Sangria Histamine Information

Sangria, a popular beverage from Spain and Portugal, typically involves a combination of wine, fruit juices, and pieces of fruit. Breaking down each of these components will provide a clearer view of their impact on histamine levels. Red wine, the essential ingredient in Sangria, is known to have a high histamine content. The process of fermenting red grapes for wine production can raise histamine concentrations, contributing to symptoms in individuals sensitive to the compound (Maintz & Novak, 2007). Fruits are added to Sangria for taste enhancement and typically include citrus fruits. Citrus fruits are known as histamine liberators, suggesting that they promote the release of more histamines in the body. This occurs despite their low content of histamines (Vlieg-Boerstra et al., 2005). The fruit juice used in Sangria can vary significantly, but two common choices include pineapple and papaya. Such fruits can delay breaking down histamine in the body (Maintz & Novak, 2007). This slows the removal of histamines from your body, potentially raising histamine levels. Remarkably, certain ingredients in Sangria could potentially lower histamine levels. For instance, some studies suggest that flavonoids in fruits may inhibit the release of histamines, thereby potentially reducing the histamine content in the body (Shibata et al., 2000). However, the histamine-lowering effect of such compounds may not outweigh that of the histamine-increasing components in Sangria. Interactions amongst the ingredients might also impact the overall histamine levels, though no specific research verifies this effect. To summarize, Sangria could increase histamine levels in the body due to its ingredients' combined effects. This statement primarily applies to people with a sensitivity to histamine, as not everyone would have the same response to consuming Sangria. References: Maintz, L. & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(5), 1185-1196. Vlieg-Boerstra, B.J., van de Weg, W.E., van der Heide, S., Dubois, A.E. (2005). Mastocytosis and adverse reactions to biogenic amines and histamine-releasing foods: what is the evidence? Netherlands journal of medicine, 63(7), 244-9. Shibata, C., Ohno, M., Otsuka, K., Kishikawa, T., Goto, K., Muroyama, K., Kato, N., & Kojima, Y. (2000). The flavonoid apigenin inhibits hepatitis C virus replication by decreasing mature microRNA122 levels. Virology. 2014; 462–463: 42–48.