Fermented food allergy or sensitivity can be hard to recognize. Think of the following questions:
- Do headaches or migraine occur after drinking red wine?
- Does fermented cheese like Parmesan and blue cheese trigger a reaction?
- Can commercially fermented soy, pickles or sauerkraut cause problems?
Answering yes on any on the questions does not mean that a fermented food allergy is certain, only that it should be investigated. However, this is tricky as similar reactions can occur for other reasons. Finding the root cause requires effort.
Finding clues
In case of sensitivity to fermented foods, it does not always mean one must avoid all such foods. Homemade sauerkraut, yoghurt, and other foods are generally safer. Why is that?
Though numerous factors come into play, common triggers are biogenic amines. What are they? How can they be avoided?
This post is written with the intention to assist in identifying if fermented foods might be the cause of any adverse effect. And when identified, such foods can be excluded.
Biogenic amines and fermented food
Biogenic amines are substances created by certain bacteria that are often used commercially to break down amino acids in food. Amines are present in some (not all!) foods that are overcooked, processed, ripened, fermented, or decomposed. Amines cannot be removed by any cooking method.
In healthy individuals, biogenic amines are broken down by the intestine and liver. Enzymes such as MAO (monoamine oxidase) render amines harmless.
However, the MAO enzyme can be missing or become sluggish causing a build-up of amines in the body. Some drugs like antibiotics and antidepressants can inhibit the MAO enzymes causing…
- blood pressure changes
- body temperature
- stomach problems,
- mental confusion,
- depression,
- a migraine,
- vomiting,
- itching,
- fever,
- rash,
- and more.
There are different degrees of intolerance. A few older studies showed that very sensitive ones can get migraine by drinking water containing as little as 1 mg of tyramine chloride, an amine.
Most problems occur with histamine and tyramine while other amines might not cause any problems at all. And even though identifying the specific amines causing a reaction can be hard, it’s still possible to alleviate symptoms.
What to do when suspecting fermented food sensitivity
- Keep a log of food products to discern a pattern of what fermented foods are linked to headache, migraine, or other reactions. This help identifying which specific amines to blame.
- Find a specialist who understands biogenic amines. People can test negative for allergies but still have problems with biogenic amines. The specialist should know about Diamine Oxidase (DAO) and Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) as these two enzymes are responsible for degrading histamine and tyramine, common culprits.
- Consume fresh produce, avoid commercially fermented foods. Remember: Buy fresh, cook fresh, eat fresh.
- Homemade yoghurt and fermented vegetables are usually safe.
- Some feel it helps to take a high-quality probiotic supplement.
Common biogenic amines
| Tyramine | Histamine | Phenylethylamine | Agmatine | Putrescine |
| Cadaverine | Spermidine | Typtamine | Adrenaline | Serotonin |
Histamine and tyramine are common culprits. Similar symptoms can be caused by salicylates and glutamates.
Fermented foods containing amines
Keep in mind that some foods can contain different tyramine concentrations in different parts of the same food. Poor quality food tend to contain higher amounts, as does food not properly stored, cleaned, or prepared.
Red wine headaches
Red wine is a fermented drink. Symptoms occur shortly after drinking a single glass and might be followed by nausea and flushing. Some researchers believe this is caused by tyramine and histamine present in some red wine, though other potential causes also exist (like tannins and sulphite). In one study, red wine and Sake (made from fermented rice) were found to have the highest amine levels, while some beer had low levels. Red wine can contain between 20–200% more histamines than white wine.
Beer
Beer can contain tyramine and phenylethylamine if the malt is infected, or because of a later infection. However, amine concentrations vary a lot from brewery to brewery. In some studies, bottled and canned beers had the highest levels. Only 12% of tap beers had higher levels while the rest had low levels of tyramine.
The “cheese effect”
There are two main types of cheese—fermented and non-fermented. To ferment cheese, live bacteria cultures are needed. The bacteria feed on the lactose in the milk, a process called ageing. This process can produce more or less biogenic amines as a by-product. In one study they found that 18 of 26 kinds of cheese (26%) had high levels of tyramine.
In the 1960s, a British pharmacist noticed that his wife developed a headache every time she ate cheese high in tyramine and at the same time taking MAOI antidepressants. It was discovered that certain drugs as MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) inhibit the breakdown of tyramine causing a build-up in the body leading to high blood pressure, headaches, itchy skin rashes, heart palpitations, and diarrhea. In fact, a number of MAOI patients died from strokes or heart attacks before doctors realized that patients taking MAOIs needed to avoid foods high in tyramine. There is also a rare condition where people are born without the MAOA gene and, therefore, lack the MAO enzyme.
Chocolate
The cocoa bean is often fermented to achieve a better flavor. Dark chocolate contains tyramine, which triggered migraine headaches in the majority of migraine-prone subjects tested in some studies (according to the Clemson University Extension). In another study, phenylalanine which is another component of chocolate triggered migraines in about half the migraine-prone subjects. However, raw, unfermented cocoa beans or cocoa nibs are usually fine to consume.
Yoghurt
Much of the commercially produced yoghurt contain tyramine and sometimes phenylethylamine. However, yoghurt prepared at home is usually free of tyramine. Using a good yogurt starter prevents the creation of amines. One reason is because starters are composed of probiotic bacteria strains that do not produce amines, some even prevent the development of amines.
Drugs
Some drugs, including over the counter cold tablets contain amines. Examples are decongestants, nasal drops or sprays, some pain relievers, general and local anesthetics and some antidepressants. Be sure to check labels and ask your doctor.
Biogenic amines in sauerkraut
A study in 1999 aimed to determine levels of biogenic amines in 121 sauerkraut samples. They tested a few Austrian manufacturers, household-prepared, and also sterilized sauerkraut with brine in jars. Even though there were wide variations, there were generally low concentrations of amines in sauerkraut.
Lowest concentrations of amines were found in household-prepared sauerkraut
Another study in 2011 tested biogenic amines in spontaneously fermented (wild fermentation) sauerkraut during 45 days of storage. They also tried adding three different probiotic bacteria strains to ferment cabbage, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus curvatus.
After fermentation, they compared amine levels in the jars. Below is the result:
- Adding probiotic bacteria created much lower levels of biogenic amines in fermented cabbage. All biogenic amine levels were below the 100 ppm threshold. Histamine and tyramine were essentially absent during 45 days of storage.
- Fermenting cabbage without using a starter produced a higher amount of amines. When Lactobacillus bacteria were not added, the dominant biogenic amines created were putrescine, tyramine, and histamine. The longer the sauerkraut was stored, the more amines were created.
Using a starter culture to ferment vegetables at home prevents the extensive formation of biogenic amines.
If you’re sensitive to amines, you can still enjoy homemade fermented vegetables, sauerkraut, and yoghurt.
Spoiled food = food poisoning
The concentration of biogenic amines in food can sometimes be used as an indication of how much it has rotted or decomposed. High concentrations of biogenic amines can cause food poisoning. In lower concentrations, these same chemicals can trigger migraine attacks in susceptible ones.
Food freshness is key to avoid effects of biogenic amines
The way meat is distributed in supermarkets can cause problems. If the meat is vacuum packed, then repacked, and sold as fresh it can be 6-10 weeks old by the time it’s eaten. During this time, several amines can develop in high levels.
Studies show that vacuum packing can prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms but it cannot prevent the development of biogenic amines.
Experience shows that it’s vital to know about the history and freshness of food you consume to be able to identify possible amine-containing foods.
Other foods containing biogenic amines
Certain bacteria are often used to process commercially produced foods and as a result, these foods can contain high amounts of biogenic amines.
Examples of food containing amines:
- Fermented soy and canned tuna are known to be high in histamine, cadaverine, and putrescine.
- Aspartame (Nutrasweet) is used as a sweetener in many drinks and 600 different foods. It contains phenylethylamine and can cause many problems even in healthy individuals.
- One study analyzed 45 commercial fish sauces and 23 soy sauces for their biogenic amine content. They revealed it varied from 100 mg/kg to 4000 mg/kg, depending on the method of manufacture. Biogenic amines in soy sauces was much lower than in fish sauces. Tyramine was the main amine in soy sauce while fish sauces contained high concentrations of tyramine, histamine, tryptamine, and others. The levels of biogenic amines in fish sauces were similar to matured cheese.
- Biogenic amines are formed when amino acids in food are broken down. High concentrations can therefore be found in fish products that have not been kept according to hygiene guidelines.
Foods to be suspicious about
This is not rocket science so this table only gives the overall idea of what kind of foods can cause a reaction. The high to very high group contains 10-100 times more amines, salicylates and glutamates than the low-medium group. Much depends on the level of sensitivity.
Generally, fresh, organic foods are safer than processed, stored products.
| Negligible | Low-medium | High-Very High |
| Tacos Apples Apricots Gooseberries Rhubarbs Strawberries Cherries Asparagus Cabbage Capsicum Carrot Celery Corn Cucumber Green Peas Lettuce Lima Beans Onion Potato Soy Bean Turnip Zucchini Herbs Pepper Spices Coffee Lemonade Milk (Goat, Cow) Tea Fresh Cottage Cheese Yoghurt Soy Milk Tofu Tofu Ice Cream Emmental Jaalsberg | Almonds Cashews Macadamia Nuts Pine nuts Pistachio Brazil Nut Sesame Seeds Sunflower Seeds Kiwifruit Lime Oranqe Tanqerine Broccoli Cauliflower Olives Eggs Beef Chicken (No Skin) Fish (White Meat) Lamb Rabbit Sausage Casing Turkey (No Skin) Veal Canned Salmon Chicken Liver Chicken Skin Meat Older Than 2 Days Frozen Chicken Frozen Meat Frozen Turkey Fresh Tuna Champagne Blackcurrant Grapefruit Rockmelon | Red Wine Dark Chocolate Black Walnut Spicy Flavoured Snacks Brie Camembert Miso Roquefort Parmesan Smoked Meat, Chicken Chocolate Drinks Cocoa Spinach Meat Pies, etc. Pate Salami Sausages Cola Type Drinks Orange Juice Tomato Juice Vegetable Juice Anchovies Beef Liver Brains, Kidney, Tripe Canned Tuna Dried, Smoked Fish Fish Roe Cheddar Cheese Danish Blue Edam Leicester Limberger Mozarella Swiss Cheese |
Histamine-rich foods
It’s easy to forget that consuming several foods containing histamines at the same time will increase the risk of a reaction. People with low levels of the enzyme diamine oxidase cannot break down all the histamine absorbed from food. This is histamine intolerance.
Depending on how the food is produced histamine levels differ greatly.
- Dried fruits like apricots, dates, prunes, figs, and raisins (they might be okay if thoroughly washed)
- Vinegar or vinegar-containing foods, such as mayonnaise, salad dressing, ketchup, chili sauce, pickles, pickled beets, relishes, olives
- Soured bread such as pumpernickel, coffee cakes, foods made with large amounts of yeast
- Fermented foods as pickled or smoked meats, commercially produced sauerkraut
- Aged or fermented cheese, such as Parmesan, blue and Roquefort
- Sour cream, sour milk, buttermilk, yogurt; avoid if not fresh
- Processed meats—sausages, hot dogs, salami, and others
- Smoked fish—herring, sardines
- Most commercially produced yogurt
- Alcoholic drinks as wine and beer
- Cider and homemade root beer
- Mushrooms
- Anchovies
- Avocados
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Eggplant
- Mackerel
- Sardines
Histamine-Releasing Foods
Some foods might be low in histamine but they tend to stimulate the body to release histamines which can also cause a reaction. The following foods are examples of this:
- Eggs
- Fish
- Milk
- Alcohol
- Papayas
- Bananas
- Shellfish
- Chocolate
- Pineapple
- Tomatoes
- Strawberries
Resolving fermented food allergy
- First, try a low-amine diet to confirm if amines are to blame. If there is no problems with amines things become much easier.
- In case you suspect amines, then need to determine which specific amines are triggering symptoms—histamine, tyramine, or others.
- When you have a good grasp of possible triggers, controlling fermented food allergy includes avoiding those triggers.
- After avoiding biogenic amines for a while, it’s important to reintroduce those same foods (the triggers) to confirm sensitivity. Otherwise, you might end up with a long list of foods to avoid when in reality not all those foods will trigger a reaction.
Revealing the real cause of fermented food allergy involves becoming a detective. The assignment is to investigate the intriguing case of your own body. This requires patience and determination. But it can be done. The result should that you feel better.
References
Linda says
I appreciate all of this information. Thank you very much.
sharon says
This is a jewel of information to have found, thank you. I had/have had both of these “allergies”.
Ken Silvers says
Hi Sharon.
Sorry to hear that you suffer from this also. My wife has had similar allergies and that’s when I started researching this subject. It can be very frustrating to deal this problem as it is quite complicated. It took a long time to research the relevant scientific studies and to gather only the most vital information in an understandable way. Much that is written on this subject is very scientific and not easy to digest. But doing it was very enlightening and did help us a lot.
My wife is now completely free from her allergies and has not had symptoms for a long time. This is the result of life-style changes we have made like focusing mainly on a plant-based diet, fermented vegetables, intermittent fasting and regular detox.
Susan says
Wow! Such great info, all in one place!
I just posted a question to the “side effects” (?) page, I think that I have found some more clarity here.
I posted asking about the possibility that large doses of probiotics might be causing congestion, headache & earache. I now see that it’s probably due to amine/salicylate/glutimate/histamine sensitivity. The pro-biotics could have contained some of these.
I get congested when I have too much milk or cheese. The biggest migraine triggers for me are red wine, dark chocolate & some cheeses. MSG and brewers yeast also gives me a headache, as can some salami, sausages, and some soy sauces. Walnuts, shrimp & cayenne pepper makes my mouth burn.
I can have some of the above foods, but too much & I can get ratcheted up to a migraine in no time. Seems like once I already have a headache, I’m more sensitive to offending foods. When I get a migraine, I occasionally get an intense itching in one eye &/or nostril & my eye/nose runs on that side. Probably a histamine release?
Ironically, one of the ways that I get rid of a migraine is to have a Diet Coke or Pepsi, so I’m fortunately not sensitive to phenylalanine. I have heard that it’s bad for you anyway & try to replace artificial sweeteners with the less artificial stevia. Or, take an Excedrin with caffeine. Lucky that I’m not bothered by salicylates!
Thanks so much for listing some of the foods that can be triggers that I was not aware of yet. I often have a banana with almond butter, so will pay extra attention next time to see if I have a reaction to it.
Do you have a list of specific bacteria that are likely to create amines? And/or conversely, ones that don’t? I would like to make my own yogurt or kefir & it would be helpful to know what would be the best starter to use.
I don’t know if you mention specific brands on-line, as that might be considered an endorsement or not? I would like to hear from you & the other readers if they have found a specific store bought yogurt that has worked for them, or ones that they know to avoid if they are also sensitive to the above chemicals. I know that we are all different, but it might help to eliminate some bad ones!
Thanks again! I have taken some of your lists & put them into a spreadsheet that I can keep on my phone if I’m out shopping & need help with better food choices. I think that someone should create a food diary app for smart phones so that we can keep track of our food consumption/reactions while we are out. Anyone?
Ken Silvers says
Hello Susan.
Nice to hear from you. Yes, I worked long and hard with this post. My wife suffered from allergies in the past and I was determined to understand the causes and how to deal with them. Part of my research became this post.
A list of amine producing bacteria would be nice. I’ve not made one because it is quite a complicated question. One reason is that you’re dealing with many different foods that are fermented in many ways using all kinds of bacteria.
However, a few histamine producing bacteria are Morganella morganii, H. alvei, Klebsiella spp., Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter spp., and Serratia spp. The bacteria species included in starter cultures are beneficial ones that do not promote the creation of amines. In fact, research shows that such starter even oppose the creation of amines. The lowest levels of amines was found in homemade fermented vegetables.
So a good way to avoid amines is to prepare your own yogurt (from raw milk) and fermented vegetables. It is difficult to know for sure which commercial yogurts and kefir will contain amines or not.
Great idea to create a food app!
About starter cultures, I make my own fermented vegetables, yogurt and kefir so I’ve tried many starter cultures and found a few that are really good. I now mostly use Body Ecology or Dr Mercola Complete Probiotics (his latest is Kinetic Culture, but I’ve not tried it yet).
JJ says
Hey I just found out that I have a citrobacter freundii infection. Ive had a sudden onset of allergies in my late teens early twenties. I suffer from congestion, chronic fatigue and brain fog. I also get a histamine from alot of foods I eat so I’m on a very simple diet. Do you think the citrobacter freundii infection can be causing this? Thanks!
Ken Silvers says
Hello JJ
I’m not really qualified to comment too much on this since I have no experience with citrobacter freundii. I can only say that I’ve read reports suggesting that lactic acid bacteria (probiotics) might be an effective remedy to treat the infection caused by c. freundii. Fatigue, brain fog, congestion can be caused by many different health problems. It would therefore be best to see a professional health practitioner to determine the cause and best treatment.
Sorry I cannot help you more.
Sarah says
Hey what are you doing with citrobacter freundii I’ve just doing out I’ve got it. What diet and how you treating it? Thanks
Ken Silvers says
Hello Sarah.
Citrobacter freundii can be a hard problem and I don’t have that much experience with it. Some studies show that probiotic bacteria can be effective for treating citrobacter freundii. Slowly increase the dose to avoid detox symptoms. A probiotic supplement containing different strains is preferable as diversity can be more effective. Homemade fermented vegetables can contain very large amounts of probiotics, in the trillions, and can be an economic option. And if you are on antibiotics, then probiotics is essential to protect the digestive tract. Kefir and yogurt is also good. However, depending on the symptoms some also have grat success using D-mannose, unsweetened cranberry juice, garlic, Manuka honey, colloidal silver, and Vitamin C. The GAPS diet has also worked well for some. Each person is unique and must therefore try what works best for them.
Susan says
Thanks so much for responding so quickly! I’m feeling better after a couple of days. I stopped taking the massive doses of probiotics. I added back some simpler foods that I know are soothing to my belly. Drinking more filtered water. Taking psyllium product to move things out of my colon quicker. Taking only foods that I know are safe for me, as I don’t want to confound the elimination process.
I made myself a spreadsheet (can share it with you?) that compares the different strains that are in the Mercola & BioKult brands (both of which I haven’t tried yet) along with the VitaCost 15-35 & Ultimate Flora that I was using. I don’t know if that is one that you have checked out yourself?
VitaCost also sells the BioKult, Mercola & Ultimate Flora and many, many more! I haven’t taken the time to compare the prices that you had gathered, but I think that they are competitive? I like the fact that if you order more than $50 (not difficult!) you get free shipping & get it delivered in one day. & no, I don’t work for them.
It’s all overwhelming. I will begin the process of adding back one product at a time & see if I get a reaction. Hopefully the spreadsheet will help me figure out if it is one bacteria in particular, or if my crisis was created by too much, too fast.
I REALLY appreciate that the Bio-Kult tells you what probiotics are helpful for which area of the body, situation, etc., I will be looking for more of that on-line. Will continue to do research & if I find out anything about the amines or anything that might be helpful to you or your readers, I will share.
I know that we are all individual & will have different reactions, but the more that we can figure out & share, the more that we can potential help others. I REALLY appreciate blogs like this that create a public forum.
Thanks again!
Ken Silvers says
Hello Susan.
Nice to hear you’re feeling better. Yes, the BioKult list of bacteria was something I started doing a while back as many people want an overview. In fact, my plan was to make a separate listing the many more probiotic bacteria to have an good overview. Perhaps I should complete that project.
Tina says
I think Sue Dengate would be interested to know you have copied several paragraphs from her book ‘Fed Up’ word for word without acknowledging her. They call that plagiarism. Sue Dengate and her husband in Australia are the ones who have done this research over many years. They have a website called Food Intolerance Network and have published several books on the subject. The Dengates and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit in Sydney, Australia are the best sources of information on this subject.
Ken Silvers says
Hello Tina.
Thank you for your comment. I do understand your concern about acknowledgements. I myself don’t like it when others copy my work without acknowledgements. Plagiarism is a bad habit! I would be more than happy to acknowledge any work that I’ve copied, even if I’ve done so unintentionally.
However, I’m not familiar with Sue Dengate and I’ve not read her book. But after I read your comment I looked up her website Food Intolerance Network and it has some excellent information on food allergy. Very neatly written!
My own post is the result of researching mostly scientific papers and scholarly works on biogenic amines. I also studied research done in Sweden (written in Swedish). The subject of biogenic amines is a pretty narrow field of research and many scientific papers repeat similar information. Therefore, some information in my post will no doubt be found also elsewhere. But adding some of the references that I used for my post is a good reminder.
Thank you.
Tonya says
Thank you so much for all the time you have invested in research for your wife. I have two questions please, the first one is in regards to the safety of taking probiotics when you have mold allergies. And the second one is I have eaten Sauerkraut fairly often (traditional/conventional brands) and have had no stomach issiues, recently made a switch to about 80% organic food consumption and found an absolutely delicious Sauerkraut by Cadia and within a couple of hours I had a terrible reaction to it. Initially I thought I had caught a 24 hour stomach bug but I tried the same brand again and had the exact same reaction, I can’t understand why this happen with a “clean” option when it never happened when I ate the “convential” brands. Any ideas would be most helpful.
Ken Silvers says
Hello Tonya
Nice to hear you enjoy my posts. And I’m sorry to hear about your stomach issues. But I’m somewhat puzzled by your symptoms since my wife has similar experience.
But first the question about mold:
Is it safe for a person allergic to mold to consume probiotics? Normally yes. However, it is recommended that you are carful with what you eat. Eating 80% organic it great, well done! According to the GAPS model, allergies are often due to imbalances in the immune system (involving Th1 and Th2) and a leaky gut. Probiotics is one factor that can help correct such imbalances. However, people who also suffer from Candida, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and some other conditions might have difficult consuming fermented foods. This is because of the die-off effect is too severe for them. They need to start off with a very small amount of probiotics and increase the amount weekly if they feel OK.
My wife consumed fermented foods for a long time, but then suddenly she could not eat our next batch because of stomach pain a feeling sick. Why this happened is still a mystery and I’m still investigating.
Here are some possible causes:
1. The vegetables are fermented too short
2. Sensitivity to biogenic amines (histamine, tyramine)
3. Yeast, harmful bacteria or toxins in your digestive system (a die-off response)
4. Sensitivity to cabbage (often because of the fibers)
5. The culture starter used to ferment the vegetables contain some bacteria strain causing a reaction in the digestive tract
Sauerkraut fermentation needs a certain time to complete. However, if the process is cut short, then after consuming the product fermentation can continue in your digestive system. This will produce gas and cause bloating and pain. Sauerkraut takes around 2-3 weeks to complete the fermentation process. Other vegetables might take even longer. When done properly, there will be no yeast present in fermented vegetables. The environment is too acidic for mold to exist and other bacteria has already taken control.
In addition, vegetables that are fermented shorter might contain slightly more histamine or tyramine. These biogenic amines are known to cause many symptoms. For most people the levels are too low to bother them. However, if you are very sensitive it might be enough to cause the symptoms you mention.
Another factor is the kind of bacteria Cadia use as a starter. Different bacteria can have very different effect on the body.
One solution would be to ferment your own veggies and to do it properly with a high quality culture starter. Also, please keep in mind that every person is different and will have a unique response to probiotics in any form. Always listen to your body.
Esther says
Thank you so much for this information!
I had stopped consuming dairy about a year and a half ago due to a skin reaction on my face (that was beyond acne-like). Instead of antibiotics a few people recommended I stop eating dairy/wheat/sugar and re-intro them back one at a time to see IF they may be the case. Dairy seemed it!
Recently/A few months ago I started making my own Kombucha and have been thrilled with that and drink it all the time (probably too often). I randomly started getting a roseachia (sp?) like rash on my cheeks. Then I started getting a rash on my forearms. My diet is mostly veg. dairy-free. I also know I have sneeze attacks after consuming red wine and sometimes/coffee (less so with organic stuff), and sometimes headaches from red wine, not white. Anyway…THIS explains it. I am saddened that I might not be able to drink my favorite drink (kombucha). However, I will do the elimination, then re-introduction to the foods listed above, just to be sure. I also use Braggs Amino Acid liquid, which can’t help… Honestly, I would rather keep drinking it if I can find a balance.
Thank you so much for the thorough article.
Ken Silvers says
Hello Esther.
Sorry to hear about your rash and possible histamine sensitivity. My wife and I LOVE kambutcha, so I can understand your dissappointment. Yes, histamine is a tricky thing. This article is really just part of the picture. Some people can manage a certain amount of it, but if they drink both red wine and kambutcha on the same day, it might trigger a reaction. Everyone is different. Sometimes it can be a combination of histamine and tyramine that causes a reaction. And for some people digesting food produces amines in the gut, even though what they eat is considered right.
The elimination and reintroduction process can be very helpful. Soups, smoothing and fresh vegetable juice is great for your digestion. Some people can consume probiotics to heal the gut and improve digestion. However, many commercially fermented foods contain high levels of amines. Homemade fermented vegetables contain low amounts. Just remember that when fermentation is complete, say after a week, then wait an extra week or two before consuming them. The level of histamine tends to be higher at the start and become low after a week or two.
Here is a great blog specialized in histamines: The Low Histamine Chef.
This article might also interest you: The rosacea-histamine-mast cell connection.
Susan says
Hi Ken,
I was wondering why commercial fermented foods are higher in amines? Also, you say that making my own fermented kraut or veggies will not have as many and that they are lower still if made with a starter. Do you think it’s still ok to do the kraut without the starter? The store bought stuff seems to really affect me and I’m not sure if it’s one of the amines or detox. By making my own, I will be able to distinguish the difference.
Thank You!
Ken Silvers says
Hello Susan.
The studies I’ve seen indicate that most depends on the kind of bacteria used in fermentation. Some bacteria strains produce several amines while others don’t. Some (but not all) commercial products contain more amine-producing bacteria. Research also indicates that pushing the fermentation process in an attempt to cut down on time can produce amines. Wild vegetable fermentation (without a starter) depends entirely on what bacteria is present on the vegetables and because of this you cannot control the level om amines produced. The longer you store it, the more amines might develop.
However, a good culture starter contains bacteria that suppress the amine-producing bacteria naturally present on the vegetables. For example L. plantarum, L. casei, L. curvatus all inhibit the production of amines. Therefore, a culture starter containing such bacteria will stabilize fermentation and keep amine levels very low.
Susan says
Ken, Thank you so much for your reply. I know you mention Dr. Mercola’s probiotic as being very high quality. Are the strains of bacteria found in his probiotic safe from producing amines?
Also, I saw that you had a list of bacteria strains to avoid – do you have a good list?
Thanks so much for your help!
Susan
Ken Silvers says
Yes, Dr Mercola has a good starter. I’ve also used Body Ecology many times.
I’ve not got a complete list of amine-forming bacteria for vegetables, sorry. There are many different bacteria used in fermenting meat, dairy and other products that produce massive amounts of amines. But for vegetables I’ve not seen a good list. But if I find one I will post it. Part of the problem is that there seems to be a complex interaction between different bacteria strains that determines amine production. However, studies show that using a starter containing the species I mentioned earlier should keep amine-production to a minimum. Much also depends on if you’re just a little sensitive or If you’ve got a serious problem with amines.
Susan says
Also, do you have a recipe I could use?
Thanks!
Ken Silvers says
If you suspect a problem with amines, then it’s usually best to prepare a simple sauerkraut recipe as a test. This will help you determine if you can tolerate it or not. Use green cabbage and perhaps a a few carrots, sea salt and a starter. If you have a juicer, then celery juice is excellent for brine. Prepare a small batch as a test. When you start consuming it you will know if your body tolerates it.