Experts have advised that recurrent headaches could indicate a food intolerance. The few foods, some of which are consumed around Christmas, have a substance called histamine, which has certain advantages for the body but also has certain drawbacks.
High histamine foods include packaged meats and aged cheese, which are commonly served at celebratory gatherings. Histamine can enhance cognitive abilities and balance sleep-wake cycles, but it can also give people who are intolerant to it excruciating migraines.
Shortness of breath, diarrhea, and skin irritation are among the other symptoms that can arise from an accumulation of histamine in the body that is not properly broken down.
Foods High in Histamine
An elimination diet might be suggested if your doctor believes that particular foods are contributing to your allergy symptoms. Typically, these six meals have a lot of histamine:
1. Fermented foods. Miso, kimchi, natto, kombucha, tempeh, kefir, sauerkraut, and probiotic yogurt.
2. Alcohol. It is thought that histamine intolerance may be an underlying cause of alcohol intolerance. Sulphites and histamines are present in all alcohols, but particularly in wines and beers.
3. Packed meat. Try to purchase fresh meat instead of anything that have been smoked, packed, or stored in any other way.
4. Aged cheese. Studies have shown that the temperature at which aged cheese is kept might affect its histamine content. Cheeses stored at 22°C had higher levels than those kept at 4°C, according to a research.
5. Legumes. These include peanuts, lima beans, common beans, broad beans, chickpeas, and lentils.
6. Citrus Fruit. In actuality, the histamine content of many citrus fruits, such as oranges, limes, and lemons, isn’t particularly high. Nevertheless, when ingested, they may cause the body to release histamine.
Foods Low in Histamine
Fresh meat, fresh fruit (limited to citrus), fresh veggies (limited to tomato), aubergine, and spinach are examples of low-histamine foods. Additionally, while wholegrain products like bread and pasta as well as black and green tea are to be avoided, rice, coconut milk, and herbal tea are recommended.
According to YorkTest’s Dr. Ellie Pierson, “many people might not be aware that so many foods contain histamine and could be causing an allergic reaction. For this reason, it’s critical to track which foods cause a reaction in a food diary as often this kind of intolerance is misdiagnosed and typically confused for seasonal or food allergies.”
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