Histamine diet – which foods to exclude from the menu and which to include

Histamine intolerance affects approximately 2-3% of the population. Like other intolerances, it is a metabolic disorder. In layman's terms, intolerance is the body's hypersensitivity to certain food components or their combination. It is usually caused by the absence or insufficient function of an enzyme that is responsible for processing a food component.

Histamine intolerance occurs when the balance between the supply and breakdown of histamine in the body is disrupted. It can generally be caused by an increased supply of histamine in the diet, or our body produces too much histamine or has a lower ability to break it down due to reduced levels or activity of enzymes. The main enzyme that plays a role in its breakdown is diamine oxidase (DAO).

Histamine intolerance – genetics may be to blame, but also new dietary trends

With the change in the diet of the current population, when a lot of dairy products, baked goods, fermented and ripened foods are consumed, specific health problems arise. New trends in eating are combined with the genetic makeup of each person. In some cases, there may be a mismatch and food intolerance occurs.

Genetic predisposition can be a major risk nowadays. Histamine intolerance may not be directly related to genetic makeup, which can affect the enzyme diamine oxidase. On the other hand, this does not mean that there cannot be other “non-genetic” mechanisms that will affect the activity of this enzyme.

So-called epigenetics will probably play a major role here, which means that changes in activity may not be caused by changes in nucleotide information in DNA. If we know the cause of the problem, we can be very relieved and by changing our diet we can eliminate unpleasant symptoms or further development of the disease.

Symptoms of histamine intolerance

Histamine intolerance has a very wide range of symptoms, which are also common for other health problems, which complicates its diagnosis.

Symptoms of histamine intolerance appear quickly, as early as 20 to 30 minutes after consuming a food with a high histamine content, and are closely related to the functions that histamine performs in the body. The most common symptoms when histamine accumulates in the body are:

• on the skin (itchy skin, rash, worsening of eczema),
• in the digestive tract (abdominal pain, cramps, bloating),
• in blood pressure regulation (headaches to migraines),
• in the functioning of the nervous system (sleep disorders, chronic fatigue).

The symptoms of histamine intolerance are individual. People suffering from histamine intolerance report an average of eleven different symptoms after consuming foods with a high histamine content. In addition, patients with histamine intolerance often also suffer from sensitivities to other foods, which complicates diagnosis.

Histamine diet – what to avoid and what to include in your diet

The way to prevent the unpleasant symptoms of excessive histamine in the body is to avoid foods that contain high amounts of it and that promote its release or contain ingredients that block DAO, thus making it difficult to break down histamine.

Foods with higher histamine content to avoid

• alcohol – especially wine and beer
• some vegetables – eggplant, avocado, spinach
• pickled or preserved foods
• matured cheeses
• cured meats
• seafood
• some legumes – especially soybeans, peas, kidney beans
• some nuts – walnuts, peanuts, cashews
• fermented foods – especially sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir

The following foods are mainly responsible for increased histamine release in the human body

• alcohol
• citrus – lemons, limes, oranges
• cocoa and chocolate
• walnuts and peanuts
• some fruits – papaya, pineapple, plums, kiwi, bananas
• legumes
• tomatoes
• most vinegars
• and various additives such as glutamate or food colorings.

DAO blockers include including black tea, energy drinks and mate tea.

Histamine from food is quite difficult to completely eliminate. Consuming foods with lower levels of it can help, such as fresh meat, non-citrus fruits, eggs, gluten-free grains – quinoa or rice, dairy substitutes – coconut milk, almond milk, fresh vegetables and olive oil.

How to detect histamine intolerance

Histamine intolerance testing is performed by a simple blood test and is possible without a prior visit to a doctor, by ordering online from the comfort of your home. You can choose from more than 30 collection points throughout Slovakia.