Have you noticed histamine intolerance gaining traction in health and wellness discussions? More people are discovering that their unexplained symptoms—such as headaches, digestive discomfort, or skin reactions—might be linked to how their bodies process histamine. If these symptoms sound familiar, histamine intolerance can be worth looking into.
What is a histamine intolerance, and how is it different from allergies?
First, let’s talk about what histamine is. This chemical is produced naturally by your immune system and is involved in allergies, inflammation, cognitive function, and sleep-wake cycles. You may have heard of antihistamines, aptly named for their function of managing histamine levels.
When your body encounters an allergen like pollen or pet dander, it releases histamine to fight off the perceived invader, causing the classic allergy symptoms like a stuffy nose, itchy eyes, and swelling.
While allergies are an immune response, histamine intolerance is not. It’s thought to be caused by the body’s inability to break down histamine properly. The symptoms overlap because histamine is involved in both allergies and histamine intolerance. These include bloating, nausea or vomiting, headache, runny or stuffy nose, shortness of breath, itching, rash or hives, flushing, low blood pressure, irregular or fast heart rate, swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, and in severe cases, anaphylaxis.
We mentioned that your body naturally produces histamine, but it’s also present in certain foods. Some foods that contain a large amount of histamine include alcohol, processed meat, cheeses, citrus fruits, tomatoes, certain fish, and some fermented foods.
What is the root cause of histamine intolerance?
It’s thought to be caused by low levels of enzymes like diamine oxidase (DAO), which breaks down histamine in the body. According to the International Society of DAO Deficiency, DAO deficiency can be caused by genetics, intestinal dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut microbiome—the trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaea, and parasites living in your gut—where harmful organisms outnumber beneficial ones), menstruation, stress, prolonged fasting, and consumption of certain medications or foods like the ones listed above.
The link between histamine intolerance and gut issues
Your gut health plays a crucial role in histamine metabolism. Conditions such as leaky gut, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or dysbiosis can impair DAO production, leading to excess histamine accumulation.
Physician Dr. Elizabeth Boham explains, “We know that shifts in the microbiome are huge, and ultimately, [they] can result in inflammation in the digestive tract. If there’s inflammation in the digestive system, we don’t produce as much DAO enzyme.”
Additionally, certain gut bacteria produce histamine, exacerbating symptoms. Restoring gut health can help improve histamine metabolism.
Histamine intolerance and blood sugar regulation
Decades of human and animal studies have shown a relationship between histamine and insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Histamine plays a role in blood sugar regulation, so high histamine levels can contribute to worsening insulin resistance. Since both histamine intolerance and diabetes involve chronic inflammation, addressing histamine levels could positively impact insulin sensitivity.
How to know if you have a histamine intolerance
If you suspect you might have a histamine intolerance, the first step is to talk to your doctor. There are a few ways you can work together to get to the bottom of your symptoms:
- Tracking symptoms: Noting when symptoms appear and whether they relate to certain foods.
- Elimination diet: Cutting out high-histamine foods for some time and slowly reintroducing them.
- DAO testing (lab test): Measuring DAO enzyme levels in your blood.
- Histamine blood levels (lab test): Checking if histamine levels are unusually high.
- Allergy testing: Ruling out allergies as a cause of your symptoms.
Managing Histamine Intolerance
So, what can you do if you have a histamine intolerance? The good news is that it’s manageable once you figure out what works for your body. Here are some helpful strategies:
- Eat a Low-Histamine Diet: Sticking to fresh, whole foods and avoiding high-histamine ones can make a huge difference.
- Support DAO Production: Eating foods rich in vitamin B6, copper, and vitamin C—or taking DAO supplements—can help your body break down histamine more effectively.
- Heal Your Gut: Adding probiotics (especially Bifidobacterium strains) and digestive enzymes can improve gut function and histamine metabolism. All-natural supplements like delPROTM and del-IMMUNE V®, which use the power of probiotics and metabiotics, respectively, are simple, science-backed ways to balance your gut microbiome.
- Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps flush excess histamine from your system.
- Manage Stress: Stress can trigger histamine release, so meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can help.
- Review Medications: Some meds—like NSAIDs, antidepressants, and antihistamines—can interfere with DAO and make histamine intolerance worse.
- Review Medications: Some meds—like NSAIDs, antidepressants, and antihistamines—can interfere with DAO and make histamine intolerance worse.
With more and more people sharing their experiences with histamine intolerance on social media, awareness is finally growing. If you’ve been struggling with unexplained symptoms and haven’t been able to figure out why, histamine intolerance might be worth looking into. While it can be frustrating, working with a healthcare provider to find the right diet and lifestyle changes can make a world of difference. Here’s to finally getting some answers—and relief!
