Low Histamine Diet Plan

Low Histamine Diet Plan for Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

A low histamine diet plan is one of the first steps towards stabilization for many people.

But there are a lot of lists out there! And it can be hard to know where to start. So, we’ve put together this post to give you the information you need when you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance.

Many people relate to Beth’s story of not knowing or understanding why food is making them feel worse. Even healthy foods!

“I wish I’d known about the low histamine diet plan earlier in my life. I’ve had both Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance since early childhood.  

I didn’t know I was suffering from these conditions, though. 

I have so many memories of summers spent snapping green beans. Then, my mom would cook them for dinner.  

I ate a lot of processed meats like hot dogs and Spam growing up, too. 

I didn’t really like it, so I’d cover the Spam in canned pineapple to be able to choke it down.  

But I’d end up itching and sneezing all night. And I’d have trouble breathing, poor sleep, acid reflux, and stomach aches.  

When I was in my 20s, I started eating healthier foods. I just didn’t understand about Histamine Intolerance (or even things like oxalates) yet.  

I was an early adopter of making bone broths, spinach smoothies, and my own ferments.  

I had kombucha, kefir, kimchi, sourdough, and raw sauerkraut happily fermenting in my kitchen year round.  

I thought I was doing the healthiest things for my body. But I still didn’t know about Histamine Intolerance. So, I didn’t know that all these healthy foods were contributing to my health issues. 

I was consuming too much histamine! Eating foods with high histamine levels was making symptoms like itching, acid reflux, migraines, IBS, and insomnia much worse!

When I learned about MCAS and Histamine Intolerance, eating a low histamine diet started to make sense. And I started to see big improvements in my health.”

When you start to understand about Histamine Intolerance and MCAS, you can see how a low histamine diet can help calm some of your most miserable symptoms.

That’s why one of the first steps of the Mast Cell 360® Method involves stabilizing with a low histamine diet plan.  

Changing your diet can often make a big difference. And it’s helped so many Mast Cell 360 clients, too.  

Low Histamine Diet Plan List 

If you have or suspect you have MCAS or Histamine Intolerance, you may want to give a low histamine diet a try. 

You can find our food list to help with the diet plan here: Mast Cell 360 Low Histamine Foods List 

We’ve carefully developed this low histamine diet plan list to help those with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance. 

Even though you’ll likely have to make some changes to your diet, we don’t want you to see this as an elimination diet.

It’s always better to swap things out when you can! And it’s better to focus on what you can have. You can use our list to find tasty, low histamine foods to eat in place of high histamine foods. 

With our Low Histamine Foods List, you’ll find options to replace: 

  • High histamine foods 
  • Histamine liberating foods (cause histamine release in your body) 
  • Foods that block diamine oxidase (histamine-degrading enzyme) 

This list also emphasizes foods that are highly nutritious and help lower histamine levels.  

For example, cauliflower, onions, and blueberries are high nutrient foods that have antihistamine properties. 

This list is different than some you’ll find online.  

Keep reading to learn why.  

Why You Shouldn’t Use Most of the Online Low Histamine Diet Plans If You Have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance 

If you’ve been researching the low histamine diet, you know there are a lot out there. Unfortunately, 95% of the histamine foods lists we’ve seen online have a lot of errors. Many are just copying from others and making the same mistakes.   

Many lists only include high histamine foods. But a low histamine diet plan is more complicated than that.  

These other lists don’t include foods that are histamine liberators or foods that block Diamine Oxidase (DAO) – one of the major histamine degrading enzymes. This is why most low histamine diet lists online don’t work for most people with Histamine Intolerance.  

We’ve seen low histamine foods lists that allowed walnuts, a well-known histamine liberator. And we’ve seen others that didn’t allow blueberries. But blueberries are known to be both low histamine and histamine lowering.   

It’s also confusing because some foods may be slightly higher histamine. But they contain a lot of quercetin that lowers histamine. So, it balances out.  

Related Post: The Best Quercetin Supplements for MCAS

A good example of that is raspberries. We’ve found most people with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance can tolerate a few raspberries – around ¼ cup.  

Another problem is that much of the histamine food research is flawed. 

Some histamine foods lists were created by listing every food someone in a study reacted to. But those reactions may not have been due to histamines alone. They could have been allergic reactions.

And many of those studies didn’t even control for reactions to things like salicylates, oxalates, and other food sensitivities. So, the lists became far too limited.  

Some histamine foods lists include a lot of high sugar or packaged foods in the “safe” column. But processed foods (even gluten-free!) can make MCAS and Histamine Intolerance worse over time! 

We wanted this low histamine diet plan to be the best possible for you if you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance.  

So, we used the most reliable research available. we also included our own clinical experience from talking with thousands of people with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance over the years. 

Now, as you work on your low histamine diet plan, it’s important to know that everyone has a different level of tolerance or intolerance. 

More on that next. 

The Sink Metaphor 

Why is it that some people with Histamine Intolerance can eat a few strawberries and be fine, but another person end up with massive reactions? 

That’s because each person’s level of tolerance or intolerance is different. 

Here’s an analogy we think will help. 

Is your sink overflowing? 

Think about histamine levels working like a sink.  

The water flowing is histamine. The drain is your body’s way of getting rid of histamine. 

You might be able to eat lots of high histamine foods if your body can process histamine effectively. 

In other words, you can have water running in your sink at full blast, but if your drain is working, you don’t have any problems. 

But what if you have a clogged drain? What if your body doesn’t produce enough histamine degrading enzymes to keep up with your histamine levels? Your sink overflows.

Same with histamine. You’ve got too much and now your body may be reacting to this overabundance of histamine in your system. 

So, if you eat one strawberry and your sink is already full of water, that one strawberry might be just enough to cause the sink to overflow. 

But if you have your histamine levels under control (your sink is empty), you might be able to eat one strawberry without any problems.  

Your histamine load isn’t just due to foods you eat, though.  

Your histamine levels can also be higher due to: 

That means that if you have any of the above issues, those are filling up your sink, too. 

But making good food choices can help keep your sink from overflowing if you are dealing with any of those issues, too.  

Don’t Limit Your Diet Forever 

You don’t want to limit your diet indefinitely.  

Variety in your diet helps to prevent nutrient deficiencies. So, it’s a good idea to work with someone who can help be sure you aren’t too restricted with your foods.  

Let’s use Beth’s experience again, we often see clients with similar stories. It is possible to get back to better health!

“I was once down to a very small number of foods I could tolerate. I wasn’t able to eat even some low histamine foods. And I couldn’t eat in restaurants at all. 

And while it has taken some work to get foods back in my diet, I have.

And I’ve almost completely healed the underlying root triggers that were causing my histamine sink to overflow.    

I can now eat everything on the low histamine foods list! I can also eat small amounts of higher histamine foods like firm avocado, a couple squares of dark chocolate, and even a small handful of walnuts.   

My biggest win is I can eat 1 half pound of strawberries at a time now. Strawberries are my favorite! I’m also eating mushrooms, sausage, and bacon. 

I can even eat out (mindfully) without major reactions. 

I do still stay mindful of my histamine levels. I don’t load up on a bunch of high histamine foods all at once.   

It’s wonderful to be able to eat a variety of foods, again.”

We want this for you, too!  

So, what’s your next step?  

Keep reading to learn what steps private clients of Mast Cell 360 take next.  

Low Histamine Diet for Stabilization 

Your long term goal is to support your histamine pathways to work correctly. And you want to reduce mast cell over-reactivity. 

Doing so will allow you to include more foods in your diet over time.  

Many high histamine foods have great nutrients. So, you want to bring those back on board when your Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance is calmed down – when it is safe for you.   

With the Mast Cell 360® Method that all Mast Cell 360 clients use, the first step is stabilization.  

Part of this stabilization is working to lower your stress and work on soothing the nervous system. 

You can read about a simple stress-lowering technique here: Resonant Breathing

The other important part of stabilization is working through this low histamine diet plan.  

We divide the low histamine diet plan into 3 phases. The length of each phase depends on your symptoms. Let’s start with Phase 1.  


Low Histamine Diet Plan: Phase 1   

Phase 1 is usually recommended for at least 6 months. 

Think of this phase as going back to basics.  

You’ll take out all high histamine foods, histamine liberating foods. You’ll also take out any foods that block Diamine Oxidase (DAO enzyme) production.  

Use the Mast Cell 360 Low Histamine Foods List to find out which high histamine foods you’ll want to replace with low histamine foods. You can print that post as a handy reference guide.  

For phase 1 of the low histamine diet plan, I recommend you avoid all: 

  • Dairy products like shred cheese (except ghee) 
  • Eggs 
  • Fish (except frozen Wild Alaskan Salmon)  
  • Packaged and processed foods  
  • All high histamine foods 

Phase 1 Low Histamine Diet Plan Tips 

Here are the best food handling practices you need to be aware of during phase 1.  

Limit Eating Out

But if you must, bring your own properly prepared meat to restaurants to add to your plate during this phase. 

Freeze All Leftovers  

Be sure to freeze all leftovers after cooking.  

We like to use these souper cubes for easy, plastic-free storage.  

Use Immediately Frozen Meats  

Be sure to follow the low histamine meat handling tips here.  

You don’t want to consume fresh meat! What?! 

“Fresh” meat may not be as fresh as you think. By the time it hits your grocery store, it’s already had a chance for histamine levels to rise. 

Your best choices are going to be meats that have been frozen almost immediately after slaughter or catch. This helps keep histamine levels to a minimum. 

Emphasize Nutrient Dense Foods  

Because the Mast Cell 360 Low Histamine Foods list focuses are whole, nutritious foods, you’ll find lots of food choices that will support good nutrition. 

Did you know that herbs are among the most nutrient dense foods you can choose? Add them to your meals whenever you can. 

Fresh, low histamine vegetables are also good choices. They are often nutrient dense and some even have properties that are histamine lowering.  

Limit Sugar   

Limit all refined sugar to very special occasions. This includes:  

  • Coconut sugar 
  • Maple syrup 
  • Rice syrup 
  • Agave, etc. 

Honey is high histamine so you’ll want to continue to avoid that.

If you eat fruit, limit to 1 to 2 servings a day.

You don’t want to spike your blood sugar. That can cause histamine release.  

Stay Hydrated  

Staying hydrated is important for everyone. But it’s especially important if you have MCAS or Histamine Intolerance. 

Fluids help flush out toxins from your body. 

Make sure you are drinking clean water, though. There can be toxins hiding in your drinking water that can trigger your mast cells! 

We also recommend drinking herbal teas. Not only can this provide you with a boost of flavor and enjoyment, but fresh herbs have lots of health benefits, too.  

Many freshly picked herbal teas have histamine lower properties 

The lowest histamine brand we’ve found is Kauai Farmacy. Learn about low histamine tea here.  

Keep a Food Diary  

Keep a food diary of foods and symptoms so you can track if you may have other food allergies, sensitivities, or intolerances beyond histamine.  

It is common to have other food intolerances. Keeping these records will make them easier to spot.  

You’ll want to talk to your healthcare specialist about these:  

You never want to limit foods if it’s not necessary, so please work closely with your doctor.

Use My Low Histamine Recipes  

Not sure where to get started with cooking low histamine? 

Check out all my low histamine recipes here. 

You’ll find everything from snacks, to desserts, to tasty beverages, and main courses. 

Try this tasty snack! Low Lectin Popping Sorghum

Final Reminder for Phase 1  

Follow this phase for 6 months or until your symptoms have improved so you can experiment with bringing foods back in.

If your symptoms haven’t improved after 6 months, don’t move on to Phase 2. You may need to discern what your root causes are.

Sign up here to find out the root causes of MCAS. I’ll send it right to your inbox.

Sign Up Below To Get Your Free Report!

Find out the underlying issues that commonly cause Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and get a better understanding which ones are affecting you.

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Low Histamine Diet Plan: Phase 2  

After about 6 months of the elimination diet phase, your symptoms will hopefully be much improved.  

You’ve had a chance to lower your histamine levels and get your “histamine sink” working again. 

If you have improved, you can start to experiment with foods you can tolerate.   

Think about Phase 2 of the low histamine diet plan as the re-introduction phase. This will usually last 6 to 24 months.  

If you are still having symptoms, though, don’t continue to this phase yet.  

If you are still having symptoms, you may be dealing with more than Histamine Intolerance. You’ll need to find out what your underlying Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance Root Causes are and address those first.  

Phase 2 Low Histamine Diet Plan Tips  

Here are some tips for phrase 2 of the low histamine diet plan.

The first is to start small.

Make Small Changes  

Only make 1 change every 3 to 4 days.

Keep a food diary. Symptoms can take up to 2 to 3 days to develop. So, don’t introduce anything else new at this time.   

If you tolerate a small quantity of the high nutrient, higher histamine food, you can try a moderate quantity. For example, 6 to 8 walnuts or 4 ounces of freshly cooked Wild Alaskan Salmon that was frozen after catch.   

Give it another 3 to 4 days. If you don’t notice an increase in symptoms, add this food to your personal low histamine foods list with the quantity you tolerated.   

Or try a couple ounces of freshly cooked Wild Alaskan Salmon that was frozen after catch. Don’t do a full serving yet.  

Emphasize Nutrient Density  

This phase is about adding in HIGH NUTRIENT, higher histamine foods like veggies and nuts.

But start with small quantities. For example, you can try adding 3 to 4 walnuts. 

Avoid Processed Foods  

Don’t add in packaged or processed foods, yet.  

Limit Eating Out 

Be careful when ordering meat at a restaurant.

We recommend still taking your own meat to restaurants to avoid confusion in this phase.  

Freeze Leftovers  

Continue freezing your leftovers.

This is to keep the histamine content in your food low.  

Reduce Stressors  

Keep in mind that stress, PMS and menstruation, seasonal allergies, mold exposure, certain medications, and some supplements can raise histamine levels.  

You’ll want to control for these things in your testing. So, the day before your period starts or a day when you’ve been out in a bunch of pollen isn’t the best time to introduce a new food.  

Be Patient   

It may take many months to fully reintroduce all the foods you’d like to eat again.

We see many people get impatient and try to go too fast. This will likely backfire.

If you take your time, you’ll actually get more foods back faster in the long run.  

Rotate and Diversify Your Foods  

Make sure you are rotating foods and not eating too many high histamine foods on the same day.  

Remember, histamine levels work like a sink. This means 3 walnuts might not affect you. But 3 walnuts + ¼ avocado + 2 ounces of mushroom very well may get you. We suggest only eating 1 higher histamine food a day, in small quantities, at this phase.  

Start with a small amount so you don’t consume too much histamine. Then, if it goes ok, a little more the next time. 

Here are examples of foods you can experiment with in moderation:

  • 2-3 walnuts
  • ¼ avocado, firmer (not mushy) 
  • 2-4 fresh button or shiitake mushrooms  
  • 1 fresh pasture raised egg, whites thoroughly cooked  
  • ¼ cup eggplant  
  • ¼ cup fresh tomatoes  
  • ¼ banana 
  • 1-2 whole dates  
  • 3-4 cubes fresh pineapple   
  • 2 ounces wild Alaskan salmon, frozen after slaughter (or other lower histamine fish  
  • ½ ounce top shelf plain vodka, gin, white rum, silver tequila (no more and only on rare occasions)  
  • 1-2 Tablespoons butter or cream (not high histamine, but may people have trouble with casein)  
  • 1 sprinkle of cayenne  
  • 1-2 small squares dark chocolate  
  • 1-2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar  
  • 2-2½ ounces of low histamine white wine like Dry Farm Wines  

Related Article: Lower Histamine Wines    

Foods to Still Avoid During Phase 2  

We recommend you do NOT include these very high histamine foods in this phase:  

  • Aged beef
  • Ground meat (unless you grind it yourself at home)  
  • Fermented foods:
    • Kefir
    • Yogurt
    • Sauerkraut
    • Miso
    • Soy sauce
    • Kombucha, etc.  
  • Processed/Packaged foods  
  • Vinegar – all types  
  • Strawberries  
  • Spinach  
  • All other fish/shellfish  
  • Leftovers not frozen  
  • Meat at restaurants  
  • Cured meats  
  • Peanuts
  • Cashews  
  • Tea – black, green, white, or rooibos tea  
  • Alcohol – wine, beer, other alcohol not listed above  

NOTE: Rooibos tea is fermented and high histamine.  White, green, and black tea doesn’t technically have a high amount of histamine – instead these deplete DAO.   

After 6 to 24 months or more, you may be ready for Phase 3.  


Low Histamine Diet Plan: Phase 3  

This phase is about seeing what your body can handle now that you have gone through some serious healing.  

Ideally, you will have addressed your underlying Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance Root Causes before this phase.   

You want to test your limits slowly and gently, though. DO NOT undertake this phase until your body is in a very good place health-wise. Otherwise, you may backslide.  

Let’s look at our best tips for this phase.

Phase 3 Low Histamine Diet Plan Tips 

Here’s how you can start on phase 3 of the low histamine diet plan.  

Keep Making Small Changes 

Still only make 1 change every 3 to 4 days. Keep a histamine food diary. Symptoms can take up to 2 to 3 days to develop.  

Although as your health improves, you may find you can introduce foods more quickly at this point. 

Continue to Emphasize Nutrient Density  

Make sure you are still eating plenty of HIGH NUTRIENT, histamine lowering foods.   

Limit High Histamine Foods Per Day  

Continue to not eat too many high histamine foods on the same day.  

Continue to avoid junk foods, processed foods, and food with additives like xanthan gum and carrageenan.  

Limit Stressors  

Continue to remember that stress, PMS and menstruation, seasonal allergies, mold exposure, and certain medications and supplements can raise histamine levels.  

You’ll want to control for these things in your testing. So, the day before your period starts or a day when you’ve been out in a bunch of pollen isn’t the best time to introduce a new food.  

What to Try in Phase 3  

Here are examples of things you can experiment with in Phase 3 in moderation. I suggest trying only 1 of these 1x or 2x/week:  

  • 6-8 ounces halibut or scallops Vital Choice
  • 3-4 ounces shellfish like shrimp from Vital Choice
  • 3-4 ounces chicken, lamb, turkey, or pork at a restaurant  
  • 3-4 ounces aged beef  
  • 2-3 ounces ground meat  
  • ½ cup high nutrient packaged foods without toxic additives, like Laiki Rice Crackers  
  • Leftovers refrigerated for 24 hours  
  • 3-4 jarred olives  
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg  
  • 1-2 slices pasture raised bacon  
  • 2-3 ounces of pasture raised yogurt (if no casein sensitivity)  
  • 1-2 ounces raw, fermented foods like sauerkraut  
  • 2-3 ounces kombucha 
  • 1 low histamine cocktail   
  • 1 teaspoon miso  
  • 1 teaspoon tamari  
  • 1 teaspoon white or balsamic vinegar  

What to Avoid 

We recommend you not return to these highest histamine foods:  

  • Fast food  
  • Packaged foods with additives like MSG or carrageenan  
  • Flavored alcohols (like coconut rum), packaged mixers (like margarita mix), and significantly aged alcohols (like 10 year aged bourbon)  
  • Preservatives like sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate  
  • Peanuts and cashews – very inflammatory  
  • More than 2-3 leaves of spinach   

Related Article: Low Histamine Meal Planning

If you find your symptoms are returning at this phase, you’ll need to back up to Phase 2.  

Also, continue to work on completely addressing your underlying Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance Root Causes. 

You may start to feel better even though you still have work to do.  

Don’t give up before you reach the finish line!  

What If You Don’t See Improvement with the Low Histamine Diet Plan?   

If you don’t notice a change with reducing Histamine foods, it may be because one or more of these reasons below. 

  • You may not have given it enough time. You may need at least 3 to 6 more months to be diligent about eliminating low histamine foods.  
  • You may not be eating low histamine enough. Check and make sure you aren’t sneaking in high histamine foods or eating a lot of processed foods. Think about eating in restaurants too – meat in restaurants is often very high histamine.  
  • You may have other food intolerances or sensitivities that haven’t been addressed yet. These can include oxalates, lectins, and glutamates. These can also include food sensitivities. We’ll talk about this more in the next section.   
  • Eating low histamine may not be enough. You may also have issues with the histamine degrading enzymes like Diamine Oxidase (DAO). 
  • You may not notice a major change until you also add in mast cell stabilizing supplements and address the other specific root factors for you. Think of it like this. If you have 12 nails in different parts of your body, you may not notice a big difference if we only take out 1 nail. So, eating low histamine may be helping, but it may not be enough for you to feel significantly better yet.  
  • You may not have Histamine Intolerance. Not everyone with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome has Histamine Intolerance.

Related Article: Do You Have One or Both? Histamine Intolerance vs MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome)

If you are still having issues, there are some major root causes you may not be addressing. Work with a qualified practitioner to support you in discovering what you may be dealing with.  

What About Other Food Triggers in Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance? 

There are other types of foods that people with MCAS or Histamine Intolerance may react to. Even if they aren’t immediately allergic reactions, there can be slower immune system responses like intolerances or sensitivities.  

These include lectins, oxalates, salicylates, glutamates, and FODMAPs.

So, try new foods slowly and cautiously until you know how your body will respond. This list is meant to be a starting place for you to make your own personal list.   

But before you eliminate more foods from your diet, work with a practitioner. In some cases, your reactions may not be from these additional food categories. You may have an underlying root cause like Mold Toxicity which is causing your health issues. 

You don’t want to eliminate foods if you don’t have to. But if you and your practitioner determine your reactions may be related to foods, here are the top categories you can explore. 

Oxalates 

If you know you have an oxalate issue, PLEASE work with a qualified professional on lowering oxalates slowly. DO NOT go low oxalate cold turkey. People have made themselves extremely sick doing this.   

Related Article: What Is Oxalate Dumping?

Lectins 

If you notice reactions to foods like legumes and squash, you may have lectin intolerance. Lectins are a mast cell trigger.  

Related Article: Lectins and MCAS  

If you’ve eliminated oxalates and lectins, and it hasn’t resolved all your symptoms, you want to talk to your practitioner about FODMAPs and Salicylates.  

FODMAPs  

One of the most common symptoms of FODMAP intolerance is bloating. It is usually caused by a Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).

Related Article: FODMAP Intolerance

Salicylates 

One of the tell-tale signs of Salicylate Intolerance is ear ringing. You may also react to a lot of herbs and tea. We often see Salicylate Intolerance linked to mold exposure. 

Related Article: Salicylates and MCAS

Do you prefer to learn by watching or listening? Check out this presentation on how to successfully reintroducing foods

Going Beyond the Low Histamine Diet Plan  

Many people notice big improvements in their health when they start following a low histamine diet plan.

It takes discipline to stick to the 3 phases. But it can make a big difference. And remember, for many people, it is only 1 piece of the puzzle. 

That may be the case for you, too. 

Many clients also have to get their nervous system calmed down. Need to address Mold Toxicity, SIBO and Histamine Intolerance, and other food intolerances, too.

But the low histamine diet plan gives many some real change. And real hope. 

Hundreds of Mast Cell 360 clients have noticed improvements with a changed diet. 

But what if that isn’t enough for you, like it wasn’t enough for many? 

First, we would say, don’t give up on the low histamine diet plan just yet! 

Like we said, the low histamine diet plan is often 1 piece of the bigger puzzle.  

Instead, stick with it a little longer. But also see what other root causes you may need to address. 

We want you to know that there is hope that you can reclaim your health. And we hope that the low histamine diet plan will help you do just that! 

Do you need help with your Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance? Apply to the Mast Cell 360 Clinic here. We now have 2 tiers of support! And international clients are welcome to apply as well.

More Low Histamine Diet Plan Resources   

Some links in this website are affiliate links, which means Mast Cell 360 may make a very small commission if you purchase through the link. It never costs you any more to purchase through the links, and we try to find the best deals we can. We only recommend products that we love and use personally or use in the Mast Cell 360 practice. Any commissions help support the newsletter, website, and ongoing research so Mast Cell 360 can continue to offer you free tips, recipes, and info. Thank you for your support!  

References 

Gibb, J. L. (2014). Is Food Making You Sick?: The Strictly Low Histamine Diet (Illustrated ed.). Leaves of Gold Press.  

Kullman, Pamela. Privately Compiled Notes.  

PhD, J. J. V., & Lawrence, H. (2018). Histamine Intolerance: A Comprehensive Guide for Healthcare Professionals. Berrydales Books.  

Rider, B. (2019). Hives, headaches & heartburn: Heal your histamine hangover. Summerland Publishing. https://amzn.to/426skoH  

Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI). (2021, November). SIGHI Histamine Elimination Diet (Version 2021–11-17). SIGHI. https://www.histaminintoleranz.ch/downloads/SIGHI-Leaflet_HistamineEliminationDiet.pdf   

Wild-Scholten, M. D. (2013). Understanding Histamine Intolerance & Mast Cell Activation. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 

Wrighton, T. (2019). Histamine intolerance explained: 12 steps to building a healthy low histamine lifestyle (Vol. 1). Ketoko Guides. https://amzn.to/427EIVk  

Wrighton, T. (2020). Histamine Intolerance Cookbook: Delicious, Nourishing, Low-Histamine Recipes, And Every Ingredient Labeled For Histamine Content (Vol. 2). Ketoko Guides. https://amzn.to/3JDFsKV  

Wrighton, T. (2020). Histamine Intolerance Journal: Track Symptoms, Find Solutions, Heal Yourself – Your Ultimate Personalised Histamine Tracking Journal / Diary (Vol. 3). Ketoko Guides. https://amzn.to/3JbgHnH  

Ykelenstam, Yasmina. Healing Histamine | Histamine Intolerance Research & Recipes. (2022). Healing Histamine. https://healinghistamine.com/ 

Comments

  1. Julie

    This is all such amazing information and I am so grateful to have it! After two decades of struggle, my healthcare provider turned to MCAS & Histamine intolerance as my potential issue. All the information here strongly resonates with me and I’m desperate to talk to & start a healthcare plan with an expert. Dr. Beth is booked for all of 2020, wondering if she can recommend someone else with her vast Mast Cell knowledge that I can talk to in the meantime?

    1. Beth O'Hara

      Thank you so much! Beth will be offering MasterClasses in the near future to address different topics relating to MCAS and Histamine Intolerance. Each session will also have a live Q&A. Please feel free to join our email list (if you haven’t already) to get the latest updates. Where are you located? (You can private message me the answer if you prefer.)

  2. Karlee

    This is a wealth of knowledge and I appreciate it. I am using this list to cross reference with a list for hashimotos and an anti-inflammatory diet. I have had so many issues with no reason why. I have finally realized that the reactions I have to so many foods could in fact be a histamine intolerance. I have had allergy testing done and because I have no allergies the doctors say sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong and look at me like I’m crazy! I have acid reflux when I eat mostly anything which led to an endoscopy which showed nothing wrong but I have scarring on my esophagus and they don’t know why. I also had a colonoscopy which showed nothing wrong and yes all of that is wonderful but I still have no answers. Now, here I am so grateful to have the internet to try to piece together what is wrong and make a plan for myself. I feel the best when I am fasting but that is not realistic in the long term. I appreciate your knowledge and I will be making my own notes while cross referencing several different food lists so that I may be able to feel better and know what I can eat with no reactions!!!

    1. Suz, Mast Cell 360 Team

      Hi Deena,
      Yes, we update our blog every week! Thanks for your interest!

  3. Bec

    Hi I love your info curious on Rooibos tea as it’s listed as a natural antihistamine on a few pages

    1. Suz, Mast Cell 360 Team

      To my understanding, it is made via fermentation which increases histamine levels. Of course, everyone is different in what they can handle. It depends on how full your “histamine bucket” is.

  4. Patty

    Is Nutritional Yeast okay to eat? (The brand I have lists ingredients as only: inactive yeast. Also it is not fortified) …I searched the mastCell 360 website for “nutritional yeast”and could not find a result.
    Thank you

    1. Suz, Mast Cell 360 Team

      Hi Patty,
      Nutritional yeast is high histamine, so if you choose to eat it, just be mindful that you’ll be adding to your “histamine bucket.”

  5. Tanya Pruitt

    Hi!
    Could I get a link for a printable list of low histamine foods?

    1. Suz, Mast Cell 360 Team

      We are working on getting this together and it should be out in the very near future. Thanks for your interest!

  6. Bobby LaCoure

    I would like to have the low histamine foods list please.

  7. Andrea

    Maybe I am being blind. I keep clicking the link for the low histamine phase I food list but I don’t seem to find a list.

  8. Sarah

    Do you find the SIGHI list to be a mostly reliable source? I like that it specifically lists SO many foods, especially additives, vitamins, etc all in one chart

    1. Jamie, Mast Cell 360 Team

      Hi Sarah, yes the SIGHI is a reliable list!

  9. Caitlin

    Hi there!

    How much does the Functional Genomic Analysis testing cost? (I understand that you’re probably going to say “It depends” or something along those lines, to avoid sharing the exact price, but please if you could at least give a ball park of what these tests run, it would be really appreciated). Thank you!

    1. Jamie, Mast Cell 360

      Hi Caitlin, this testing typically runs in the ballpark of $300-$400. The Functional Genomic Analysis testing requires a practitioner to order it for you. You can find a practitioner here: https://www.functionalgenomicanalysis.com/Home/PractitionerDirectory

      We also have direct to consumer option from the DNA Company: https://thednacompany.com/mastcell
      You can use coupon code MASTCELL360 for $50 off the Genetic Sample Collection + DNA 360 Report! And later this summer Beth will be doing a workshop with them specifically for those with MCAS

      Here are two additional articles you might find interesting: https://mastcell360.com/how-genetic-analysis-makes-a-huge-difference-in-healing-with-mast-cell-activation-syndrome-and-histamine-intolerance/

      https://mastcell360.com/functional-genetic-analysis-in-mast-cell-activation-syndrome-and-histamine-intolerance/

  10. Heather

    Did you not warn against the Live Bacteria/Culture “L.Casei” once? I’m sure you did, but I’m not seeing it.

  11. Lauren

    Hi I live in Australia and DON’T KNOW if I have MCAS or histamine intolerance. I have my doubts. My doctor recommend I try this because I have complex medical history with lots of symptoms including hashimotos. I’ve done phase 1 for over 3 months now and DO NOT feel any better to the best of my knowledge and was preparing to reintroduce foods. Basically to confirm that this diet is not relevant or to surprise myself by ultimately making my symptoms worse. But the website warns against reintroducing UNTIL I feel a lot better. Which won’t happen if it’s not relevant. And I’ll be stuck on a diet that makes me less happy and less nourished for a lot longer for no reason. QUESTION: Can’t I just reintroduce in moderation to check that it’s relevant? Whether I ultimately react or not, it should give me the right path forward.

  12. Ashley Judson

    Hello, I am a registered dietitian who would like to utilize these resources in practice and will give you credit for this work. I would like a printable list.

    1. Jamie, Mast Cell 360

      Hi Ashley! Thanks so much for your interest in the printable food list! We are working hard to get this resource complete!In the meantime feel free to send your clients to this blog!

  13. Crystal

    What mast cell stabilizing supplements do you recommend? I’ve been low histamine for a year and a half and I still have symptoms.

  14. Brittany

    For Phase 1 would you not eat any grains since technically they’re processed? Or what does no processed foods specify? Wondering if it’s best to stick to mostly veggies and meat and some fruits since you said to not do more than 2 servings? Thank you!

    1. Jamie, Mast Cell 360

      Hi Brittany, great question. The packaged and processed foods that are recommended to avoid in phase 1 of the low histamine diet include things like crackers, cookies, chips, pasta (think things that come in boxes). Everyone’s needs will be slightly different since there is so much individuality when it comes to food sensitivities. We recommend working with a knowledgable practitioner so you don’t unnecessarily remove foods from your diet. You can find a list of low histamine grains here: https://mastcell360.com/low-histamine-foods-list/. For example, if you tolerate a whole grain like rice you may decide to keep that in during phase 1.

  15. Ashley

    I am looking to start the low histamine diet elimination phase one. Any chance you have a weekly meal plan I can use with exact measurements? I have your list and it feels overwhelming not knowing how much of eat specific food I can eat like how low FODMAP is very specific with their guidelines. One single grape, no more than 1/4 cup of this a day etc.

    I know it varies for everyone but do I need to know measurements? I honestly just want to do a gf grain and dairy free protein for the first two weeks. Most celiacs can’t do gf oats and I see I shouldn’t do eggs. Do you have protein substitutes? My diet is 80% protein but I’m sure that will have to change with this elimination.

    I live by north star farms but I see it should be avoided the first 6 months? If I can have during the elimination diet, how much chicken can I have per serving or per day? How much rice per meal, how much veggie etc? Do I need to space them 4 hours between meals or does histamine buildup throughout the entire day/ week?

    I was on a ground beef and white rice diet before this thinking it was fodmaps and the leftovers definitely made me sick. Not to mention the poor quality ground meat. I just want to do things simply. My symptoms are so severe and have been building over the past seven months that I can’t drive or work. I would like to go back to the basics.

    1. Jamie, Mast Cell 360

      Hi Ashley! Those are great questions! You can find our low histamine shopping list here, which may be less overwhelming than the website version: https://mastcell360.com/printable-low-histamine-food-list/. Unfortunately, at this time we do not have a meal plan as everyone’s individual sensitivities will vary greatly. We highly recommend working with a knowledgable practitioner so that foods are not unnecessarily removed from the diet. Unlike FODMAPs the amount isn’t so much of an issue as long as you are staying to the low histamine food list.

      For breakfast, it can help to think of it as just another meal, where you may eat meat in place of eggs. We do not recommend avoiding meat for the first 6 months, we do emphasize avoiding higher histamine options like ground meet and beef and replace them with lower histamine options like unaged beef (which you can get from northstar bison), chicken, etc. and freezing leftovers immediately to help reduce histamines.

      Histamine is released as a natural process of digestion and will continue to build throughout the day. But you may find you may need to experiment to see what you tolerate, and discuss exploring some mast cell stabilizers. If you are looking for 1:1 support you’re welcome to apply to the Mast Cell 360 clinic, which you can learn more about here: mastcell360.com/application

      We’re sorry to hear that your symptoms are severe right now, but hope this helps clarify how to get going with the low histamine diet!

      Best,
      Jamie

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