies
Today's media is full of reports of extreme food allergies, cases in which people -- frequently young people -- become violently ill when exposed to peanuts or some other food or beverage to which they are allergic. Although the body's release of histamines is designed to help body systems fight off an allergen, in cases of extreme food sensitivity a massive release of histamines can sometimes be life-threatening, causing constriction of airways or other violent allergic reactions. Typical food allergy symptoms include coughing, wheezing, tightness in the throat, hoarseness, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, according to KidsHealth. However, extreme allergic reactions can quickly progress to a state of anaphylaxis, during which blood pressure drops precipitously, the tongue may swell and airways can narrow.
Food Sources of Histamines
The International Chronic Urticaria Society or ICUS, a support group for people with chronic hives, explains that the histamines found in food occur when microbial enzymes convert histidine, an amino acid present in all proteins, to histamine. Thus, explains the ICUS, all foods that are subjected to microbial fermentation during processing contain high levels of histamines. Microbial contamination also can convert histidine to histamine, according to the ICUS. Some foods are naturally high in histamines, while others may contain natural chemicals or food additives that tend to trigger the body's release of histamines.
Histamine-Rich Foods
Allergists Jeffrey Tulin-Silver and Sucheta Kinhal, based in the suburbs of Detroit, offer a list of histamine-rich foods on their MichiganAllergy.com website. These are foods that actually contain histamines and should be avoided or used with caution by those with extreme food allergies. Such foods and beverages include alcoholic beverages, anchovies, avocados, cheeses, cider, homemade root beer, dried fruits, eggplant and fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and pickled and smoked meats. Other histamine-rich foods include mackerel, mushrooms, processed meats, sardines, smoked fish, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, sour breads made with large quantities of yeast, spinach, tomatoes, vinegar and products that contain vinegar, such as chili sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise and salad dressings.
Histamine-Triggering Foods
A number of other foods help to trigger the body's histamine reaction and thus should be avoided by those who are sensitive or prone to severe allergic reactions, according to MichiganAllergy.com. Such foods include bananas, chocolate, eggs, fish, milk, papayas, pineapple, shellfish and strawberries.
References
- FamilyDoctor.org: Antihistamines: Understanding Your OTC Options
- KidsHealth: Food Allergies
- International Chronic Urticaria Society: Useful Information: Histamine-Restricted Diet
- Michigan Allergy, Sinus & Asthma Specialists: Foods That Contain Histamine or Cause the Body to Release Histamine, Including Fermented Foods
