If you have ever drizzled honey over breakfast and then wondered whether it could be behind a reaction, it is a reasonable question. So, is honey high in histamine? Current evidence does not support one universal answer.
Some tested honeys contained very little histamine, while Brazilian samples contained much higher amounts. The most accurate way to think about honey is therefore variable, rather than automatically high, low, or histamine-free. And even a laboratory measurement cannot predict with certainty how your body will respond.
So, is honey high in histamine or low?
Neither label fits every honey. The available measurements differ too much between sample sets to justify putting every jar into the same category.
A 2023 study examined 114 Brazilian honeys from São Paulo and Santa Catarina, and a 2025 review reproduced those histamine results. In contrast, a 2026 study of Algerian and Moroccan honeys found histamine generally below 1 mg/kg in the samples it tested.
| Study/sample set | Measured histamine result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| São Paulo honey (n = 64) | Mean 24.1 mg/kg; range 2.83 to 181 mg/kg | Histamine varied widely within this Brazilian sample set |
| Santa Catarina honey (n = 50) | Mean 16.1 mg/kg; range 1.58 to 37.7 mg/kg | Values were lower than the São Paulo mean but still clearly measurable |
| Algerian and Moroccan honeys | Generally below 1 mg/kg; reported examples included 0.052 ± 0.008 and 0.127 ± 0.015 mg/kg | Some tested honeys contained very little histamine, but these results apply only to that sample set |
If those numbers seem contradictory, that is exactly the point. They should not be averaged into one universal “honey histamine level.” The studies looked at different honey samples in different analytical settings, and neither dataset represents every honey you might buy.
We also cannot say that one single factor caused the difference. Geography, botanical source, production conditions, storage, and analytical methods may all contribute, but the evidence does not let us confidently blame one of them.
The 2025 review concluded that histamine in honey deserves further investigation. Just as importantly, researchers have not established a honey-specific histamine level that predicts whether someone with histamine intolerance will develop symptoms.
Why do honey histamine lists disagree?
This is where food lists can become confusing. A laboratory study tells us what researchers measured in particular samples. A compatibility list is a practical guide designed to help you decide which foods may be worth trying, limiting, or discussing with a clinician.
Those are not the same thing. A list may place honey in one broad category, while direct testing can still find very different histamine concentrations from one sample group to another.
So if one list says honey is “low histamine” and another tells you to avoid it, neither label tells you exactly what is in the jar in front of you. A compatibility rating is a starting point, not a chemical analysis of your food.
Is raw, pasteurized or Manuka honey lower in histamine?
If you are choosing between raw, pasteurized, and Manuka honey, there is currently no verified honey-specific comparison that lets us rank one as lower in histamine than the others.
That means there is no sound basis for saying raw honey is automatically lower in histamine than pasteurized honey, or that pasteurization consistently raises or lowers histamine. Manuka honey has not been shown to contain less histamine than other honey types either.
You may come across claims based on antioxidants, pollen content, heating, or other properties of honey. Those can be interesting questions in their own right, but they do not answer this one. Until direct comparative measurements are available, these honey types are better treated as unranked rather than assuming one is safer.
Is honey a histamine liberator?
Honey is not established as a clinically proven histamine liberator.
If you have seen honey described that way online, the uncertainty is broader than honey itself. A 2021 clinical guideline on adverse reactions to ingested histamine found no reliable evidence establishing the existence or clinical relevance of foods that supposedly trigger histamine release simply by being eaten.
That does not mean a reaction you notice after honey should be dismissed. It means the “histamine liberator” label is not a proven explanation for that reaction. For a fuller look at this debate, see our guide to histamine liberator foods.
What if you feel worse after eating honey?
If you notice symptoms after honey, that observation matters. What it does not tell us by itself is whether histamine already present in the honey caused those symptoms.
No honey-specific controlled trial in people with histamine intolerance was identified in the evidence reviewed for this guide. That is why your personal response and a laboratory histamine measurement need to be treated as two separate pieces of information.
Honey allergy is a separate concern
True IgE-mediated allergic reactions to honey have been documented. Research has identified pollen-derived and bee-derived proteins as possible allergens, which is a different mechanism from dietary histamine intolerance.
If honey causes symptoms that suggest an allergic reaction, seek clinical evaluation rather than assuming histamine intolerance is the cause. After a serious or clearly allergic-type reaction, do not try honey again without medical guidance. Our guide to histamine intolerance vs food allergies explains the distinction in more detail.
Can you eat honey on a low-histamine diet?
There is no universal yes or no. Published measurements vary, and no honey-specific symptom threshold has been validated for histamine intolerance.
If honey has been working well for you, the current evidence does not give you a reason to remove it solely because a generic internet list gives it a fixed label. If you consistently notice symptoms after eating it, that pattern is worth paying attention to, but it still does not prove that the honey itself was high in histamine.
There is no evidence-based “safe serving” we can give you either. Your tolerance, the particular honey, what else you ate, and other individual factors may all affect what you notice.
So when you are asking is honey high in histamine, the most useful answer is not a rigid label. Honey appears to vary considerably between samples, and your own tolerance remains part of the decision. For broader food guidance, see our low histamine food list and high histamine foods.
References
- Lima GPP, et al. Biogenic amines and stable isotopes in the quality and authenticity of honeys from Brazil. Food Chem. 2023;427:136702. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136702.
- Bruno F, Bruschetta G, Miller A, Nava V, Licata P. Toxicological Relevance of Biogenic Amines in Honey: Dietary Exposure and Integrated Risk Indicators in Algerian and Moroccan Honeys. Foods. 2026;15(8):1411. doi:10.3390/foods15081411.
- Gloria MBA, Diniz FB, Dala-Paula BM, et al. Histamine in Brazilian Foods: A Comprehensive Review of Occurrence and Risk Assessment for Intoxication and Intolerance. Food Sci Nutr. 2025;13(11):e71151. doi:10.1002/fsn3.71151.
- Reese I, et al. Guideline on management of suspected adverse reactions to ingested histamine. Allergol Select. 2021;5:305-314. doi:10.5414/ALX02269E.
- Bauer L, et al. Food allergy to honey: pollen or bee products? Characterization of allergenic proteins in honey by means of immunoblotting. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1996;97(1 Pt 1):65-73. doi:10.1016/S0091-6749(96)70284-1.
