Baked Beans Histamine Information

Baked beans, a popular dish, can have varying effects on histamine levels based on their ingredients. Generally, canned baked beans primarily contain navy beans, tomato sauce, sugar, and various spices. Beans themselves, including navy beans, appear to be low in histamine and are not known as histamine liberators (1). This makes them potentially suitable for those with histamine intolerance. However, the other ingredients found in canned baked beans could potentially be problematic. Tomato sauce, a key ingredient, contains tomatoes which are known to have high histamine content and can contribute to increasing histamine levels in the body (2). Sugar, another indispensable component of baked beans, does not in itself influence histamine levels but many individuals with histamine intolerance react strongly to processed sugars and might thus indirectly experience increased histamine symptoms (3). The spices used in baked beans can vary from brand to brand. Many canned baked beans tend to contain mustard which could elevate histamine levels as it contains vinegar (4). To lower histamine levels, some individuals have found incorporating certain foods into their diet, such as fresh, unprocessed meats, some types of fresh fruits excluding citrus, and certain types of vegetables, to be helpful (5). However, none of these foods are typical in a baked bean dish. Given these considerations, it appears that while the beans themselves may not raise histamine levels, the usual accompaniments in baked beans, such as tomato sauce and possibly vinegar-containing mustard or other spices, might have a significant impact on histamine levels in the body. 1. Maintz, L., & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 85(5), 1185-1196. 2. Komericki, P., & Akdis, C. A. (2019). Histamine intolerance. Allergo journal international, 28(8), 258-266. 3. Scheffer, R., & Wantke, F. (2019). Histamine intolerance In Bioactive Compounds (pp. 263-278). Springer, Cham. 4. Reese, I., Ballmer-Weber, B., Beyer, K., Fuchs, T., Kleine-Tebbe, J., Klimek, L., ... & Zuberbier, T. (2017). German guideline for the management of adverse reactions to ingested histamine. Allergo Journal International, 26(2), 72-79. 5. Joneja, Janice V., and Jonathan A. Green. "The health professional's guide to: Popular dietary supplements." Allergy Resource Centre, Vancouver (2007).