03 — Histamine intolerance

Histamine, liberators, and DAO inhibitors — rated per meal.

Tracking histamine intolerance means more than avoiding a list of foods. Every entry is rated for histamine content, for histamine-releasing effect, and for DAO inhibition, against roughly 1,200 foods on the Swiss SIGHI compatibility list. Log by voice in 99+ languages; the ratings arrive with the entry.

Download on the App Store Browse the histamine food list

1,200

Foods rated on the SIGHI list

3

Axes: histamine, liberator, DAO

99+

Languages for voice logging

$0

No subscription, no ads


What a rating looks like

“Can I eat aged cheddar?”

High histamine

Aged cheddar — avoid on a low-histamine diet.

Histamine and tyramine both accumulate with ripening time. Suggested swaps: fresh mozzarella, ricotta, cream cheese.

“Rice with grilled chicken and zucchini”

Low histamine

420 cal · 32 g protein · low histamine

No liberators and no DAO inhibitors. Generally well tolerated when the chicken is fresh rather than reheated.

“Spinach salad with strawberries”

Caution

Low in histamine, but two triggers present.

Strawberries are histamine liberators; spinach is rated moderate. Neither is high-histamine on its own — together they can still tip the day’s load.


Six things the app tracks

01

Histamine database

Roughly 1,200 foods rated for histamine content, liberator effect, DAO inhibition, and other biogenic amines — tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine — following the Swiss SIGHI list.

02

Liberators and DAO inhibitors

Foods low in histamine that still provoke symptoms: strawberries, citrus, chocolate, shellfish; and DAO blockers such as alcohol, black tea, mate, and energy drinks.

03

Freshness and storage

Histamine rises as food ages. Fresh fish is low; day-old fish is not. Preparation and storage time are part of the entry, so leftovers are not rated as if they were fresh.

04

Cumulative daily load

Ratings add up across the day rather than passing or failing each food, which is closer to how tolerance actually works — a threshold, not a switch.

05

Symptoms alongside intake

Log headaches, hives, digestive symptoms, palpitations, or anxiety and read them against what was eaten, so a personal trigger list comes from your own record.

06

MCAS triggers beyond histamine

Salicylates and oxalates are tracked as well, for mast cell activation syndrome where avoidance goes wider than histamine alone.


Also useful

Nutrients that support DAO

Vitamin C, B6, copper, and zinc intake are tracked, since DAO production depends on them and a restricted diet makes them easy to miss.

Foreign menus, your language

Voice logging in 99+ languages, which matters most when the cuisine is unfamiliar and the ingredient names are not yours.

A record for your clinician

Export intake, ratings, and symptoms to CSV for an allergist, gastroenterologist, or dietitian reviewing an elimination trial.

No account, no cloud

Entries and symptoms stay on the device in Core Data. Nothing about your health is sent anywhere or used to train anything.


Questions

Which foods are highest in histamine?

Aged cheeses, fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha, cured meats, alcohol — wine and beer especially — leftover or canned fish, tomatoes, spinach, aubergine, and vinegar. The app rates roughly 1,200 foods, so the answer comes with the entry rather than from a list.

What is the difference between a high-histamine food and a liberator?

A high-histamine food already contains histamine, as aged cheese and fermented food do. A liberator contains little but prompts mast cells to release it — strawberries, citrus, chocolate, nuts, shellfish. Both are rated, because avoiding only the first often is not enough.

How long does a low-histamine diet take to work?

Many people notice a change within two to four weeks as intake falls and DAO activity recovers, but response varies widely. Tracking symptoms alongside intake is what shows whether it is working for you.

Can high-histamine foods come back later?

Often, in small amounts, once symptoms settle. The histamine-bucket idea is that a certain load is tolerable before symptoms appear; the daily total in the app is there to help you find where your own threshold sits.

How is histamine intolerance different from MCAS?

Histamine intolerance usually reflects low DAO activity, so dietary histamine accumulates. In mast cell activation syndrome, mast cells release histamine and other mediators inappropriately — generally more severe, and with triggers beyond food.

Is this medical advice?

No. Ratings are reference data drawn from the SIGHI list and published research, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Use them alongside your clinician, particularly before starting or ending an elimination diet.


Reference

Browse foods by histamine level.

Histamine food list FODMAP food list

Rate the meal, not the myth. Free on the App Store.

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