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.
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
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.
Articles on Histamine Intolerance and DAO
You can supplement with DAO. To see some DAO supplement products click on products below.
Products for Histamine Intolerance
Products for Histamine Intolerance
