Fattoush Histamine Information

Fattoush is a Lebanese salad, traditionally including vegetables like lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and various herbs, with a distinctive feature of toasted or fried pieces of Arabic flat bread mixed in. Tomatoes, which are a typical ingredient in Fattoush, contain a significant amount of histamine. While the exact amount can vary based on factors such as the type of tomato and its level of ripeness, tomatoes are generally considered a high-histamine food. They also contain other bioactive compounds that can act as histamine liberators, potentially increasing the overall histamine load in the body after their consumption. However, it's important to consider that Fattoush also contains ingredients that may help balance or even decrease the histamine level. For example, cucumbers and lettuce are low in histamine. Some sources suggest that the vitamin C found in radishes and certain herbs can help stabilize mast cells and prevent the release of histamine, although this is not universally agreed upon. Also, the toasted or fried pieces of Arabic bread that are iconic for Fattoush, are usually baked without yeast making them less likely to contribute to increasing histamine levels. However, it should be noted that individual responses to food can vary widely. With factors like food preparation methods and freshness of ingredients potentially influencing histamine content, Fattoush may affect histamine levels differently for different individuals. [References: 1. Maintz, L., & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 85(5), 1185-1196. 2. Comas-Baste, O., Sánchez-Pérez, S., Veciana-Nogués, M. T., Latorre-Moratalla, M., & Vidal-Carou, M. C. (2020). Histamine intolerance and dietary management: A complete review. Allergologia et immunopathologia, 48(5), 439-453. 3. Schink, M., Konturek, P. C., Tietz, E., Dieterich, W., Pinzer, T. C., Wirtz, S., ... & Zopf, Y. (2018). Microbial patterns in patients with histamine intolerance. Journal of physiology and pharmacology: an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society, 69(4).]