Kataifi Pastry Histamine Information

Kataifi Pastry, a classic Middle Eastern and Greek dessert, is primarily made of finely shredded filo dough, nuts, and a sweet syrup. When assessing its impact on histamine levels, we must look into each of its primary ingredients. Starting off with filo dough, it does not appear to contain any ingredients known to be high in histamine or that would delay the breakdown of histamine. However, if the dough includes any yeast, it may contribute to the histamine content, as yeast is listed as a food with a high histamine content. The other ingredient, nuts, may vary depending on the recipe. Frequently used types in Kataifi pastries are walnuts and hazelnuts, both known as histamine liberators which do not contain histamine themselves, but promote its release. The syrup in traditional Kataifi pastries is often made from sugar and water with perhaps a touch of lemon juice and mixed spices. Sugar does not seem to affect histamine levels while citrus fruits like lemon are established histamine liberators. Therefore, based on these components, while Kataifi Pastry should not directly increase histamine levels, it could encourage the release of histamine due to the presence of nuts and potentially citrus. It's always advised to regard individual variation, as some may respond differently to certain foods. Research on histamine content specifically in Kataifi Pastry is currently limited; future endeavours may yield a more comprehensive understanding of its relationship with histamine levels. References: 1. Maintz L, Novak N. "Histamine and histamine intolerance". Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 May;85(5):1185-96. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/85.5.1185. 2. Reese I, Ballmer-Weber B, Beyer K, et al. "German guideline for the management of adverse reactions to ingested histamine". Allergo J Int. 2017; 26: 72-79. DOI: 10.1007/s40629-017-0011-y. 3. "Histamine intolerance" on Food Intolerance Australia website: https://www.food-intolerance.com.au/histamine-intolerance-food/ 4. "Histamine and histamine intolerance", University of Virginia School of Medicine: https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2014/06/Parrish-February-17.pdf.