How to Prepare Low Histamine Food
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When I first experienced Mast Cell Activation Syndrome symptoms, aka MCAS, I immediately began to assess how much histamine I was consuming. Upon researching the low histamine diet, and trying to sort out how I was going to make it work, I found a ton of inconsistent information online.
It seemed as though many people who were writing about low histamine cooking couldn’t agree upon which foods were indeed low histamine, and how to prepare them. And a lot of those bloggers didn’t have a background in medicine or science. That’s when my major in biology stepped in and I began looking for valid, science-backed information that could help on my food elimination journey.
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It turns out that adhering to a low histamine lifestyle is not just about what you eat, but how you are cooking and storing your food. What’s more, relying on low histamine meal prep is not only good for those experiencing Mast Cell rashes and symptoms, but also for people who are suffering from allergies.
Whether you choose to adopt a low histamine food experience all of the time, or just when you’re feeling like you’ve had a little too much of the pesky compound, here are three ways that will help you get the most out your new lifestyle:
The Effects of Different Cooking Methods on Histamine Levels
How you cook your low histamine meals affects the amount of histamine that is on your plate. For instance, a study conducted in 2017 showed the differences in histamine levels whether the food was grilled, boiled, or fried. So, histamine levels can change based on the way in which you are cooking your meals.
Grilling and frying food increased histamine levels, whereas boiling either didn’t have any change at all, or actually decreased histamine levels! That means boiling your food could possibly help to reduce the histamine in your already low histamine food list!
Or possibly allow you to consume the higher histamine foods that you love, by boiling out some of the histamine altogether, e.g. “[t]he histamine level of ham was increased about 1.4-fold by grilling…but decreased 60% after boiling….”The Effects of Food Storage on Histamine Levels
Storing your food in a refrigerator, or even freezing it can slow down, or stop histamine production. So do not leave your food out on the counter or assume reheating will remove histamine, because it won’t. A study conducted way back in 2005 showed that yellowfin tuna histamine development was found to be lower than the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) safety level of 5 mg/100 g during storage at 0°C/32°F for 17 days.
When the tuna was stored at between 8 and 20°C/ 46.4°F and 68°F, it became unsafe for human consumption, reaching unacceptable histamine levels after several days. The good news about this study is it proves wrong the theory that all leftovers are bad for histamine levels.
According to the research, as long as the food is stored in the proper temperature, it can be safely eaten. Also, freezing or freeze-drying foods can prevent histamine levels from growing. While the practice of freezing foods won’t eliminate histamine, it will essentially stop time for histamine growth and allow for foods to remain at the same histamine level they were before freezing.The Effects of Vacuum Sealing on Histamine Levels
Some people assume that if they vacuum seal their food, it will either pause histamine growth, or decrease it. I’ve read a few blogs that have suggested that vacuum packaging eliminated histamine, so I was curious to discover the truth about the theory. In a study conducted in 2017, it was shown that hazardous levels of histamine could accumulate in vacuum sealed food when stored at a temperature of 25°C/77°F, regardless of whether they were previously frozen or not.
However, vacuum sealed food stored at a temperature of 15°C/59°F reduced the growth of histamine levels. The study suggested that vacuum packaged food stored at below 4°C/39.2°F was the optimal method of storage for controlling histamine. While there was some truth to the idea that vacuum sealing can help, the temperature at which the food is stored plays a role as well.
I found that there aren’t a ton of peer-reviewed studies out there regarding histamine and how it affects us once we’ve cooked and consumed it. But I have been able to dig up at least three studies that are helpful and not full of the misinformation often spread online. There needs to be more research into how the food we eat is contributing to illness, and the ways in which people who suffer from disease can select better options for their diets.
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