Histamine Intolerance Research Paper

Knowing what foods are best to be avoided is a must so that you will not accidentally consume any of it. Always remember that even eating the smallest part of a histamine-rich food can already give your body a full blown attack of symptoms. Thus, it is and will always be a general rule for anyone with this condition to avoid high histamine foods.

High histamine levels are brought about by a lot of factors from our personal body as well as the food that we take into. We will try to understand everything about histamine intolerance and which foods should be avoided as we go along in this article.

What is histamine intolerance (HIT)?

Histamine intolerance refers to a condition where a person could not tolerate normal levels of histamine present in several food choices due to a decreased in the activity of diamine oxidase (DAO) or histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT), enzymes that help degrade and break down histamines. DAO is

commonly seen in the gut, while HNMT degrades histamine present in other parts of the body such as the skin and the brain.
What are the causes of histamine intolerance?
The high histamine levels may be caused by an impaired enzyme activity such as:
- Problems with enzyme production that may be brought about by certain conditions such as inflammatory bowel diseases and food deficiencies
- Enzyme inhibitors like medicines and biogenic amines
- Enzyme competitors
- Enzyme genetic defects
What happens in histamine intolerance?
When a person ingest a specific food, histamine can be easily metabolized in the intestine and liver by amine oxidases. However, some individuals have low levels of these enzymes thus they could not metabolize histamine properly. In this case, the individual may be suffering from a condition called histamine-induced food intolerance.
The problem will result to allergy-like symptoms such as flushed cheeks, headache, diarrhea, sneezing, or shortness of breath.

Individuals who may be diagnosed with this condition can be relieved when they do not take foods that are high in histamine content.

High histamine level food list

So what are the high histamine foods? Foods that are considered high in histamine are those that undergo the process of microbial fermentation such as wine or cheese. Those foods that were spoiled by microbial contamination are also high histamine foods.

• Alcohol and Vinegar. If you drink a glass or even sipped red wine and you experience a headache attack, it is already a classic indicator that you have food-induced histamine intolerance. Other alcoholic beverages that are high in histamine content are white wine, champagne, and beer. There are also alcohols whose histamine contents are not as high as the ones previously stated. These alcoholic beverages include vodka, rum and gin. Meanwhile, vinegar and cider are also culprits for high-histamine

contents.
• Dairy products. Many people love to eat cheese, milk, butter and other lovely dairies. But what will you do if you have a histamine intolerance? Will you completely stop enjoying these dairy products? Dairy products that have the highest histamine levels are fermented cheeses like cheddar, brue, Roquefort, swiss, parmesan, emmental, camembert and gouda. Yogurt, buttermilk and kefir have also been noted to have high levels of histamine. However, and fortunately for us, there are some dairy products that are generally well-tolerated such as ice cream and curdled cheeses like ricotta, panir and cottage.
• Fish. The muscle fibers of fish are rich in histamine. Fishes such as herring, anchovy, tuna, mackerel and sardines have the highest level amongst all fishes especially when they are spoiled. If you eat a spoiled fish, it can dangerously result to a food-borne illness called Scromboid poisoning, which is characterized by a high level of histamine. Even if you cook the fish well-enough, it will not affect the high histamine level. Hence, it is important to get yourself a high-quality and freshly prepared fish to make sure that histamine levels are tolerated.
• Meat and poultry. In consuming meat and poultry products, make sure that they are pure and fresh so that histamine levels can be tolerated. Do not eat processed meats such as hotdogs, bacons, salami and sausages because their processed nature already made them candidates for high histamine foods. Spoiled meats also contain high levels of histamine due to microbial contamination. In line with this, it is best for you to avoid processed meats as well as those leftover cooked meats if you do not want to experience any of the signs and symptoms of histamine intolerance.
• Vegetables. Surprisingly enough, no matter how healthy vegetables can be, there are still some veggies that are prohibited if you cannot tolerate histamine in higher doses. Vegetables such as eggplant, pickled cabbage, pumpkin, sauerkraut, spinach and tomato should be avoided. Sauces, ketchups and other products that contain these vegetables should be avoided because they have concentrated amounts of histamine too. Meanwhile, all other vegetables and their corresponding products are already safe to eat.
Foods that block DAO
It is best to avoid the foods that block DAO too considering that they inhibit the proper function of the enzyme to breakdown histamine. These foods that you should take into account are the following:
• Alcohol
• Coca and chocolate
• Energy drinks
• Green teas
• Mate teas
• Black teas
Living tips for HIT patients
• People with HIT should have supplemental Vitamin B6 and high dosages of Vitamin C.
• Always bring antihistamines with you for precautionary purposes. It will help reduce symptoms when HIT attacks.
• Take DAO food supplements to enhance your DAO enzyme and help it deal with histamine break down.
• Keep a food diary. This will help you keep track of what you have eaten as well as make you realize which among the foods you have consumed may trigger the attack so that you will not eat it in the future.