Manchego Cheese Histamine Information

Manchego cheese is a type of hard cheese, and hard, long-ripened cheeses are known to have high histamine content. The process of aging, curing, or fermenting cheese increases its histamine levels. Thus, Manchego cheese, due to its fermentation and aging process, can possibly contribute to relatively high histamine levels in the body. The bacteria present in the cheese during the fermentation breakdown the amino acid histidine into histamine. However, there are certain factors to consider while speaking strictly of Manchego cheese. The variability in histamine levels among dairy products, particularly concerning aged cheese, is sizable due to different strains of bacteria involved in different cheese productions. Information regarding the specific histamine content of Manchego cheese seems to be limited. But as Manchego is a type of aged cheese, it is safer to consider it as a high-histamine content food. Though cheese is often classified as a high-histamine food, it is not known to be a histamine liberator. Histamine liberators are foods or substances that stimulate the release of histamine from certain cells in the body, which is not the case generally for cheeses, including Manchego. Instead, histamine liberators typically include certain fruits, such as pineapples, plums, and strawberries, and some additives or preservatives. In terms of lowering histamine, it appears that the intake of Manchego cheese or its ingredients does not have any significant effect. Mouse models showed the possibility of certain dairy products, particularly fermented dairy products, having beneficial effects on histamine; however, there is not enough concrete evidence to fully support this in humans yet. Due to the current limitations in available research specific to Manchego cheese and histamine, it must be noted that this product has not been researched well enough to publish any definitive data. Our team is working hard on this, and data will be available soon. References: • Maintz L, Novak N. Histamine and histamine intolerance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(5):1185-1196. • Pessione E. Lactic acid bacteria contribution to gut microbiota complexity: lights and shadows. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2012;2:86. • Vlieg JETV, Engel B, Odink J. Kinetics of histamine and tyramine production by some lactic acid bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989;55(9):2350-2353.