It’s pickling season, a time when many of us—from Millenials to Matriarchs—dust off the jars and enjoy the timeless art of preserving vegetables with vinegar or brine fermentation. But if you’re histamine intolerant, beware. Pickled foods, really any fermented food or liquid including vinegar itself, can be quite high in histamine.
Cucumber pickles, the most common pickled vegetable in the US, contain an average of 35 mg of histamine per 100 g (about 3.5 oz). With an average pickle weighing in at between 2 and 7 oz., just one pickle could be enough to trigger a sensitivity response. And of course, pickles are often combined with other high-histamine foods, so a compounding effect can easily occur.
Don’t get us wrong—we’re not saying you should refrain from your annual pickling party or fear pickle eating. Pickled foods have many great health benefits. Just be aware that sweet or spicy, cucumber or pepper, pickles can present a histamine challenge. Pop a Histamine Digest when you pop open a jar, and you’ll be able to feast without fear!