Ceviche Histamine Information

Ceviche is a meal primarily composed of raw fish cured in citrus juices, predominantly lime or lemon, accentuated with ingredients such as onions, salt, and coriander. Given the major ingredients, the resulting impact on histamine levels can be significant. As raw or preserved fish are a major part of ceviche, it's important to know that fish are notably high in histamine, especially when it is not freshly caught. Upon death, bacteria within fish begin to convert the fish's stored histidine into histamine, causing levels to rise, becoming particularly problematic for those with histamine intolerances. Citrus fruits, including the limes and lemons often used in ceviche, are considered histamine liberators. This implies that even though they don't inherently contain high amounts of histamine, they stimulate cells to release or produce more histamine. Therefore, these additions to the dish likely further raise the overall histamine level. While the onions commonly incorporated in ceviche are not specifically known to substantially affect histamine levels, salt, another typical ingredient, has been noted to potentially decrease histamine production and release. However, more research is required to fully understand the impact and balance out the histamine raising effects of the other ingredients. It's also worth mentioning that certain inclusions in a specific ceviche recipe could alter the general histamine impact. For instance, the addition of tomatoes--which have high histamine content--would raise the overall histamine level further. Overall, based on its typical ingredients, the consumption of ceviche can meaningfully contribute to your histamine intake, particularly if you are prone to histamine intolerance, due to the combined effects of raw fish and citrus fruits. Researchers are continuously carrying out more studies to understand these interactions better. References: 1. Maintz, L., & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(5), 1185-1196. 2. Joneja, J. M. (2013). The Beginner’s Guide to Histamine Intolerance. Mediscript Ltd. 3. Sattler, J., Häfner, D., Klotter, H. J., Lorenz, W., & Wagner, P. K. (1988). Food-induced histaminosis as an epidemiological problem: plasma histamine elevation and haemodynamic alterations after oral histamine administration and blockade of diamine oxidase (DAO). Agents and actions, 23(3-4), 361-365. 4. Wantke, F., Hemmer, W., Haglmüller, T., Götz, M., & Jarisch, R. (1993). Histamine-free diet: treatment of choice for histamine-induced food intolerance and supporting treatment for chronic headaches. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 23(12), 982-985.