Coffee and histamine intolerance
Approximately 30 million people in Germany regularly enjoyed their caffeinated coffee in 2021. Across the entire European Union, around 40 thousand 60-kilogram bags of coffee were consumed in 2020/21. Coffee is one of the daily treats and is hard for many people to imagine life without, especially as a pick-me-up before or with breakfast.
However, especially with a histamine intolerance, coffee consumption can cause various symptoms. But coffee doesn't actually contain much histamine. Why is coffee so poorly tolerated with a histamine intolerance? What alternatives are there so that you don't have to give up coffee completely? We would like to answer these questions for you in this blog article.
Coffee and Histamine (Intolerance)
According to the SIGHI list, coffee is rather low in histamine and is therefore marked as 1. The problem: caffeine enhances the effect of biogenic amines. Since biogenic amines are broken down via the same metabolic pathway as histamine, a competitive situation arises. Thus, coffee practically blocks the DAO enzyme, which is already involved in breaking down histamine. In addition, coffee is considered a histamine liberator.
This means that endogenous histamine is released in your body via mast cells – without you actually consuming anything histamine-containing. Histamine symptoms can appear up to 72 hours after consuming coffee.
Important for you and for us: We always point out that you should not only pay attention to the histamine content of the food itself, but also avoid/limit potential histamine liberators, DAO inhibitors, or biogenic amines. Depending on individual tolerance limits.
Whether you should generally avoid coffee cannot be answered universally. It depends on your body's own tolerance and additionally on how much histamine your body has absorbed in the last few hours. Since coffee can intensify these symptoms, we recommend resorting to alternatives. We will show you these further down in the blog article.
What symptoms coffee can trigger with a histamine intolerance
The symptoms can be very different. Possible ones include:
- Skin redness
- Gastrointestinal complaints
- Headaches or migraines
- Heart palpitations
- Inner restlessness
- Irritation of the mucous membranes/increased sneezing/runny nose
Alternatives to coffee with a histamine intolerance
Alternative number 1, to maintain the taste of coffee, is decaffeinated coffee. However, you should consider a few things here:
- the decaffeinated coffee should have been produced without chemical solvents
- look for an organic quality decaffeinated coffee
Decaffeinated coffee with No Coffee
If you don't want to completely give up coffee, a high-quality decaffeinated coffee can be a good alternative. Especially if caffeine, as a possible trigger, is consciously avoided.
One example is No Coffee. The coffee is decaffeinated naturally. Exclusively with water and without chemical solvents. Moreover, it contains no artificial flavors or additives that could also affect tolerability.
The advantage: Without caffeine, one of the factors that can be problematic with a histamine intolerance is eliminated. Caffeine is suspected of influencing histamine breakdown via the DAO enzyme and promoting the release of endogenous histamine.
Additionally, the organic Arabica beans used are naturally low in acid and are roasted particularly gently. This can be more digestible for many people overall.
Important: Tolerability is always individual. Decaffeinated coffee should therefore also be tested carefully – ideally in small quantities and, if in doubt, in consultation with your doctor.
If you would like to try No Coffee, you can currently save 10% with the code HISTAFOOD10.
🛒 Here you can view and test the products from No Coffee directly.
Another tolerable alternative to conventional coffee for histamine intolerance is grain coffee, especially chicory or spelt coffee. You should avoid other grain types such as barley, malt, or rye.
These alternatives, of course, lack the energy kick. People with histamine intolerance can also use pick-me-ups. Luckily, there are other options besides coffee consumption.
For example, you could:
- go for a walk in the fresh air
- do yoga or stretching exercises
- develop a routine that automatically wakes you up
For the morning ritual of sitting at the table with a warm cup, histamine-low or even histamine-reducing tea (e.g., Tulsi tea, hibiscus tea, peppermint tea) is also recommended. In addition, vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
You should definitely note: What is definitely not an alternative is the popular lupin coffee. Lupins are protein-rich legumes and contain histamine.
Special feature: Espresso with histamine intolerance
Espresso is tolerated better by many affected individuals. The reason for this could be that espresso beans are roasted more gently and for longer. Furthermore, espresso is brewed faster than conventional filter coffee. This can be easier on the stomach, as fewer irritating substances get into the drink. Still water is often drunk with espresso, which also increases tolerability.
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