Reviewed by Lindsey Wilson, Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (IIN) · November 2026
Yes. Bone broth is generally considered a high-histamine food, and it shows up on most low-histamine diet lists. We make bone broth, and we'll still tell you that. If you're histamine-sensitive, it's usually one of the first things to pause, along with aged cheese, wine, cured meats and leftovers.
That doesn't mean bone broth is bad for everyone, or that you have to give up warm, savory broth altogether. Here's why histamine builds up in broth, who actually needs to care, and what to sip instead while things settle.
Why bone broth tends to be high in histamine
Histamine in food mostly comes from bacteria. They convert an amino acid called histidine into histamine, and that happens more the longer a protein-rich food sits around (Sánchez-Pérez et al., 2021). That's why aged, fermented, cured and leftover foods are the usual suspects.
Bone broth checks several of those boxes. It's made from animal protein and connective tissue, it's often simmered for a long time, and it usually spends days cooling, sitting in the fridge or traveling before anyone drinks it. Histamine is also very heat-stable, so once it forms, reheating or boiling won't reliably get rid of it (Spirovska Vaskoska, 2021).
One honest caveat: there's very little published lab testing of histamine in bone broth itself. Most of what you'll read, including here, is based on how histamine forms in protein-rich foods. That's also why freshness and handling probably matter as much as simmer time.
Who actually needs to worry about it
Most people break down the histamine in their food without noticing. An enzyme in the gut called diamine oxidase (DAO) does most of that work. Histamine intolerance is the idea that some people take in more histamine than they can clear, often because that breakdown isn't keeping up (Comas-Basté et al., 2020).
Symptoms people report include headaches, flushing, hives or itchy skin, a stuffy or runny nose, bloating and loose stools. None of those is specific to histamine, and there's no single reliable test. Clinicians usually rule out other causes first, then see whether symptoms improve on a short low-histamine diet (Hakl & Litzman, 2023).
A pattern is more telling than a single reaction. If you feel worse after aged cheese, wine, cured meats, leftovers and broth, histamine is worth looking into with your doctor. If bone broth has never given you trouble, this probably isn't your issue.
What to drink instead while you're sensitive
Pause bone broth for now. A low-histamine period is meant to be short, usually a few weeks, followed by bringing foods back one at a time. You're not giving it up forever.
Make a quick meat broth and drink it fresh. Some people do better with broth simmered for a couple of hours from fresh meat, then eaten the same day or frozen right away. It isn't histamine-free, but it gives histamine less time to build.
Switch to a vegetable broth. A plant-based broth leaves out the animal protein that histamine forms from. Our Vegan Mineral Broth Elixir simmers for a little over 6 hours, not 24+, with celery, carrots, chard, fennel, shiitake, kombu, ginger, turmeric and herbs, and like all our broths it's made without onion or garlic. One thing to know: a small splash of apple cider vinegar goes into the pot and simmers for hours with everything else, so very little ends up in your mug. Vinegar is on some low-histamine lists, though, so if you're very sensitive, start with a small mug and see how you feel.
Freeze in portions. Whatever broth you drink, cool it quickly, freeze it in single servings and thaw only what you'll have that day. Freezing doesn't remove histamine, but it slows new histamine from forming. The fridge slows it much less. Our storage guide covers the details.
Why our Low Histamine Reset doesn't include bone broth
This is exactly why the Low-Histamine version of the OWL Reset swaps out our bone broths. It uses the Vegan Mineral Broth and the Vegan Immunity Elixir, plus the Golden Ginger and Bold Beet Mylkshakes, and leaves out matcha. If you want a structured few days of simple, warm food without guessing at every label, that's what it's for. Not sure which reset fits? Start with Which Reset Is Right for You?
Bringing bone broth back
Staying on a strict low-histamine diet for months tends to shrink your food list without giving you clearer answers. Researchers who compared published low-histamine diets found the food lists disagreed a lot. Fermented foods were the only thing every list excluded (Sánchez-Pérez et al., 2021).
When symptoms have settled, try a small mug of bone broth on a calm day, ideally broth that was frozen fresh, and give it a day or two before trying more. If you feel fine, build from there. If you don't, that's useful information to bring to your practitioner.
Is bone broth high in histamine? FAQs
Is chicken broth lower in histamine than beef broth?
There's no good evidence either way. Freshness of the bones, how quickly the broth is cooled and how long it's stored likely matter more than which animal it came from.
Does freezing bone broth reduce histamine?
No. Freezing slows new histamine from forming, but it doesn't remove what's already there. Freeze broth soon after making it.
Does cooking or reheating destroy histamine?
Not reliably. Histamine holds up well to heat, so boiling broth again won't meaningfully lower it.
Is vegetable broth low histamine?
It's usually lower than bone broth because there's no animal protein, but it depends on the ingredients. Tomatoes, vinegar and some other additions are on many low-histamine lists.
Can I drink bone broth if I have histamine intolerance?
Many people pause it during a low-histamine period and reintroduce it later in small amounts. Talk to your doctor or practitioner about what makes sense for you.
Why does bone broth make me feel flushed or give me a headache?
Histamine is one possible reason, especially if other aged or fermented foods do the same thing. Other causes are possible too, so a food and symptom journal is a good place to start.
This article is for general education and isn't medical advice. If you think you have histamine intolerance, talk to your doctor before making big changes to your diet.
Keep reading: Understanding Histamine Intolerance · The OWL Low Histamine Reset · Is There Such a Thing as Vegan Bone Broth? · Bone Broth Benefits: What It Can (and Can't) Do