Investigating the Efficacy of a Low-Histamine Diet for Reducing Cognitive 'Brain Fog' in Post-COVID Syndrome
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Background: Persistent cognitive difficulty is a common feature of post-COVID syndrome, and histamine-related inflammatory pathways have been proposed as one possible contributor. Objective: To evaluate whether a structured low-histamine diet improves cognitive performance and peripheral inflammatory biomarkers in adults with persistent post-COVID brain fog. Methods: This single-site, parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted in Chitral District, Pakistan, from June 2025 to January 2026. Sixty-four adults were randomized equally to a six-week low-histamine diet or habitual-diet standard care. MoCA, CFQ, FSS, plasma histamine and serum hs-CRP were assessed. Complete-case analyses included 60 participants. Results: Post-intervention MoCA scores were higher in the intervention group than in controls (26.2±1.8 vs 22.8±2.0; mean difference 3.40, 95% CI 2.42–4.38; p<0.001). Plasma histamine was lower by 13.30 ng/mL (95% CI −16.08 to −10.52), and hs-CRP was lower by 1.90 mg/L (95% CI −2.32 to −1.48; both p<0.001). CFQ and FSS scores were also lower in the intervention group. Time × group interactions were reported for MoCA and plasma histamine. Conclusion: A six-week low-histamine dietary programme was associated with improved cognitive and patient-reported outcomes and lower peripheral inflammatory biomarkers. Larger intention-to-treat trials with standardized diets and longer follow-up are required
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