Do you have Histamine Intolerance?

Do you have Histamine Intolerance?

Do you have bad reactions when you drink alcohol? What about when you eat avocados, pineapple, lunch meat? If you get a headache, stuffy nose, itching, hives, racing heart after eating certain foods, you may have a histamine intolerance.

According to Mind, Body, Green:

Histamine is a chemical involved in your immune system, proper digestion, and your central nervous system. It is a neurotransmitter,  It is also a component of stomach acid. When eating something you are sensitive or allergic to, histamine will cause your blood vessels to dilate, so that your white blood cells can quickly find and attack what is causing the reaction. When histamine builds up in your system you will start showing symptoms such as headaches, feeling flushed, feeling itchy and getting hives. This is part of the body’s natural immune response, but if you have histamine intolerance,  you might not break down histamine properly leading to a build up of  histamine which runs through your bloodstream and may affect your gut, lungs, skin, brain, and cardiovascular system. This can lead  to a wide range of problems often making it difficult to diagnose.

Cause of High Histamine Levels

Allergies Bacterial overgrowth 

(SIBO) Click Here to Read what SIBO is. 

Leaky gut GI bleeding 

Fermented alcohol like wine, champagne, and beer 

Diamine Oxidase (DAO) deficiency 

Histamine-rich foods 

Source: Mind, Body, Green

How does Histamine get Broken Down?

Histamine in the central nervous system is broken down primarily by histamine N-methyltransferase (HMT), while histamine in the digestive tract is broken down primarily by diamine oxidase (DAO).  If you’re deficient in DAO, you likely have symptoms of histamine intolerance.
DAO-Blocking Foods:

Alcohol Click (Here to Read Why)
Energy drinks
Black tea
Mate tea
Green tea

Source: 
Mind, Body, Green

What Can I Eat?

freshly cooked meat, poultry (frozen or fresh) freshly caught fish eggs gluten-free grains: rice, quinoa pure peanut butter fresh fruits: mango, pear, watermelon, apple, kiwi, cantaloupe, grapes fresh vegetables (except ones listed above) coconut milk, rice milk, hemp milk, almond milk olive oil, coconut oil leafy herbs herbal teas (accept green tea)

How do I break down histamine?

Once formed, histamine is either stored or broken down by an enzyme. Histamine in the central nervous system is broken down primarily by histamine N-methyltransferase (HMT), while histamine in the digestive tract is broken down primarily by diamine oxidase (DAO).

Causes of Low DAO

Gluten intolerance
Leaky gut SIBO (Click Here to Read what SIBO is.)
 DAO-blocking foods (See List Above)
Genetic mutations
 Inflammation from Crohn’s,
ulcerative colitis
inflammatory bowel disease.

Medications can also cause low DAO

 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, aspirin) 

Antidepressants (Cymbalta, Effexor, Prozac, Zoloft) 

Immune modulators (Humira, Enbrel, Plaquenil) 

Antiarrhythmics (propanolol, metaprolol, 

Cardizem, Norvasc) 

Antihistamines (Allegra, Zyrtec, Benadryl) 

Histamine (H2) blockers (Tagamet, Pepcid, Zantac) 

Although histamine blockers, a class of acid-reducing drugs, seem like they would help prevent histamine intolerance, these medications can actually deplete DAO levels in your body.

  Source: Mind, Body, Green

Articles on Histamine Intolerance and DAO

Introducing DAO-The World's Only Enzyme Supplement for Dietary Histamine and Food Intolerance

Everything You Need to Know about Histamine Intolerance and DAOS

You can supplement with DAO. To see some DAO  supplement products click on products below.

Products for Histamine Intolerance