Histamine Q&A

 

What is histamine?

Histamine is an organic nitrogen compound that takes part in immune responses in your body and also controls physiological function in the gut, operating as a neurotransmitter. Histamine in your body triggers inflammatory response. Histamine is a crucial part of your body’s immune system and may be a key component in immune system disorders and allergies.

Histamine is found in mast cells (white blood cells). It gets released to help fight things like infection, illness and injury. Its properties also:

• Keep us awake

• Regulate hormones

• Make our digestive system function properly

• Acts as a neurotransmitter

An excess of histamine, or high histamine levels, may be associated with:

• Allergies

• Increased mast cell production

• Histamine intolerance (HIT)

• Mastocytosis

• Mast cell activation disease (MCAD)

 

What causes high histamine levels?

There are several common causes of high histamine levels:

• Genetics and epigenetics

• Allergies, both airborne and foods

• Mold

• Bacterial overgrowth

• Leaky gut

• Diamine Oxidase (DAO) enzyme deficiency

• Medications, including over the counter meds 

Beyond the histamine naturally produced inside your body, several different types of foods contain histamine, cause its release, or prevent the enzyme, diamine oxidase (DAO), from breaking it down:

• Fermented alcohol: Wine, champagne, beer, etc.

• Foods containing vinegar

• Cured meats

• Fermented foods: Pickles, soy sauce, yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, etc.

• Dried fruit

• Aged cheese

• Nuts

• Vegetables

 

What are symptoms of histamine intolerance?

Some of the most commonly occurring symptoms include:

• Headaches and migraines

• Difficulty falling asleep

• Vertigo or dizziness

• Arrhythmia (accelerated heart rate)

• Anxiety

• Nausea, vomiting

• Abdominal cramps

• Nasal congestion

• Abnormal menstrual cycle

• Hives

• Fatigue

• Tissue swelling

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How can Dr. Halperin help?

The first step is figuring out if you are histamine intolerant. It’s important to listen to each individual patient to determine patterns of histamine intolerance.  Dr. Halperin uses a combination elimination/reintroduction dieting of histamine-containing foods, kinesiology muscle testing for food sensitivity and histamine related compounds, and other testing to determine other factors leading to high histamine.

To treat histamine intolerance, Dr. Halperin can help you develop a diet that works for you to lower your overall histamine levels, which should help mitigate the severity of allergic reactions to excess histamine. Low histamine diets typically include:

• Freshly cooked meat, poultry

• Freshly caught fish

• Eggs

• Gluten-free grains

• Fresh low histamine causing fruits.

• Fresh vegetables: (with exceptions like tomatoes, spinach, avocado and eggplant)

• Dairy substitutes

• Safe Cooking oils

• Herbal teas

Dr. Halperin might also recommend taking supplements with your meals to help break down histamine. There are many dietary, herbal and homeopathic recommendations that reduce histamine reactions and decrease overall histamine in the body. 

Beyond the histamine naturally produced inside your body, several different types of foods contain histamine, cause its release, or prevent the enzyme, diamine oxidase (DAO), from breaking it down:

• Fermented alcohol: Wine, champagne, beer, etc.

• Foods containing vinegar

• Cured meats

• Fermented foods: Pickles, soy sauce, yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, etc.

• Dried fruit

• Aged cheese

• Some nuts and seeds

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