Histamine Tracker
Sour cream
Sour cream is fermented with lactic acid bacteria, and many references place it in a moderate to high histamine category.
Sour cream is made by introducing lactic acid bacteria to cream, and some lactic acid bacteria strains may produce histamine as part of their metabolic activity.
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Fermentation-based — the sour flavor comes from bacterial activity, and histamine may be produced as a side effect of that same process; levels depend on which bacterial strains were used and how long fermentation ran
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Varies by product — histamine levels in sour cream can differ between brands and batches, and many with histamine sensitivity report placing it in the higher-caution category alongside other fermented dairy products
Fresh, unfermented cream is a gentler alternative if you find fermented dairy problematic.
Track your reactions to sour cream in Histamine Tracker. Log meals and symptoms to spot the patterns that matter for your body.
For educational purposes only. Not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personal guidance.
References
- SIGHI Food Compatibility List — SIGHI (2026)
- Histamine and histamine intolerance — Maintz & Novak (2007)
- Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art — Comas-Basté et al. (2020)
- Low-Histamine Diets: Is the Exclusion of Foods Justified by Their Histamine Content? — Sánchez-Pérez et al. (2021)
- Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Beyond — Jochum (2024)
- Guideline on management of suspected adverse reactions to ingested histamine — Reese et al. (2021)