What do you eat when you’re craving a little snack?
Hmmmm, what about plain salted potato chips?
Not an option with the hydrogenated vegetable oils and other additives most brands use. A literal histamine disaster waiting to happen.
A little piece of chocolate? No go either.
Chocolate alone is high histamine. And the sugar can send your histamine levels soaring.
Raw vegetables?
How boring! And they might give you a gut ache with all that raw fiber.
So, what do you go for?
Popcorn?
Histamine Havoc or Healthy Snack? Is Popcorn High Histamine?
First things first: popcorn is considered a low histamine food.
While popcorn is itself a low histamine food, there are a few factors to take into account when considering whether this little snack could cause a histamine flare or not.
The first being the exposure to glyphosate. Glyphosate is a chemical herbicide sprayed on most commercially grown crops to reduce the risk of weed invasion. Furthermore, many of these crops have been genetically modified (GMO) in order to resist the herbicide properties of glyphosate, leaving them stronger than the weeds, optimizing the output of the produce (1).
Now, research has shown GMO crops are no more likely to produce allergies than non-GMO crops. The same can’t be said for the glyphosate content we find in these crops!
You see, despite the FDA stating the levels of glyphosate we get from food is considered to be ingested at ‘generally safe’ levels across the population, that doesn’t take into account those of us who don’t fall into the broader category of the entire population. Those of us living with histamine intolerance - and other allergies for that matter - only make up a tiny percentage!
Those of us living with histamine intolerance are sensitive to ingestion and exposure to biogenic amines such as histamine. But there are other biogenic amines to watch out for, such as putrescine and cadaverine, both of which are found in higher levels in glyphosate-treated produce. They too can wreak havoc on your histamine levels, sending you into a histamine flare.
Another thing to watch out for when it comes to propcorn as a low histamine snack is how it’s prepared. Like peanuts, corn is highly susceptible to mold and other toxins growing in and on the kernels, especially if it's exposed to any moisture or higher humidity when stored or transported (2). These microbes can trigger histamine flares when ingested with an otherwise low histamine food. So, next time you wonder, is popcorn high histamine, remember that storage and handling play a big role in how your body may react.
The actual manufacturing process may also leave popcorn triggering histamine reactions in some people. If the popcorn is produced in a facility making other high histamine products, cross-contamination may expose the kernels to histamine-containing compounds and cause issues.
Ready made popcorn products, even organic varieties, are also more likely to cause histamine reactions. They may contain stabilizers and other histamine-liberating ingredients you may only realize have affected you after you eat them.
All this to say, even though popcorn is a low histamine food, when living with histamine intolerance, you need to be careful about what type of popcorn you choose to eat.
Additionally, some of you may be histamine intolerant, but that’s not the end of your story. If you have other sensitivities, are dealing with mold or heavy metal toxicity, or you have an autoimmune condition or MCAS, you may not even tolerate good quality popcorn as you may react to other compounds it contains (3).
Low Histamine Popcorn: A Suitable Snack for Those Living With Histamine Intolerance
Eating popcorn can be a great little low histamine treat when you’re craving a snack… with some health benefits to boot!
It’s considered a whole grain, which means it has a whole whack of fiber. In fact, just 30g or 1 oz of popcorn contains a little over 4g of fiber. That’s a great big chunk added to your daily fiber needs!
Fiber is important for the health of your gut because of its effect on your gut microbiome. Our gut health is something we all need to work on, especially when we’re living with a condition like histamine intolerance (4).
As a result of all this fiber, popcorn is considered a low carbohydrate snack, which is important for histamine intolerance. Spiking and dropping your blood sugar with high carbohydrate foods can lead to histamine flares as a result of the stress response it promotes in the body (5). But that’s not a problem when you’re eating popcorn; as long as you stick to a small portion size, and you don’t add any additional sugars or sweeteners!
If you choose to include popcorn in your low histamine diet, make your popcorn from scratch at home using raw kernels that are non-GMO and organic and use a low histamine oil with a good heat tolerance such as coconut oil or ghee, if tolerated.
The Bottom Line: Popcorn on a Low Histamine Diet
There are many ways you can enjoy popcorn on a low histamine diet.
If you’re not sure whether you tolerate popcorn with your histamine intolerance, first try plain, unflavoured popcorn, popped with a simple oil like coconut oil.
As you find you tolerate it, you can become more experimental with your (low histamine) flavours.
For example, instead of an oil, you can try butter - grass-fed, that is! Many of my clients find they tolerate this clean, unprocessed version, and it makes a big difference to the flavour of meals, not just popcorn.
So, if you tolerate grass fed butter, melt a little over your popcorn and top with your go-to low histamine herbs. My favourite is chopped dill and a touch of himalayan or celtic salt - this combo is great with popcorn!
As a sweeter option, and knowing that we don’t want to add any additional carbs or sugars to the snack, you can use vanilla! Avoid vanilla extracts, though, as they generally contain alcohol, a potent histamine liberator. Instead, opt for a plain, organic vanilla powder and simply sprinkle it over your popcorn with a touch of sea salt. Vanilla often gives us the illusion that something is sweet, without it having an effect on our blood sugar. Plus, vanilla is yum!
Feel free to make any combinations you want to add flavour to your low histamine popcorn. Be sure to use my comprehensive low histamine food list to support your choices, and remember, keep it low carb!
There you have it! I hope I’ve answered your question: is popcorn high histamine. As long as you avoid the external factors making it high histamine, you’re good to go to include this crunchy snack in your low histamine diet.
Happy snacking!
References:
1. Environment Protection Agency. Ingredients Used in Pesticide Products. Glyphosate. 2025.
2. USDA. Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous. 2013.
3. Farley, M., Estrada-Mendizabal, RJ., Gansert, EA., et al. Prevalence of mast cell activation disorders and hereditary alpha tryptasemia among patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: A systematic review. 2025. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
4. Smolinska S, Winiarska E, Globinska A, Jutel M. Histamine: A Mediator of Intestinal Disorders-A Review. Metabolites. 2022;12(10):895. Published 2022 Sep 23. doi:10.3390/metabo12100895
5. Wang KY, Tanimoto A, Yamada S, et al. Histamine regulation in glucose and lipid metabolism via histamine receptors: model for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice. Am J Pathol. 2010;177(2):713-723. doi:10.2353/ajpath.2010.091198
Anita Tee
My name is Anita Tee. I'm a nutritional scientist who specializes in histamine intolerance. I hold a Master of Science in Personalized Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Psychology.
For the past ten years, I have used my experience in nutritional and medical health sciences to create a scientifically backed, natural approach to healthcare that relies 100% on evidence-based research.
As I previously suffered from - and overcame - histamine intolerance, my focus is to increase recognition and expand the available resources and protocols available for resolving this particular disorder. To date, I have helped over 4,000 individuals fully resolve or better manage their histamine intolerance symptoms.
