Histamine Intolerance Diet
Histamine is produced by various cells within the body, particularly mast cells. Besides the endogenous histamine generated within your body, you also acquire it from your dietary intake.
The body expels histamine through two distinct mechanisms: histamine obtained from your diet is metabolised by an enzyme known as Diamine Oxidase (DAO), while histamine synthesized by your body is broken down by an enzyme called Histamine-N-Methyl Transferase (HNMT). The ideal scenario is for your body to efficiently eliminate histamine, preventing any harmful accumulation.
Histamine Intolerance is the result of an excess accumulation of histamine within the body. This is either a result of too much histamine being produced or ingested in our diet or too little be eliminated from our bodies due to lower levels of DAO or an impairment of DAO activity due to medicines such as ibuprofen and antidepressants.
The primary method to treat HIT is to reduce the amount of histamine in our diet and through antihistamine medication and supplements. There are many foods and drinks that contain higher amounts of histamine and/or provoke more histamine to be released by your mast cells.
Food Group | High Histamine Content | Low Histamine Content |
|---|---|---|
Black | Green teas, coffee, kombucha, kefirs & other fermented drinks. Tomato & tropical juice | Mostly high but especially wine, champagne, beer and cider | Spirits – gin and vodka |