Mineral Water Histamine Information

Mineral water itself does not inherently have any significant impact on histamine levels. The source of its minerals being natural springs or wells might vary the composition slightly, but it's not considered a food with high histamine content, a histamine liberator or a substance that delays histamine breakdown (1). Talking about high histamine foods, red wine and French champagne, especially that made from red grapes, are loaded with histamine. Aged cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, and products containing vinegar like pickled vegetables and mustard, enhance histamine because of their fermentation process (2). Yeast in baked goods, mushrooms, and certain fish products—smoked and canned—are also seen as high in histamine. The same goes for smoked meats and some offal (3). Certain foods can hinder histamine breakdown. Pineapple and papaya containing the enzymes bromelain and papain respectively can slow down histamine breakdown. This is also true for cocoa products, some nuts like nutmeg, alcohol, and beverages such as green and black tea, and energy drinks. Glutamate, a flavor-enhancer found in many processed foods, is another offender (4). Histamine liberators, though not high in histamine themselves, stimulate its release. Cocoa is seen as both a histamine inhibitor and liberator. Some fruits like strawberries, plums, citrus fruits, pineapple, and kiwi, along with mushrooms, walnuts, hazelnuts, and invertebrate seafood like mussels and squid do the same. Certain additives, gelatine, some preservatives, along with glutamate are also known histamine liberators (5). In essence, while mineral water itself is neutral with regards to histamine levels, its impact can vary depending on what it is consumed with. References: 1. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (Histamine and histamine intolerance, 2007) 2. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, (Histamine and histamine intolerance, 2011) 3. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, (The histamine content of oriental foods, 1988) 4. Food Chemistry, (A database of food data on biogenic amines, 2007) 5. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, (Histamine and Tyramine Production by Foodborne Bacteria, 1999)