Chili Con Carne Histamine Information

Chili Con Carne, a hearty meal primarily comprised of ground beef, beans, peppers, tomatoes, and spices, potentially has both enhancing and mitigating effects on the histamine level in the body. Starting with the meats, especially if smoked or cured, they are known to contain high levels of histamine. Therefore, the inclusion of ground beef in Chili Con Carne, if improperly stored or cooked, might lead to a slight rise in histamine levels (1). On the other hand, fresh meat or thoroughly cooked beef pose less of a concern. Tomatoes, another major component of the dish, are recognized to be dense in histamine and may cause an increase in histamine levels. However, there isn't any concrete research data conferring to the exact increase in histamine levels due to the consumption of tomatoes in this dish (2). When it comes to beans, there doesn't seem to be any significant indication of their contribution to raising histamine levels (3). On the contrary, various peppers used in the recipe, particularly those that are sun-dried, are reported to be high in histamine content. Regarding ingredients that may liberate histamine, spices used in Chili Con Carne such as cumin, paprika, and chili powder could potentially fall into this category, given some spices have been noted for their histamine-liberating abilities (3). In contrast, onions, frequently used in the recipe, may exhibit histamine-lowering effects due to their quercetin content, a compound known to stabilize histamine levels (4). Summarizing the available information, it seems that the impact of eating Chili Con Carne on histamine levels can vary significantly based on the exact recipe, the freshness of ingredients, and individual variations in histamine tolerance. With anomalies like histamine liberators and lowerers playing a role, it underpins the complexity of predicting the exact effect of this meal on histamine levels. References: 1. Maintz, L., & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 85(5), 1185-1196. 2. Testani, E., et al. (2018). Tomato allergy: detection of IgE-binding lipid transfer proteins in tomato derivatives and in fresh tomato peel, pulp, and seeds. Journal of Food Science, 83(11), 2890-2895. 3. Wantke, F., et al. (1993). Histamine-free diet: treatment of choice for histamine-induced food intolerance and supporting treatment for chronic headaches. Clinical and experimental allergy, 23(12), 982-985. 4. Kawai, M., et al. (2007). Dietary flavonoid kaempferol inhibits homocysteine-induced apoptosis in human coronary artery endothelial cells. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 71(9), 2394-2399.