High-Histamine Foods to Avoid
These foods are high in histamine, trigger histamine release (liberators), or block the DAO enzyme that clears histamine — the main foods to avoid while managing histamine intolerance. Tap any food for details and lower-histamine alternatives.
High-histamine foods
🧀 Aged Cheddar Cheese
High in histamine — best avoided on a low-histamine diet.
🧀 Parmesan Cheese
High in histamine — one of the most concentrated sources.
🥛 Plain Yogurt
High in histamine — yogurt is a fermented dairy product.
🥛 Kefir
High in histamine — a fermented, probiotic drink.
🥬 Sauerkraut
Very high in histamine — a top food to avoid.
🥬 Kimchi
Very high in histamine — best avoided.
🍵 Kombucha
High in histamine — fermented and best avoided.
🍲 Miso Paste
High in histamine — a fermented soybean paste.
🫘 Tempeh
High in histamine — tempeh is fermented soy.
🫘 Natto
Very high in histamine — a strongly fermented food.
🫙 Soy Sauce
High in histamine — a fermented condiment to limit.
🥩 Salami
Very high in histamine — cured and aged.
🥩 Prosciutto
High in histamine — a long-cured ham.
🥓 Bacon
High in histamine — cured and often smoked.
🐟 Canned Tuna
High in histamine — canned fish is a classic trigger.
🐟 Smoked Salmon
High in histamine — smoked and cured.
🐟 Sardines
High in histamine — oily and usually canned.
🐟 Anchovies
Very high in histamine — salted and aged.
🐟 Mackerel
High in histamine — a fast-spoiling oily fish.
🍅 Tomatoes
High in histamine and a histamine liberator — avoid.
🥬 Spinach
High in histamine — a surprising leafy-green trigger.
🍆 Eggplant
High in histamine — best avoided.
🥑 Avocado
High in histamine — often poorly tolerated.
🍍 Pineapple
High-histamine and a liberator — best avoided.
🍷 Red Wine
High in histamine and blocks DAO — a top trigger.
🍺 Beer
High in histamine and blocks DAO — best avoided.
🥂 Champagne
High in histamine and blocks DAO — a common trigger.
🫙 Vinegar
High in histamine — a fermented hidden trigger.
Histamine liberators & DAO blockers
Not always high in histamine themselves, but they can still trigger symptoms.
🍓 Strawberries
A histamine liberator — low in histamine but still a trigger.
🍊 Oranges
A citrus histamine liberator — commonly a trigger.
🍋 Lemon
A citrus histamine liberator — use with caution.
🍌 Banana
A histamine liberator — tolerance varies a lot.
🍫 Chocolate
A liberator that also blocks DAO — commonly a trigger.
🥜 Walnuts
A histamine liberator — often poorly tolerated.
🥜 Cashews
A histamine liberator — a common trigger.
🥜 Peanuts
A histamine liberator — handle with caution.
☕ Black Tea
Low in histamine but blocks DAO — limit it.
🍵 Green Tea
Low in histamine but a DAO blocker — best limited.
Also on a restricted diet for gut symptoms? Many of these foods rate very differently for FODMAPs — see the FODMAP foods list for IBS.
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JustAddTofu rates 1,200+ foods for histamine, histamine liberators, and DAO blockers — free on iOS, with voice logging in 99+ languages and no account required.
Histamine ratings are based on the Swiss SIGHI food compatibility list and general low-histamine dietary guidance. Histamine tolerance is individual — this is general information, not medical advice.