Certain foods are high in histamines, which may trigger an inflammatory response in the body. This can cause digestive problems, headaches and skin rashes in some people.
“More typically you will see redness, sometimes rashes, sometimes eczema and some people you’ll see it almost looks like a conjunctivitis,” said Dr. Peter Bongiorno of Intersource Health on Long Island, N.Y.
Generally, the longer food is stored or left to mature, the greater its histamine content. Foods high in histamine include:
• Alcohol, especially red wine and champagne
• Cheese
• Coffee
• Fish
• Fruits like strawberries, bananas
• Pizza
• Smoked, processed meats
• Sauerkraut
• Veggies such as tomatoes, spinach, avocado
Keeping a food diary is the first step to take if a histamine intolerance is suspected – followed by removing foods, item by item, to see if symptoms go away.