Histamine intolerance and nutrition

Histamine and hay fever

Complaints

As soon as an allergic reaction occurs, a lot of histamine is released, increases local blood supply and increases the permeability of the vascular walls. This makes it easier for clotting factors to travel to the blood vessel to repair damaged tissues. When an excess of histamine is not tolerated, it is called histamine intolerance. The threshold for achieving a surplus is different for everyone. It is not that you are allergic or sensitive, but simply that there is too much in your body. Complaints that may arise include headaches and migraines, but also:

• Palpitations
• Nausea, vomiting
• Insomnia
• Intestinal cramps, diarrhea
• To sneeze
• Dizziness
• Itchy skin
• Stuffy nose, runny nose, stuffiness
• Heat and redness

Causes

Normally it is broken down by the enzymes MAO, DAO and NMT. For some people this does not happen enough. One cause may be that fewer of these enzymes are produced due to genetic changes. Problems in the intestines also influence this. Certain medication (such as dihydralazine, isoniazid, clavulanic acid, promethazine, verapamil, metoclopramide and ambroxol hydrocholoride) or alcohol use can also cause the DAO enzyme to be produced to a reduced extent.

Other DAO blockers include:

• Coffee
• Energy drinks
• Tea (black, green, yerba mate)

Vitamin B6 and vitamin C work closely with the DAO enzyme. When these 2 vitamins are insufficiently present, the histamine level will rise. Due to reduced production, too much histamine remains in the blood.

Causes may include:

• Allergies
• Inflammations
• SIBO / imbalanced intestinal flora
• Celiac disease
• Foods
• Long-term use of histamine blockers
• Mastocytosis; there are too many mast cells present.

People who are prescribed antihistamines notice a reduction in their current complaints. But at the same time, this can affect the production of stomach acid. Heartburn is a consequence of this. In most cases there is a stomach acid deficiency instead of an excess. Gastric acid inhibitors such as Rennies or similar remedies relieve heartburn, but also prevent proper food digestion. You notice, everything is connected. With the anti-histamine diet it is possible to reduce the complaints without the use of medication. A diet with little histamine automatically results in a lower histamine level.

Histamine-rich food

Meat	Pig, lamb, game, liver. Dry sausage types: ham, salami, cervelate
Fish	Mackerel, tuna, cod, herring, sardines, crustaceans and shellfish (also prawn crackers). Canned fish
Dairy	Blue cheeses, cottage cheese, aged cheese, buttermilk, yoghurt, sour cream, crème fraiche
Vegetables fruit	Tomatoes, sauerkraut, spinach, beets, soy. Strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, pineapple, melon, avocado, grapefruit, olives
Herbs/spices	Vanilla, cloves, cumin, coriander, chervil, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, chili powder, soy
Drink	Alcoholic drinks, carbonated drinks
Miscellaneous	Chocolate, licorice, menthol. Yeast-rich food
Dried fruit	Raisins, plums, dates, figs
Fermented foods	Kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, pickles

Histamine releasing food

Miscellaneous	Alcohol, sugars
Fruits/citrus fruits	Bananas, strawberries, pineapple, grapes, kiwi, mango, papaya, figs, lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange
Egg	Egg white
Dairy
Nuts and seeds
Meat	Pork
Vegetable	Fresh spinach, beetroot, tomato
Wheat
Artificial additives	E102. E104, E110, E122 to E124, E128, E154, E155, E180, E249 to E252, Glutamates E621 to E625

Food low in histamine (except the above)

Fresh organic grass fed meat	The above mentioned are excepted
Fresh wild caught fish
Fresh vegetables	Carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumber, sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip, asparagus, endive, kale, onion, garlic, etc.
Fresh fruit	Apples, berries
Dairy / substitutes	Young cheese, coconut milk, hemp milk, almond milk, rice milk
Topping	Peanut butter, honey, apple syrup
Cereals	Gluten-free: rice, quinoa, buckwheat, oatmeal
Egg	Egg yolk
Herbs/spices	Fresh herbs and spices
Oil	Olive oil, coconut oil

*These lists do not include the entire range of foods. But give a comprehensive indication.

Low histamine diet

If you want to work on lowering your histamine, it is important that your diet is as fresh as possible. The longer you keep something, the higher the histamine content. Raw meat, fish and poultry carry certain bacteria that ferment the food, with histamine being a byproduct. To combat the natural increase, you can buy food fresh and process it the same day by cooking or freezing it. The schedule is intended to make you aware. Not to impose all kinds of restrictions. When you eat a product, enjoy it to the fullest. 

This article does not take into account the influence of the products on other processes in the body. We purely looked at the amount of histamine in the product or what stimulates its production. A diet low in histamine can relieve complaints in one week. However, it is a short-term solution. Detecting the underlying problem and its cause is important to get rid of the intolerance permanently. To relieve hay fever complaints, rinsing your nose and sinuses is recommended. You can use a Rhinohorn for this, which is available at various drugstores or online.

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