It’s deliciously fatty and salty, and just the perfect accompaniment that fits perfectly on a little cracker… an all round tasty snack; and you’ve got it right, I’m talking about salami.
When you’re living with histamine intolerance, that once delightful morsel of salami becomes anything but. Instead of tantalizing your tastebuds, salami histamine leaves you feeling awful. Instead, you’re left feeling short of breath, your eyes and nose streaming, your skin crawling and your head pounding.
Why? Because that little bite is packed full of histamine.
Salami Is Full of Histamine and Here’s Why…
As you may well be aware, histamine is a biogenic amine not only produced by our bodies, but is a compound produced by bacteria in the environment. Of particular interest here is the bacteria our food is exposed to.
Because there are trillions of bacteria living in and on every aspect of our environment, there’s no question as to whether there are bacteria on our food (1). The most important aspect to consider is what it does and the role it plays in health.
Now, when food is fresh - essentially, when it is still growing or alive - most of the bacteria you’ll find on it are relatively harmless. It’s a completely different story altogether when food starts to ferment. Fermentation is something that takes place immediately upon picking of produce or on the slaughtering of animals. It’s a process that begins in the product or tissues when oxygen is no longer being circulated; a process causing the bacteria to become quite active.
They begin to degrade the food using enzymes, which causes the release of all sorts of compounds into and onto the produce. One of those compounds that is released is histamine.
Now, these bacteria can also be used to ferment foods on purpose (2). Think about pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and kefir. It’s actually a preservation method used to increase the lifespan of the food by decreasing the risk of bad bacteria growing on the food and causing spoilage (3).
It’s the same method used to produce aged and cured meats, like salami (4). The meat is specifically prepared for curing and fermentation. But it’s for this reason salami histamine levels are incredibly high.
While this method preserves food - even making it more digestible and valuable to the digestive system as a whole - it can be incredibly detrimental for those living with histamine intolerance, which is why salami is on the avoid list of low histamine foods.
It’s also important to mention that salami is not the only high histamine meat to avoid.
Salami Histamine Levels Are High, And So Are Those In Other Beef Products!
Now that you know salami is cured and fermented, it’s obvious why it’s high in histamine. But, did you know that 99% of all beef products are, too?
Well, it’s true. Most of the beef products are aged before they hit the shelves as a way to increase their flavour and shelf-life. It’s likely the reason you don’t tolerate even plain beef products if you’re living with histamine intolerance.
In rare cases, you’ll be able to find beef that isn’t aged at your local butcher, or if you buy beef products directly from a local farmer.
If you’re unable to, what are the alternatives?
Getting your Daily Protein Without the Histamine Load
While you’re still sensitive to histamine, I suggest staying away from any aged or fermented foods including salami and beef products.
Eating only low histamine produce may help to reduce the histamine load on your body, allowing you to far better manage your symptoms of histamine intolerance while you go about finding the root cause of your condition.
Instead, add low histamine sources of protein in your meals. Here are some examples:
1. Poultry: chicken and turkey are great sources of lean animal protein. Be sure to cook the meat when it’s fresh and freeze any leftovers as soon as possible after cooking. While not quite salami, chicken or turkey can be sliced thinly and eaten as a snack on your favourite low histamine cracker.
2. Salmon: fish can be extremely high in histamine as it degrades rapidly and can be exposed to seriously harmful bad bacteria. So it’s important to get the right type of salmon or it’ll cause your symptoms to flare and potentially make you quite sick. Look for providers of freshly caught organic, immediately gutted and frozen salmon, which is the type that is often most well tolerated on a low histamine diet. Salmon offers a wonderful source of protein and contains high doses of anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats in its flesh.
3. Pumpkin or hemp seeds: both pumpkin and hemp are great low histamine plant sources of protein. Both can be eaten as they come as a snack or sprinkled over other foods such as vegetables to add a lovely crunch. If eating them in their raw form, always select varieties that are unroasted and salt free to ensure they’re low in histamine and contain no other ingredients that may potentially alter their histamine content. Pumpkin and hemp seeds can also be used in their powdered forms as a high protein meat alternative. Powdered forms and great for smoothies or even for baking!
4. Eggs: many people believe that eggs are high histamine foods, but it’s a myth. While raw egg white are very high in histamine, when eggs are cooked thoroughly, the histamine levels are minimal (5). Egg whites are a great source of protein and their yolks offer a wider range of healthy fats and B vitamins to your diet. If you find you struggle to tolerate eggs, you may have another food sensitivity you may need to look into, such as a sulfur sensitivity.
As you can see, salami histamine can be replaced with other tasty protein sources. Of course, it’s not the fatty, salty flavour you know and love, but that’s a little price to pay when eating these alternatives that won’t send your histamine symptoms soaring like salami will.
Besides, once you tackle the root cause of your histamine intolerance, you may well be able to tolerate small amounts of salami once more. It’s all about finding out what has caused your histamine intolerance in the first place, and how you can decrease your body’s histamine load so as to increase your tolerance to it!
References:
1. Leff JW, Fierer N. Bacterial communities associated with the surfaces of fresh fruits and vegetables. PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e59310. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0059310
2. Caplice E, Fitzgerald GF. Food fermentations: role of microorganisms in food production and preservation. Int J Food Microbiol. 1999;50(1-2):131-149. doi:10.1016/s0168-1605(99)00082-3
3. Taveira, IC., Nogueira, KMV., De Oliveria, DLG., Silva, RDN. Fermentation: Humanity’s Oldest Biotechnological Tool. Frontiers Earth Science. 2021.
4. Taylor SL, Leatherwood M, Lieber ER. A Survey of Histamine Levels in Sausages 1,2. J Food Prot. 1978;41(8):634-637. doi:10.4315/0362-028X-41.8.634
5. Chung BY, Park SY, Byun YS, et al. Effect of Different Cooking Methods on Histamine Levels in Selected Foods. Ann Dermatol. 2017;29(6):706-714. doi:10.5021/ad.2017.29.6.706
Anita Tee
My name is Anita Tee. I'm a nutritional scientist who specializes in histamine intolerance. I hold a Master of Science in Personalized Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Psychology.
For the past ten years, I have used my experience in nutritional and medical health sciences to create a scientifically backed, natural approach to healthcare that relies 100% on evidence-based research.
As I previously suffered from - and overcame - histamine intolerance, my focus is to increase recognition and expand the available resources and protocols available for resolving this particular disorder. To date, I have helped over 4,000 individuals fully resolve or better manage their histamine intolerance symptoms.
