Korma Histamine Information

Korma, a popular cuisine of Indian origin, is known for its rich blend of spices, yogurt and meat, vegetables, or tofu. Its impact on histamine levels draws from the properties of its constituents. Red meat used in Korma, particularly if not fresh, can contain higher histamine levels, especially when cured or aged. Similarly, poultry is also potentially high in histamines when not cooked fresh (1). On the other hand, tofu, a soy product, sometimes used as a meat substitute, seems to have low histamine levels (2). The yogurt used for marination in some countries contains bacteria that can produce histamine (3). However, it's relatively less if fresh yogurt is used. The histamine levels increase when the yogurt undergoes fermentation for longer periods. Spices such as coriander, turmeric, cumin and garam masala are generally low in histamine. However, they could potentially be histamine liberators promoting release of histamine from other cells in the body (4). While an authentic korma recipe doesn't contain any of the mentioned high histamine foods or histamine liberators, variations of the dish might include them (5). For example, adding tomatoes or products containing tomatoes to korma can increase the histamine content of the meal. In conclusion, the impact of consuming Korma on the histamine levels is largely dependent on the freshness of the ingredients used and the duration for which they are fermented or aged. This makes the overall impact of korma on histamine levels to be quite variable. References: 1. Maintz, L., & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2. Sattler, J., Hafner, 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. 3. Schnedl, W. J., Lackner, S., Enko, D., Schenk, M., Holasek, S. J., & Mangge, H. (2019). Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: people without celiac disease avoiding gluten—is it due to histamine intolerance?. Inflammation Research. 4. Wantke, F., Gotz, M., & Jarisch, R. (1993). Histamine-free diet: treatment of choice for histamine-induced food intolerance and supporting treatment for chronical headaches. Clinical & Experimental Allergy. 5. Zopf, Y., Baenkler, H. W., Silbermann, A., Hahn, E. G., & Raithel, M. (2009). The differential diagnosis of food intolerance. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International.