What Food Is High in Histidine? Your Essential Guide

December 1, 2025 •

4 min read

As one of the nine essential amino acids, histidine cannot be produced by the human body and must be obtained through diet. A wide variety of protein-rich foods, from meat and fish to nuts and legumes, are excellent sources for ensuring you get enough histidine. This guide will help you identify what food is high in histidine and why it’s a vital nutrient for overall health.

Quick Summary

An overview of dietary sources rich in histidine, an essential amino acid. It covers top animal and plant-based foods, its functions in the body, and highlights how to incorporate it into a balanced diet to support overall health.

Key Points

Rich Animal Sources: Pork, beef, and chicken are excellent and readily available sources of histidine, especially in lean cuts.
Top Plant-Based Options: Soy products (tofu, edamame), legumes (lentils, kidney beans), and certain seeds (pumpkin, sesame) provide substantial histidine for vegetarian diets.
Dairy and Eggs: Hard cheeses like Parmesan and eggs, particularly dried egg whites, contain high levels of concentrated histidine.
Histamine Connection: Histidine is a precursor to histamine, a key compound in immune response; this is important for those with histamine intolerance.
Essential Body Functions: Beyond protein synthesis, histidine is vital for tissue growth, nerve cell protection, and red blood cell formation.
Deficiency is Rare: With a balanced diet including varied protein sources, histidine deficiency is uncommon in healthy adults.
Supplement with Caution: While supplements exist, a food-first approach is recommended, and consultation with a healthcare provider is advised for special cases.

Top Animal-Based Foods High in Histidine

Animal products are renowned for their high protein content and are often the richest sources of histidine. Incorporating these into your diet can easily help meet your daily needs.

Meat and Poultry

Pork and beef are particularly concentrated sources of this amino acid, especially in cuts like chops and steaks. Poultry such as chicken and turkey are also excellent options, providing substantial amounts of histidine, making them staples for many high-protein diets.

Pork Chops: A single pork chop can provide a significant portion of the recommended daily intake.
Skirt Steak: Beef cuts like skirt steak are loaded with histidine.
Chicken Breast: Lean chicken breast is a popular and potent source.
Game Meats: Deer, boar, and other game meats also offer high levels.

Fish and Seafood

Fish and seafood are other superb choices for histidine intake, and many types offer a healthy dose of this essential amino acid. It is important to note that certain fish, especially canned or aged varieties like tuna, can also be high in histamine, which is a metabolite of histidine. For most people, this is not an issue, but it is a consideration for those with histamine sensitivities.

Tuna: Bluefin tuna is a great source of histidine.
Cod: Salted and dried cod provides a very high concentration.
Salmon: A fillet of salmon offers a healthy amount.
Oysters and Fish Roe: These seafood options also contribute to your intake.

Dairy and Eggs

For those who consume dairy and eggs, these foods provide convenient and versatile sources of histidine.

Cheese: Hard cheeses like Parmesan and Romano are packed with histidine due to the concentration of protein during the cheesemaking process.
Eggs: The protein in eggs, particularly dried egg whites, contains a high level of histidine.
Yogurt and Ricotta: These dairy products also offer a solid contribution to your histidine intake.

Plant-Based Sources High in Histidine

For vegetarians and vegans, a variety of plant-based foods can provide the necessary histidine. While the concentration may differ from animal products, combining sources throughout the day ensures a complete intake.

Soy Products: Soybeans, tofu, tempeh, and soy protein isolates are some of the best plant-based sources available.
Legumes: A wide range of beans and legumes are rich in histidine. This includes lentils, kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, and navy beans.
Nuts and Seeds: Many nuts and seeds contain significant amounts, including peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds.
Whole Grains: Some whole grains, such as quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, and wheat germ, contribute to histidine intake.

The Role of Histidine in the Body

Histidine is more than just a protein building block; it plays several critical roles in the body:

Histamine Production: Histidine is a precursor to histamine, a compound that plays a role in immune response, digestion, nerve function, and sleep-wake cycles.
Tissue Repair and Growth: As a component of proteins, histidine is essential for the repair and growth of damaged tissue throughout the body.
Myelin Sheath Protection: It helps maintain the myelin sheath, which protects nerve cells and ensures proper nerve function.
Red Blood Cell Formation: Histidine is necessary for the synthesis of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells.
Antioxidant Properties: It acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect the body from oxidative stress.

Comparing Animal vs. Plant Sources of Histidine

To better understand how to balance your diet, here is a comparison of histidine content in common food categories. Note that quantities can vary based on processing and preparation.


Food Category	Examples	Histidine Content (mg/100g)	Notes
Animal Protein (Very High)	Dried Fish, Dried Meats, Parmesan Cheese	1600+	Concentrated protein sources yield highest amounts.
Animal Protein (High)	Pork Chops, Beef Steak, Chicken Breast	1000-1400	Common, excellent sources for daily intake.
Plant Protein Concentrates	Soy Protein Isolate, Pea Protein	2000+	Highly concentrated, often used in supplements.
Dairy (High)	Parmesan, Romano Cheese	1200-1600	Cheese aging process increases concentration.
Legumes	Lentils, Soybeans, Beans	200-450	Good sources for vegetarian and vegan diets.
Nuts & Seeds	Pumpkin Seeds, Peanuts, Sesame Seeds	600-800	Nutrient-dense snacks or additions to meals.

Conclusion: Fueling Your Body with Histidine-Rich Foods

Understanding what food is high in histidine is the first step towards a more informed and balanced diet. Whether you prefer animal-based products like meat and dairy or follow a plant-based diet rich in legumes, nuts, and soy, you have a wealth of options to ensure you meet your body's needs. Histidine's multifaceted role—from supporting immune function to aiding tissue repair—makes it an indispensable nutrient. By integrating a variety of these foods into your meals, you can support your body's essential functions and maintain optimal health.

For more detailed nutritional information and data on histidine content, consult reliable sources such as the USDA FoodData Central database.

Frequently Asked Questions

Histidine is an essential amino acid, meaning the human body cannot produce it on its own and it must be obtained through diet. It is important for protein synthesis, tissue growth and repair, immune response, and nerve cell protection, and it is a precursor for histamine.

Pork and beef contain some of the highest concentrations of histidine per serving, particularly in lean cuts. Other top animal sources include poultry like chicken and turkey, as well as various types of fish and dairy products like Parmesan cheese.

Yes, it is possible to get enough histidine from a well-planned plant-based diet. Excellent vegetarian and vegan sources include soy products like tofu and edamame, various legumes, nuts, and seeds such as pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and sesame seeds.

Some health conditions are linked to histidine metabolism or histamine, which is derived from histidine. Low plasma histidine levels can be seen in patients with chronic kidney disease, and some research suggests a link to inflammatory conditions and metabolic syndrome, though more study is needed.

Some of the richest vegetarian sources include soybeans, soy protein isolate, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, lentils, and chickpeas. Fermented soy products like tempeh are also excellent options.

Cooking methods can affect the histidine content in some foods. Cooking meats, for example, can increase histidine levels. Aged, fermented, or canned foods, particularly fish, tend to have higher levels of histamine, a byproduct of histidine, which is a key consideration for those with sensitivities.

Most healthy adults get sufficient histidine from their diet. However, individuals with rapid growth (like infants), chronic kidney disease, or specific metabolic disorders may need to pay more attention to their intake. Those with histamine intolerance should also be mindful of histidine-rich and histamine-producing foods.