Cheeseburger Histamine Information

Eating a cheeseburger could potentially have an impact on histamine levels in the body due to the ingredients found within this popular fast food item. The main components are usually the patty, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, condiments, and bread bun. Starting with the cheese, particularly if matured or aged, like cheddar or Swiss, it is a high-histamine food. This is confirmed owing to the fermentation process involved in making these cheeses which allows histamine to accumulate (1). The burger patty, often made from beef, is not generally considered a high histamine food unless it has been overly processed, contains additives, or is stored improperly (2). However, if smoked meat or offal are used for the burger patty, this could dramatically increase histamine levels. Bread, specifically yeast-containing ones, can increase histamine levels as yeast is considered a high histamine food (3). Most commercial burger buns use yeast, so this could contribute to the overall histamine load of a cheeseburger. Condiments like ketchup, pickle relish, and mustard often contain vinegar and tomatoes— products high in histamine. Furthermore, these condiments often contain preservation additives that could cause histamine liberation in the body. While lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles in a fresh state are not typically associated with high histamine levels (4), products like pickles that are preserved in vinegar are a different story due to the vinegar content. In conclusion, while each individual component's impact might be small, the cumulative histamine load of a cheeseburger could potentially be significant, especially for those individuals who are sensitive to histamine. References: 1. Maintz, L., & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 85(5), 1185-1196. 2. Reese, I., Ballmer-Weber, B., Beyer, K., Fuchs, T., Kleine-Tebbe, J., Klimek, L., ... & Werfel, T. (2017). German guideline for the management of adverse reactions to ingested histamine. Allergo Journal International, 26(2), 72-79. 3. Komericki, P., Klein, G., Reider, N., Hawranek, T., Strimitzer, T., Lang, R., ... & Aberer, W. (2011). Histamine intolerance: lack of reproducibility of single symptoms by oral provocation with histamine: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Wiener klinische Wochenschrift, 123(1-2), 15-20. 4. Taylor, S. L., Nordlee, J. A., & Niemann, L. M. (1989). Histamine poisonings associated with consumption of Swiss cheese. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 27(6), 365-368.