Histamine Intolerance

Histamine is a biologically active substance produced by the body.  It is also found in some foods.

Histamine plays an important role in the immune and in the central nervous systems, supporting the inflammatory response, helping with brain communication and triggering the release of stomach acid. However, it can become a problem if there is too much histamine in the body. This could be because you are producing too much, taking in large amounts in our diet or you are inefficient in breaking it down.

Histamine should be broken down in the body by two enzymes: DAO and HNMT. DAO is mainly responsible for breaking down the histamine we take in through food. If we don’t produce sufficient enzymes, histamine levels may rise. This condition is called histamine intolerance.  As the enzyme DAO is located in the gut lining, histamine imbalance is often caused by an imbalance in the gut, such as inflammation, altered microbiome or leaky gut. Some people are genetically susceptible to producing less DAO.

Histamine intolerance can exhibit a variety of symptoms, which often mimic those produced by other health issues and come and go irregularly. This make it hard to diagnose histamine imbalance.

Symptoms include:

  • Headache and migraine

  • Facial and chest flushing

  • Fatigue and brain fog

  • Anxiety

  • Hives, eczema and itchy skin

  • Runny nose and congestion

  • Itchy eyes

  • IBS symptoms

  • Menstrual irregularities and hormone imbalance

  • Racing heart

Many foods naturally contain histamine or trigger the release of histamine in the body. Histamine is highest in foods which have been aged or fermented, although levels do naturally vary according to how long the food has been kept or left to sit, particularly if it’s not refrigerated.  Fermented foods are currently ‘trendy’, but they may not be good for you as an individual.

High histamine foods include:

  • Alcohol

  • Fermented foods like sauerkraut, vinegar and yoghurt

  • Processed and smoked meats like bacon or salami

  • Aged cheeses

  • Dried fruit

  • Avocado

  • Aubergine

  • Pineapple

  • Shellfish

  • Spinach

Other foods, although not themselves high in histamine, can trigger histamine release:

  • Bananas and Strawberries

  • Nuts, especially walnuts, cashews and peanuts

  • Tomatoes

  • Citrus fruits

  • Food dyes and additives

  • Other foods, including alcohol, black and green tea and energy drinks can block DAO production and therefore indirectly contribute to a histamine imbalance.

A blood test can determine your levels of histamine and DAO, while a comprehensive stool test can examine the health of your microbiome.

Avoiding foods which contribute to histamine imbalance is only a short term measure, because they include plenty of nutrient-rich foods and simply restricting them can overly limit the diet.

My approach is to always address the underlying cause. Since the gut plays an important role in helping to balance histamine, I will begin by healing the gut to naturally reduce high histamine levels.