Basil Pesto Histamine Information

Basil pesto is a beloved Italian ingredient, typically consisting of fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Its effect on histamine levels can be understood by considering the ingredients and their individual influence on histamine levels. Basil, the prime ingredient in pesto, is a low histamine food and does not fall under any category of histamine-inducing food. It does not increase histamine levels nor does it function as a histamine liberator (1). Next, pine nuts and garlic are also generally well-tolerated by people with histamine intolerance and do not appear to have a significant impact on histamine levels (2). Parmesan cheese, on the other hand, falls under the category of aged and fermented foods which are known to have high histamine content (3). Therefore, the inclusion of Parmesan cheese in basil pesto could potentially impact the histamine levels in individuals who are sensitive to it. Olive oil, which acts as the base of the pesto, is classified as a low histamine food and does not have any proven influence on histamine levels. However, it is worth noting that olive oil has natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which might have some mitigating effects on the overall inflammation caused by high histamine foods (4). In conclusion, due to the presence of an ingredient with a high histamine content (Parmesan cheese), basil pesto could potentially increase histamine levels in certain individuals. However, the other low-histamine ingredients might counteract this effect to a certain extent. References: 1. Maintz, L., & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 85(5), 1185-1196. 2. Komericki, P., Akkilic-Materna, M., Strimitzer, T., Wiednig, M., & Aberer, W. (2011). Histamine intolerance: lack of reproducibility of single symptoms by means of double-blind provocation tests. Wiener klinische Wochenschrift, 123(9-10), 264-269. 3. Vlieg‐Boerstra, B. J., van der Heide, S., Oude Elberink, J. N., Kluin‐Nelemans, J. C., & Dubois, A. E. (2005). Mastocytosis and adverse reactions to biogenic amines and histamine-releasing foods: what is the evidence?. Netherlands journal of medicine, 63(7), 244-249. 4. Pérez-Jiménez, J., Neveu, V., Vos, F., & Scalbert, A. (2010). Identification of the 100 richest dietary sources of polyphenols: an application of the Phenol-Explorer database. European journal of clinical nutrition, 64, S112-S120.