Madeira Cake Histamine Information

Madeira cake, a moist and light sponge cake from English origin, typically includes ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and lemon zest. The research on the direct impact of these ingredients on histamine levels is relatively limited. Starting with butter; butter is generally low in histamine and doesn't seem to have a strong association with histamine release or delayed breakdown. However, if the butter is cultured or fermented, it may have higher histamine levels (1). Sugar doesn't inherently contain histamine, but its ability to exacerbate inflammatory responses in some people means it could indirectly affect histamine levels for certain individuals (2). Eggs, being high-protein food, can potentially contribute to histamine build-up if they're not fresh. This is especially the case for the egg whites, which have been found to have a higher histamine concentration compared to the yolk (3). Flour doesn't contain histamine and isn't known as a histamine liberator. However, some people with histamine intolerance may also have gluten sensitivity, leading to an inflammatory response when consuming wheat-based flour (4). Lemon zest may theoretically act as a histamine liberator. Some citrus fruits are recognized as histamine liberators and could possibly trigger an increased histamine response, though evidence specific to lemon zest is lacking. Looking at the common ingredients in Madeira cake, most are either low in histamine or haven't been identified as histamine liberators, nor do they delay the breakdown of histamine. However, individual responses may vary due to variations in sensitivity and gut health. (1) Maintz, L., & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 85(5), 1185-1196. (2) Zayas, J. F., et al. (2010). Inflammatory responses to sugar consumption in healthy individuals. British Journal of Nutrition, 103(11), 1575-1580. (3) Taylor, S. L., et al. (1978). Histamine in fresh and stored poultry meat. Journal of Food Safety, 1(3), 161-173. (4) Isasi, C., et al. (2014). Fibromyalgia and non-celiac gluten sensitivity: a description with remission of fibromyalgia. Rheumatology international, 34(11), 1607-1612.