Salsa Histamine Information

Salsa, made most commonly from fresh tomatoes, onions, chilies, lime juice, and cilantro, has been a staple in many cuisines globally. However, it's crucial to look at the impact of its individual ingredients on histamine levels. Tomatoes are known for their high histamine content. According to a study conducted by Maintz and Novak (2007), tomatoes can lead to an increase in histamine levels in the body, due to the relatively high histamine concentration found in them. These alone can prospectively increase histamine levels in those who are sensitive to histamine (1). Onions and garlic, the other primary components of salsa, have not been found to have high histamine levels. However, these onion family plants contain a compound called quercetin, which is said to have antihistamine properties per a study lead by Kawai, et. al (2007), thus potentially balancing out the histamine contribution from the tomatoes (2). Chilies, another key ingredient in salsa, don't have high histamine levels themselves but may serve as histamine liberators, and trigger the release of histamine from certain cells within the body. A study completed by Wöhrl, et. al (2004), highlighted the role certain spices play as histamine liberators, potentially causing an increase in histamine levels within the body (3). Lime juice and cilantro, finally, haven't been extensively studied for their impacts on histamine levels and seem to lack high histamine content or significant histamine-liberating capacity (4). To summarize, eating salsa could potentially increase histamine levels in the body, primarily due to the high histamine content in tomatoes and the histamine liberating property of chilies. However, the antihistamine properties found in onions might help balance the histamine level increase. References 1. Maintz L, Novak N. Histamine and histamine intolerance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(5):1185-1196. 2. Kawai M, Hirano T, Higa S, et al. Flavonoids and related compounds as anti-allergic substances. Allergol Int. 2007;56(2):113-123. 3. Wöhrl S, Hemmer W, Focke M, Rappersberger K, Jarisch R. Histamine intolerance-like symptoms in healthy volunteers after oral provocation with liquid histamine. Allergy Asthma Proc. 2004;25(5):305-311. 4. Guerrero Cázares H, González Ochoa G, Mosso Pani MA, Zerón Felix A, Huitrón Bravo G, López Vega JR. Effect of the ingestion of the mixture of chile with several foods on postprandial glycemia in healthy individuals. Nutr Hosp. 2006;21(2):224-228.