Imagine biting into a ripe strawberry, expecting to enjoy its juicy tartness, only to be rewarded with an itchy throat and a pounding headache instead. That's not much of a reward at all, is it?!
For millions of people with histamine intolerance, this scenario isn’t just in their imagination—it’s a daily reality. You see, strawberries, along with many other foods, trigger the release of histamine, resulting in an allergic reaction.
Learning which foods are going to raise your histamine levels and which will help to reduce them is the first step towards a histamine symptom-free life.
In the article below, I'm going to show you ways to find out how to take charge of your histamine intolerance, using natural ways from dietary choices to beneficial supplements...
Understanding Histamine and Why It May Lead to Histamine Intolerance
Normally, when the release of histamine is triggered, it acts quickly to protect your body from the damage that bacteria, viruses, allergens, and any other foreign molecules may cause to your tissues. Essentially, histamine is an essential molecule which acts on various body tissues as part of the way the immune system fights off an invasion (1).
It also plays a role in regulating stomach acid secretion to aid digestion and, in the brain, acts as a neurotransmitter—a chemical that passes messages between nerve fibers to elicit a specific action.
It does its job quite well, after which it is broken down. This breakdown of histamine then allows the symptoms it comes with, such as swelling, itching and pain, to start to dissipate.
But histamine can get out of control. When histamine levels continue to rise, usually because it isn’t broken down properly, it can lead to histamine intolerance. Histamine intolerance is a condition that develops when histamine levels run rampant in the body, and it continues to produce a range of uncomfortable symptoms that never seem to go away. These symptoms include:
- Headaches and migraines
- Nasal congestion or a runny nose
- Digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea, or in some cases, constipation
- Skin problems such as chronic hives or itching
- Fatigue or dizziness
If you are frequently plagued by a variety of symptoms like these and experience allergy-type reactions on a consistent basis, your body may be telling you something: you've likely developed histamine intolerance (2).
Coping With Histamine Intolerance: Enzymes that Neutralize Histamine
In most people, the body has a built-in defense mechanism to prevent histamine from wreaking havoc when levels are too high.
Two key enzymes are responsible for this degradation of histamine:
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Diamine oxidase (DAO): This essential histamine degrading enzyme is produced in the intestines and is responsible for breaking down histamine from food sources (3).
- Histamine N-Methyltransferase (HNMT): Found in cells throughout the body, HNMT helps metabolize histamine within the cells (4).
Normally, after histamine has done what it needs to, it's rapidly broken down by these enzymes, but this natural protection is often faulty in people with histamine intolerance. If the body doesn't produce the right amount of these enzymes or if they don’t work properly, it can lead to histamine to build up in the body and, along with it, symptoms of histamine intolerance.
Fortunately, there are natural ways for you to address histamine intolerance, which help you to better manage the symptoms.
Dietary Approaches to Neutralize Histamine
One of the most effective ways to reduce high histamine levels is by making changes in your diet. That’s right! Some foods contribute to your histamine levels because they are naturally high in histamine or are able to stimulate the release of histamine in the gut. Others are able to reduce your body's histamine load because they have antihistamine properties.
So, watching what you eat is really my first line approach to lowering histamine levels and bringing relief from symptoms.
Low-Histamine Diet Basics
Following some general guidelines can help reduce the amount of histamine you consume:
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Avoid high-histamine foods like aged cheeses, fermented foods, shellfish, and certain fruits and vegetables. The complete list is available in the free to download Low-Histamine Diet Guide—click on the button below to get your copy.
Get the Low Histamine Diet Guide
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Avoid histamine liberators are foods that trigger the release of histamine and include spinach, tomatoes, citrus fruits, strawberries, eggplant, avocado, papaya, bananas, kiwi, pineapples, and plums. (5)
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Choose fresh foods instead of canned, cured, fermented, or processed foods.
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Store leftovers in the freezer. Once cooked, foods start to degrade and produce histamine, which freezing can delay.
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Avoid slow cooked meals. The longer food cooks, the more histamine will form.
Histamine-Blocking Foods and Nutrients
While many foods can make histamine intolerance worse, some contain plant chemicals that act as antihistamines. Foods rich in vitamin C and quercetin can be beneficial additions to your low-histamine meals. Some options include onion, garlic, watercress, fresh ginger, and apples (6,7).
Including these foods in your diet daily can help lower your levels and improve your symptoms.
Supplements for Neutralizing Histamine
Sometimes your body needs a little extra support—more than your diet can offer. This is where supplements formulated specifically for people with elevated histamine levels offer potential benefits.
These supplements contain nutrients and herbal extracts that have antihistamine properties and that support histamine breakdown processes. A few histamine-supporting supplement suggestions I usually offer my clients include:
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Diamine oxidase (DAO): Many people with histamine intolerance have low levels of this critical enzyme. Fortunately there are DAO supplements available to take before eating a high-histamine meal to help manage histamine levels in the gut.
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Vitamin C: Known for its anti-inflammatory and immune supporting properties, vitamin C is also a natural antihistamine that supports DAO function.
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B vitamins: This group of vitamins play an important role in managing histamine intolerance symptoms. B6, in particular, is important for DAO production. B vitamins also work closely with a range of other nutrients to support your immune system.
- Low-histamine probiotics: Because histamine intolerance begins in the gut, a diet and supplements that promote gut health are critical for managing the condition. But, not all probiotics are equal; some species can increase histamine! This is my favourite low-histamine probiotics that can help to rebalance your gut microbiome and encourage intestinal lining repair without causing your symptoms to get worse.
Always consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplements, especially if you have existing health conditions or are taking any medications.
Lifestyle Changes to Support Histamine Balance
Last, but not least, managing histamine isn’t only about what you eat and the supplements you take, it’s also about how you live. Lifestyle changes are as important when it comes to your strategy for overcoming histamine intolerance.
When it comes to lifestyle factors contributing to histamine intolerance, stress is a major factor.
Living with high stress levels has become the norm for millions of people. For some it is so bad, they are constantly living in flight-or-fight mode—a state meant to protect you from harm. However, when you’re not actually facing imminent danger, the prolonged stress response can trigger your immune system, and exacerbate symptoms of histamine intolerance (8).
For those of you with histamine intolerance, stress management is no longer an optional extra. It is an absolute necessity to stop the effect histamine is having on your body. Meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises can help keep you in a more parasympathetic, relaxed state, which can have a significant impact on your ability to keep your immune system stable.
Another important lifestyle factor is exercise. Moderate exercise can help reduce histamine-triggering inflammation and can also have a huge benefit on your overall health. Don’t overdo it, though. Overexertion can trigger histamine release. Yoga can be an all-round great way to not only decrease stress in your life, but be a wonderful exercise to include in your histamine-lowering routine.
Finally, ensure you get enough sleep. Poor sleep can increase inflammation and histamine production and on the other hand, histamine can cause sleep disturbance. In order to reduce the risk of histamine interfering with your sleep, be sure to implement the other histamine-lowering strategies above, and try to aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.
Managing Histamine Intolerance Naturally
Living with histamine intolerance doesn’t mean you have to miss out on life’s pleasures. By understanding the factors that help to neutralize histamine—from the enzymes in your body to the food on your plate—you can take control of your symptoms and find relief.
Overcoming histamine intolerance is possible with these strategies and given time, determination, and perseverance you will succeed.
Get the Low Histamine Diet Guide
References
- Patel RH. Biochemistry, Histamine - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
- Histamine Intolerance: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis. Healthline.
- Tan Z, Ou Y, Cai W, Zheng Y, Li H, Mao Y, et al. Advances in the Clinical Application of Histamine and Diamine Oxidase (DAO) Activity: A Review. Catalysts. 2022 Dec 26;(1):48.
- Naganuma F, Nakamura T, Yoshikawa T, Iida T, Miura Y, Kárpáti A, et al. Histamine N-methyltransferase regulates aggression and the sleep-wake cycle. Scientific Reports. 2017 Nov 21;(1).
- Shulpekova YO, Nechaev VM, Popova IR, Deeva TA, Kopylov AT, Malsagova KA, Kaysheva AL, Ivashkin VT. Food Intolerance: The Role of Histamine. Nutrients. 2021 Sep 15;13(9):3207. doi: 10.3390/nu13093207. PMID: 34579083; PMCID: PMC8469513.
- Quercetin Information | Mount Sinai - New York. Mount Sinai Health System.
- Ghalibaf MHE, Kianian F, Beigoli S, Behrouz S, Marefati N, Boskabady M, et al. The effects of vitamin C on respiratory, allergic and immunological diseases: an experimental and clinical-based review. Inflammopharmacology. 2023 Feb 27; (2):653–72.
- Theoharides TC. The impact of psychological stress on mast cells. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2020 Oct;(4):388–92.
Anita Tee
My name is Anita Tee. I'm a nutritional scientist specializing in histamine intolerance. I hold a Master of Science in Personalized Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Psychology.
For the past ten years, I have used my experience in nutritional and medical health sciences to create a scientifically backed, natural approach to healthcare that relies 100% on evidence-based research.
As I previously suffered from - and overcame - histamine intolerance, my focus is to increase recognition and expand the available resources and protocols for resolving the disorder. To date, I have helped over 4,000 individuals fully resolve or better manage their histamine intolerance symptoms.