Are green banana and tigernut flour low in histamine?

Green Banana and Tigernut Flour in Low Histamine Diets

Based on current evidence, green banana and tigernut flour can be considered low-histamine options that are generally suitable for individuals with histamine intolerance, as they are not included in the lists of high-histamine foods in established guidelines. 1

Understanding Histamine Content in Foods

What Makes a Food High in Histamine

• Fermented foods are unanimously excluded from low-histamine diets due to their consistently high histamine content 1, 2
• Foods that contain high levels of histamine directly or that trigger histamine release in the body should be avoided by those with histamine intolerance 1
• Foods high in putrescine (like certain fruits) may interfere with diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme function, which is responsible for histamine degradation 2

Common High-Histamine Foods to Avoid

• Fermented foods (cheese, wine, beer, sauerkraut)
• Aged cheeses
• Processed meats
• Certain vegetables like spinach (15.4-34.2 mg/kg histamine) 3
• Tomatoes and tomato products (0.8-10.6 mg/kg histamine) 3
• Eggplant (15.4-34.2 mg/kg histamine) 3

Green Banana and Tigernut Flour Status

Neither green banana nor tigernut flour appears on standard lists of high-histamine foods in the comprehensive histamine intolerance guidelines 1. This suggests they are likely safe options for those following a low-histamine diet.

Green Bananas

• Ripe bananas are sometimes excluded from low-histamine diets due to their putrescine content, which may interfere with histamine degradation 2
• However, green (unripe) bananas have lower levels of biogenic amines compared to ripe ones
• Green bananas are not listed among foods to avoid in histamine intolerance guidelines 1

Tigernut Flour

• Tigernut flour is not mentioned in any of the histamine intolerance guidelines or research as a high-histamine food 1, 2, 4, 5
• As a non-fermented, minimally processed food, it is unlikely to contain significant amounts of histamine
• There is no evidence suggesting tigernut flour triggers histamine release

Important Considerations for Histamine Intolerance

Individual Variation

• Histamine tolerance varies significantly between individuals based on their DAO enzyme activity 5
• The same food may cause reactions in some histamine-intolerant individuals but not others

Dietary Management

• A low-histamine diet should be maintained for at least 4 weeks to evaluate effectiveness 1
• Beyond histamine content, other factors that can trigger symptoms include:
  • Temperature extremes
  • Mechanical irritation
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Certain medications that block DAO 1

Diagnostic Approach

• Measurement of urinary histamine metabolites (24-hour urinary N-methylhistamine) can help diagnose histamine intolerance 1
• Normal levels of tryptase or histamine do not rule out histamine-mediated conditions 1
• Symptoms typically affect multiple organ systems (gastrointestinal, dermatologic, respiratory, cardiovascular) 1

Conclusion

Green banana and tigernut flour appear to be suitable options for individuals following a low-histamine diet. They are not included in lists of foods to avoid in histamine intolerance guidelines and do not belong to any of the high-risk food categories like fermented foods, aged products, or known high-histamine vegetables.