Histamine intolerance stands for a high level of histamine in the body. It may be due to an inability of the body to break it down or another root cause.
Unfortunately, high levels of histamine may have a negative effect on various systems in the body.
The intolerance to histamine isn’t a sensitivity to it but rather a sign of too much histamine.
This chemical plays a pivotal role in various functions, including triggering the release of stomach acid that’s needed for healthy digestion, sending messages to the brain, and occurring after an allergy or an injury as a response from the immune system.
What Are the Major Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance?
Since histamine receptors are located in various parts of the body, the intolerance may influence different systems in the body. In one study from 2019, it was found that the participants experienced an average of 11 signs and 96.8% experienced more than three signs.
The symptoms of this intolerance aren’t specific. This is because they may also happen as signs of another health condition and therefore impede the diagnosis process.
Here are the 16 potential symptoms of histamine intolerance:
- Flushing & redness
- Itchiness
- Nasal congestion
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Anxiety & mood problems
- ADHD
- Hives
- Edema
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Postprandial abdomeninal distension
- Hypotension
- Headaches/migraines
- Dizziness
- Tachycardia
Treatment of Histamine Intolerance by Addressing the Root Causes
When dealing with histamine intolerance, it’s essential to address the primary reason for the intolerance. This can be done by paying more attention to the source of the higher histamine presence.
Let’s check out the major root causes:
*Gut-related
Some gut bacteria produce histamine so if they overgrow, the histamine load may become higher. In order to produce enough of the DAO enzyme that will break down the histamine in the gut, you need to improve your gut health.
Morganella, klebsiella, klebsiella pneumoniae, pseudomonas, pseudomonas aeruginosa, proteus, citrobacter freundii, and proteus mirabilis are gut bacteria that could be causing a high release of histamine if they’re present in excess.
Support your gut health to reduce the histamine-producing bacteria levels. A good starting point would be to prevent constipation, enrich the gut with prebiotics and probiotics, and support the health of the gut-regulating organs, i.e., the liver and gallbladder.
*Liver- and gallbladder-related
The liver and the gallbladder are two vital organs that play a role in maintaining the gut’s health optimal. The liver-gallbladder axis is known to regulate the gut microbiome long-term.
This axis manages the digestive processes in different ways. When the liver is unhealthy, the gut environment will be poor and there will be a higher risk of overgrowth of the histamine-producing bacteria.
This is why it’s vital to address the health of your liver and gallbladder, in addition to paying more attention to your gut health. The first step is to discover if there’s any toxicity.
You can do this via blood tests and mineral tests to check the copper and iron levels. Second, you should up your intake of fiber to promote detoxification, third, you should consume only premium-quality animal protein to ensure optimal liver detox, fourth, don’t overdo the consumption of antibiotics and pain meds, fifth, it’s recommended to lower the intake of alcoholic drinks, and sixth, try to lower the intake of plants that have a higher plant toxin load like tomatoes, hot peppers, bell peppers, eggplants, etc., as well as high oxalate foods like chocolate, almonds, spinach, and almonds.
*Undermethylation & histamine
Histamine may build up in excess due to methylation problems that prevent the histamine from being broken down properly.
Knowing more about your methylation status is therefore important. You can check it out via laboratory tests of whole blood histamine and homocysteine.
This will help you determine if you’re a normal methylator, an under methylator, or an over methylator. Undermethylators usually have higher levels of histamine and may benefit from B vitamins and introducing foods from the methyl group into their diet.
* Overstimulated release of histamine
Histamine intolerance may happen when the body is producing it in excess as a response to specific stimuli.
For example, a food you’re allergic to or some contaminant in the environment like pollen or mold, an injury, or some kind of other threat that your body is perceiving.
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