Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms and Solution
It is estimated that 1% of the population is histamine intolerant, although symptoms are often mistaken for allergies.
Histamine intolerance symptoms do look a lot like seasonal allergies. You might experience congestion, a runny nose, hives, itchy skin, headaches or joint pain after eating histamine-rich foods.
An intolerance occurs when you have a build-up of histamine in the body and a lack of the enzyme responsible for breaking it down. This imbalance can be caused by pain medications and other drugs, GI disorders and consuming certain foods.
Histamine intolerance is not something that everyone has to worry about. If you experience symptoms after eating these foods, the information in this blog post applies to you. However, if you do not experience any symptoms, then there is not a need for you to eat a low histamine diet because your body is creating the correct amount of enzymes to break it down.
One other thing I will mention is that histamine is present in both plant and animal foods, so this topic is relevant to all ways of eating.
What is Histamine?
Histamine is a chemical compound created by the body that is important for several functions. It is released when we become injured as part of the immune response, it triggers the release of stomach acid needed for digestion and it communicates messages to the brain.
Histamine itself is not a bad thing, it is actually very important! When it becomes a problem is when we have a build-up in our system and our body cannot properly break it down.
Histamine Intolerance
Histamine intolerance is not actually a sensitivity to histamine, so the label is a bit confusing. Our bodies produce an enzyme called diamine oxidase (DAO) which is responsible for breaking down the histamine that we get from food, but sometimes this production becomes impaired.
Reasons this production becomes impaired included:
certain medications (pain medications, antibiotics, diuretics and antidepressants)
gastrointestinal disorders (leaky gut, IBS or a bacteria overgrowth)
consuming high amounts of foods that block DAO
consuming high amounts of foods that trigger a histamine response
All of these factors can result in a build-up of histamine in your system and cause a reaction when you eat histamine-rich foods.
Histamine Intolerance Symptoms
Symptoms of a histamine intolerance include:
nasal congestion
runny nose
headaches
migraines
fatigue
hives
digestive issues
irregular menstrual cycle
nausea
The Solution
While there is not considered to be a cure for histamine intolerance, a lot of people see improvements in their symptoms by increasing DAO and reducing the histamine build-up. This can be achieved by limiting histamine-rich foods, limiting foods that trigger a histamine response and limiting factors that block DAO production.
Foods that are high in histamine include:
fermented vegetables (sauerkraut and kimchi)
fermented dairy (aged cheeses and yogurt)
fermented beverages (alcohol and kombucha)
smoked foods (smoked meat or smoked salmon)
dried foods (dried fruit or beef jerky)
canned food (pickles or fish)
bone broth
pork
shellfish
avocados
eggplant
spinach
In general, any foods that are fermented or aged will have higher histamine levels and any foods that are fresh will have lower levels. Again, I want to reiterate that if you are not histamine intolerant, the histamine content in food is not a reason to avoid them.
Foods that trigger a histamine release include:
tomatoes
bananas
wheat
beans
citrus fruit
certain nuts (walnuts, cashews and peanuts)
food dyes and other food additives
Limiting both foods that are high in histamine and trigger a histamine release will help to reduce the build-up. Stick to mostly fresh foods and limit anything that is aged.
Fresh meat will have a lower histamine content than meat that has been in your fridge for a couple of days. Freezing fresh meat slows down the rate at which histamine is created.
If you want to increase your DAO production you can eat fresh beef kidney or take a diamine oxidase supplement.
Low Histamine Diet Foods
These are some foods that are suitable for a low histamine diet:
fresh meat
fresh fish
eggs
fresh fruits and vegetables (except citrus fruits, avocados, eggplant and spinach)
As I said before, there is not considered to be a cure, but symptoms can definitely be reduced and managed by sticking to a low histamine diet.
Interested in the carnivore diet but not sure where to start?
This website is for general informational purposes only. It must never be considered a substitute for advice provided by a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare professional with questions you may have regarding your medical condition.
