Histamine intolerance and vegan diet
In today's world, the topic of vegan nutrition is becoming increasingly popular, and for good reasons. We will show you how you can eat vegan or vegetarian with a histamine intolerance.
Health benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet
The increase in diet-related diseases continues to rise. These diseases not only burden individuals but also the entire healthcare system. As researched several years ago and proven by numerous studies*, vegetarians and vegans are said to have a significantly reduced risk of diet-related diseases.
These include obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), as well as cardiovascular diseases (heart and circulatory diseases), atherosclerosis, gout, and certain types of cancer.
Vegetarian and vegan diets are therefore suitable for the prevention and treatment of many diseases and have an as yet largely untapped potential for health promotion.
Apart from the health aspect, vegetarian and vegan diets also offer advantages when it comes to global problems such as climate change, resource waste, and species extinction. Numerous scientific data are now available to prove these benefits.
Vegan nutrition and what science says to consider
The question of whether a vegetarian or vegan diet is associated with the risks of nutrient deficiencies is justified. Most scientists now agree on this question: deficiency symptoms in a vegan or vegetarian diet are only likely in a few exceptional cases:
- With a very unbalanced and one-sided diet. Especially if the so-called critical nutrients of a vegan or vegetarian diet are ignored and consequently absorbed only in very small amounts.
- If infections, certain diseases, growth, physical and psychological stress, age, physical activity increase the nutrient requirement and this is not taken into account.
Nevertheless, it is assumed that a vegetarian or vegan diet is generally suitable for all people at all stages of life, provided a balanced and nutrient-rich diet is maintained.
The following critical nutrients should be observed and regularly checked (ordered by severity): Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, iodine, DHA, zinc, EPA, selenium, iron, Vitamin B2, calcium, and proteins in general, primarily the amino acid lysine. Especially for people on a vegan diet, according to the DGE, there is a high risk of vitamin B12 deficiency if vitamin B12 is not supplemented. For example, in the form of drops or tablets.
Considering these aspects, these forms of nutrition are also suitable for children, adolescents, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. Athletes can also benefit from this.
How can I eat a low-histamine vegan or vegetarian diet?
To answer the question of whether a vegetarian or vegan diet can be considered for histamine intolerance, let's first look at the "vegan food plate":
As shown in the illustration, a wholesome vegan diet consists of the following components: vegetables, virgin oils, fruits, whole grains, water, nuts and seeds, legumes, and appropriate food supplements (according to DGE, vitamin B12).
To make your vegan or vegetarian diet low in histamine, you can refer to our food list. Always remember: while there are no histamine-free foods, there are definitely low-histamine vegan foods.
Here's a little preview for you:
Low-histamine and vegan list of protein-rich foods
- Cabbage (e.g., broccoli, white cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower, or pointed cabbage)
- Pumpkin seeds & pumpkin seed flour
- Coconut & coconut flour as well as coconut yogurt
- Almonds & almond flour as well as almond yogurt
- Hemp seeds, hemp flour or hemp powder
- Watercress
- Salad (e.g., lettuce or lamb's lettuce)
- Whole grain spelt flour
- Oatmeal
- Quinoa
- Cannellini beans (are the lowest-histamine beans and often well-tolerated)
On our website, you will also find a large selection of low-histamine vegetarian and vegan recipes.
Tips for a vegan/vegetarian diet with histamine intolerance:
To meet your fat requirements, vegetable fats such as rapeseed oil, olive oil, and coconut oil can be used for frying. Note that olive oil and coconut oil should not be heated too strongly. For a butter alternative, a plant-based "butter" made from coconut or almond can be used.
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, it should be noted that, strictly speaking, some varieties are not considered vegan because they have been treated with animal-derived substances. These substances include, for example, shellac (derived from scale insects) or beeswax.
It is sometimes difficult to determine whether certain foods have been treated or not. The label "untreated" provides assurance. Organic products also may not be post-treated. This way, you can also avoid chemical-synthetic pesticides.
Nuts, seeds, and legumes serve to provide high-quality proteins, as well as healthy, unsaturated fatty acids. When it comes to nuts and seeds, people with histamine intolerance do not have a very large selection. However, pistachios, macadamia nuts, and Brazil nuts (in small quantities) are considered low in histamine. Almonds have a "1" according to the SIGHI food list, so they can be tolerated depending on individual tolerance. So feel free to try them in small quantities first.
The selection of low-histamine legumes is very limited. For more detailed information, you can read our blog post on "Nuts and Seeds for Histamine Intolerance".
Meeting protein needs despite a low-histamine diet
To still adequately cover protein needs, complementary vegan protein powders can be used.
Alternatively, protein powder from hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds, for example, is suitable. Hemp seeds contain around 25 g of protein/100 g and about 80% of unsaturated, healthy fatty acids. Pumpkin seeds have a very similar protein content.
Further low-histamine, vegan protein sources include quinoa with a protein content of 15 g/100 g, rolled oats 13.5 g/100 g, and amaranth 15 g/100 g.
If you prefer a vegetarian diet over a vegan one, you also have various dairy products available, such as quark, cream, mozzarella, or raw milk.
You should largely avoid vegan and vegetarian convenience products if you have a histamine intolerance. These often contain various additives and other high-histamine ingredients such as soy flour, soybeans, etc. – these are highly histaminic. It is better to cook fresh meals yourself.
Especially with a vegan and low-histamine diet, it is important to keep an eye on your daily protein intake. Our Organic Protein Powder combines high-quality organic hemp, pumpkin seed, and rice protein and provides 72 g of plant-based protein per 100 g. It is ideal for smoothies, porridge, or baking and is suitable for a low-histamine, low-fructose, gluten-free, and lactose-free diet.
Lieferzeit: 2-3 Tage
Preventing and counteracting nutrient deficiencies in histamine intolerance early on
To ensure that no vitamin or mineral deficiency develops over time, it is recommended to have critical nutrients checked approximately every 1-2 years through a blood test.
It is also beneficial to develop a general understanding of which vitamins and minerals can be found in which foods, and how to generally maintain a balanced diet.
It is important for a vegan and vegetarian diet that it remains diverse, balanced, and healthy. Especially with histamine intolerance, soy-based convenience products and all vegan "meat alternatives" are therefore eliminated. We therefore recommend always cooking fresh yourself to ensure that the meal only contains low-histamine or tolerable ingredients.
A varied diet forms the basis for good nutrient supply. In addition, it can be useful to pay attention to selected micronutrients. Our BalanceFit contains, among other things, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. BalanceFit is suitable for a low-histamine, low-fructose, gluten-free, and lactose-free diet. In addition, it is vegan and free from unnecessary additives.
Sources
- DGE (2018): Ausgewählte Fragen und Antworten zu Vitamin B1. (online) Available at: https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/faqs/vitaminb12/, last accessed on 24.07.22.
- Leitzmann, Claus/ Keller, Markus (2020): Vegetarischen und vegane Ernährung. 4. Auflage, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart.
- Rittenau, Nico (2020): Vegan-Klischee ade!: Wissenschaftliche Antworten auf kritische Fragen zu pflanzlicher Ernährung. (online) Available at: https://de.scribd.com/book/432408941/Vegan-Klischee-ade-Wissenschaftliche-Antworten-auf-kritische-Fragen-zu-pflanzlicher-Ernahrung, last accessed on 25.07.22.
- Reinarz, Stefanie (2022): Behandeltes Obst ist nicht immer vegan: Worauf du achten kannst. (online) Available at: https://utopia.de/ratgeber/behandeltes-obst-ist-nicht-immer-vegan-worauf-du-achten-kannst/, last accessed on 24.07.22.
- SIGHI (2016): Lebensmittel-Verträglichkeitsliste. (online) Available at: https://www.mastzellaktivierung.info/downloads/foodlist/11_FoodList_DE_alphabetisch_mitKat.pdf, last accessed on 25.07.22.
- Keller, Markus (2013): Das präventive und therapeutische Potenzial vegetarischer und veganer Ernährung. (online) Available at: https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0033-1357231, last accessed on 24.07.22.
