Histamine intolerance is a type of food intolerance in which the body does not properly digest certain chemicals in food. According to "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," approximately 1 percent of Americans have histamine intolerance, with the majority of these individuals middle-aged. A low-histamine diet is key in preventing the allergy-like symptoms of histamine intolerance.
Histamine Intolerance
In the digestive tract, histamine is broken down by an enzyme called diamine oxidase, or DAO. Histamine intolerance or HIT occurs in individuals with little or no activity of the DAO enzyme resulting in a build-up of histamine. In turn, the excess histamine produces symptoms similar to an allergic reaction such as headache, itching, diarrhea or constipation, sneezing, abdominal pain and skin rash, according to the website Allergy UK. Histamine is an important protein found naturally in the body as well as in many foods. In the body, it acts as a neurotransmitter and plays a crucial role in the immune system as an inflammatory mediator, defending the body against foreign invaders. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the development of histamine intolerance, with the most common cause due to a genetic or acquired impairment in the DAO enzyme, according to an article in the May 2007 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Histamine and Food
Histamine is found naturally in a variety of foods or is produced during the manufacturing process. Histamine is produced through the conversion of the amino acid histidine to histamine by microbial enzymes. Foods high in histamine include red wine and beer, cheeses, fish and shellfish, spinach, chicken, sauerkraut, soy products, tomatoes and some citrus fruits. Certain foods contain very little or no histamine, but stimulate the release of histamine from mast cells in the body. These foods, known as histamine releasers, include, but are not limited to, egg whites, food dyes such as azo, certain preservatives and chocolate.
Histamine Intolerance Diet
Diet is important in individuals with histamine intolerance to reduce the consumption and resulting build up of histamine in the body. The symptoms of histamine intolerance are directly related to the level of excess histamine in the body, with increasing severity as histamine builds. A histamine intolerance diet begins with identifying the tolerance limit or the amount of histamine exposure required to produce symptoms. The International Chronic Urticaria Society recommends eliminating foods containing high levels of histamine as well as histamine releasers for a 4 week trial elimination period. If symptoms have improved drastically, gradual reintroduction of foods is monitored very closely to determine tolerance levels. It is important to note that is symptoms persist while on a histamine avoidance diet, foods can be reintroduced normally as histamine-containing foods is not the culprit.
Supplements and Medications
Vitamin B-6 and vitamin C supplements have been recommended for individuals with histamine intolerance. According to an article in the May 2007 issue of "The Journal of Clinical Nutrition," vitamin B-6 and vitamin C increase the degradation of histamine by increasing the activity of the DAO enzyme. Antihistamines, medications that block the actions of histamine, are also recommended to help control the symptoms of histamine intolerance when used in conjunction with a histamine intolerance diet.
References
- Histamine Intolerance: What is Histamine Intolerance?
- Vickerstaff Health Services: Dietary Management of Histamine Intolerance
- Allergy UK: Histamine Intolerance
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Histamine and Histamine Intolerance; Laura Maintz and Natalija Novak; May 2007
- International Chronic Urticaria Society: Histamine-Restricted Diet
