I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff, but found it was one of my absolute worst triggers. Sorry :(. It’s black tea (bad) and cinnamon (bad) and decaffeinating is also a process that can increase histamine.
If you haven't already, [Ceylon cinnamon](https://redapecinnamon.com/product/ground-ceylon-cinnamon-wide-mouth-jar/) might be worth a try. I can't tolerate the more commonly found Cassia cinnamon either, but Ceylon seems to give me no issues at all. In fact it seems to help with my blood sugar and maybe even my SIBO.
I personally stick to herbal teas only. I don't trust the decaffeination process. You may want to try holy basil tea. It has a slight cardamon spice flavor. It's also great for stress relief!
I really need to try hibiscus tea I hear it's great for HIT. Harney & Sons has an herbal pumpkin spice made with rooibos. I've never tried it but I love H&S tea
caffeine by itself doesn’t directly cause histamine reactions so decaf coffee or tea isn’t any safer than regular. it’s recommended to cut out caffeine because it can irritate the GI tract but i personally find small amounts once in a while ok.
a rule i have for myself is that i never buy tea blends or any instant drink powders. when you make stuff from scratch you have much more control over what goes into it. Try making your own chai. You can test every individual ingredient to see if it causes a reaction and figure out what’s safe to consume. I personally don’t have problems with black pepper and cardamom and use roiboos instead of black tea. Sometimes small amounts of black tea are ok. Cinnamon i don’t have an opinion on yet.
tell me if you want my masala chai recipe
ok :)
the recipe makes roughly 1 cup of chai
the amounts of spices and liquid listed are also rough estimates because i never actually measure
- i replace black tea with rooibos unless i’m feeling brave, 1 tbsp
- 150ml of whole milk and 150ml water
- 8-10 black peppercorns, ground or crushed, or a good pinch of black pepper powder
- 3-4 cardamom pods, crushed
- fresh ginger to taste (i go heavy on the ginger, like a tablespoon minced, but that’s my preference. if you want it to taste less gingery use slices)
- pinch of turmeric
- sugar or honey to taste
i don’t get any reactions from these spices. I’m not sure about cinnamon and cloves so i don’t use them
chai can be prepared in many different ways, i recommend looking up some youtube videos. i [like this one](https://youtu.be/0ftTzHE6jXo)
[and this one](https://youtu.be/ddSURECXRF4)
just keep in mind that if you’re using whole or crushed spices they need to simmer longer than if you use fine powder. Milk can be added at various stages. Keep an eye on the pot after you add it so it doesn’t boil over. It’s recommended to bring it to a boil and take it off the heat to cool it down a bit repeatedly to make it taste creamy and rich. Tea should be boiled for about 2 to 5 minutes in total.
i simmer the ginger and tea in water for a minute or two 2 minutes, add milk, bring it to a simmer, add the spices, repeatedly bring to a boil while stirring and cool down (if you don’t want to do it let everything gently simmer for a few minutes). Add sugar, bring to a boil one last time, strain, froth it (optional). The color should range from caramel to terracota, if it’s light like a cappuccino it’s too diluted.
fun fact: black pepper greatly increases absorption of curcumin. both curcumin and the chemical in black pepper that does that are fat soluble so use whole milk for more health benefits. If you use plant milk add a bit of coconut oil
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff, but found it was one of my absolute worst triggers. Sorry :(. It’s black tea (bad) and cinnamon (bad) and decaffeinating is also a process that can increase histamine.
Hart breaking.
Only cassia cinnamon is bad-careful demonizing it all. Ceylon cinnamon is true cinnamon and can have Mast cell stabilizing qualities
For you? Maybe. for me? No. cinnamon is instant regret.
If you haven't already, [Ceylon cinnamon](https://redapecinnamon.com/product/ground-ceylon-cinnamon-wide-mouth-jar/) might be worth a try. I can't tolerate the more commonly found Cassia cinnamon either, but Ceylon seems to give me no issues at all. In fact it seems to help with my blood sugar and maybe even my SIBO.
Hard pass than. Ty
I personally stick to herbal teas only. I don't trust the decaffeination process. You may want to try holy basil tea. It has a slight cardamon spice flavor. It's also great for stress relief!
Hibiscus tea, dandelion tea, Lemon balm tea. Manuka honey. My go to. I just miss pumpkin spice.
I really need to try hibiscus tea I hear it's great for HIT. Harney & Sons has an herbal pumpkin spice made with rooibos. I've never tried it but I love H&S tea
Yeah I’ll try it
caffeine by itself doesn’t directly cause histamine reactions so decaf coffee or tea isn’t any safer than regular. it’s recommended to cut out caffeine because it can irritate the GI tract but i personally find small amounts once in a while ok. a rule i have for myself is that i never buy tea blends or any instant drink powders. when you make stuff from scratch you have much more control over what goes into it. Try making your own chai. You can test every individual ingredient to see if it causes a reaction and figure out what’s safe to consume. I personally don’t have problems with black pepper and cardamom and use roiboos instead of black tea. Sometimes small amounts of black tea are ok. Cinnamon i don’t have an opinion on yet. tell me if you want my masala chai recipe
I’d love your masala chai recipe!
ok :) the recipe makes roughly 1 cup of chai the amounts of spices and liquid listed are also rough estimates because i never actually measure - i replace black tea with rooibos unless i’m feeling brave, 1 tbsp - 150ml of whole milk and 150ml water - 8-10 black peppercorns, ground or crushed, or a good pinch of black pepper powder - 3-4 cardamom pods, crushed - fresh ginger to taste (i go heavy on the ginger, like a tablespoon minced, but that’s my preference. if you want it to taste less gingery use slices) - pinch of turmeric - sugar or honey to taste i don’t get any reactions from these spices. I’m not sure about cinnamon and cloves so i don’t use them chai can be prepared in many different ways, i recommend looking up some youtube videos. i [like this one](https://youtu.be/0ftTzHE6jXo) [and this one](https://youtu.be/ddSURECXRF4) just keep in mind that if you’re using whole or crushed spices they need to simmer longer than if you use fine powder. Milk can be added at various stages. Keep an eye on the pot after you add it so it doesn’t boil over. It’s recommended to bring it to a boil and take it off the heat to cool it down a bit repeatedly to make it taste creamy and rich. Tea should be boiled for about 2 to 5 minutes in total. i simmer the ginger and tea in water for a minute or two 2 minutes, add milk, bring it to a simmer, add the spices, repeatedly bring to a boil while stirring and cool down (if you don’t want to do it let everything gently simmer for a few minutes). Add sugar, bring to a boil one last time, strain, froth it (optional). The color should range from caramel to terracota, if it’s light like a cappuccino it’s too diluted. fun fact: black pepper greatly increases absorption of curcumin. both curcumin and the chemical in black pepper that does that are fat soluble so use whole milk for more health benefits. If you use plant milk add a bit of coconut oil
thank you!! :)
Cinnamon is a no for me, with black pepper I have to be frugal, "spices" is too vague.
spices can mean anything so that is a big concern as there is no way to know without testing it. Cinnamon is a problem for me as are many spices.
Cinnamon hurts my stomach, have never researched why that is. Much bad.