Red wine. Aged cheese. Citrus fruits. Sauerkraut. Bacon. These foods are frequently consumed by those on a healthy whole foods diet, and are often found in a variety of Paleo-friendly recipes and meal plans. Even conventional doctors frequently recommend including many of these seemingly unrelated foods daily as part of a healthy diet. After all, even a raw vegan probably wouldn’t argue against eating foods like oranges, spinach, or cinnamon.
It may surprise you to learn that these and other popular foods are capable of causing numerous symptoms in certain people, including migraines, hives, anxiety, acid reflux, and nasal congestion, just to name a few. If you’re experiencing strange reactions to certain foods that most would consider healthy, you may be suffering from a little known but not uncommon cause of food intolerance and disease: histamine intolerance.
Still having strange symptoms on a real food diet? You could be suffering from histamine intolerance.
Never heard of histamine intolerance? You’re not alone. This food intolerance is difficult to diagnose, has a multifaceted symptom profile, and is often confused with a variety of other conditions. Many doctors and nutritionists have never even heard of histamine intolerance, and often treat the symptoms without ever addressing the underlying cause. In my practice, I see it especially with headaches and migraines, skin problems and mental health issues. It’s a fairly common, yet poorly understood, food sensitivity.
Histamine Intolerance: Not your typical food allergy!
Histamine intolerance is generally caused by a defect in the body’s histamine breakdown process, in one of two enzyme systems: histamine N-methyl transferase (HMT) and diamine oxidase (DAO). (1) Deficiency in the DAO enzyme system, found in the intestinal mucosa, has been suggested as the most probable cause of histamine intolerance. (2) There are likely genetic variations in individual enzyme function, but when activity of either of these enzymes is insufficient, the resulting excess of histamine may cause numerous symptoms resembling an allergic reaction. Common symptoms of histamine intolerance include: (3)
- Pruritus (itching especially of the skin, eyes, ears, and nose)
- Urticaria (hives) (sometimes diagnosed as “idiopathic urticaria”)
- Tissue swelling (angioedema) especially of facial and oral tissues and sometimes the throat, the latter causing the feeling of “throat tightening”
- Hypotension (drop in blood pressure)
- Tachycardia (increased pulse rate, “heart racing”)
- Symptoms resembling an anxiety or panic attack
- Chest pain
- Nasal congestion and runny nose
- Conjunctivitis (irritated, watery, reddened eyes)
- Some types of headaches that differ from those of migraine
- Fatigue, confusion, irritability
- Very occasionally loss of consciousness usually lasting for only one or two seconds
- Digestive tract upset, especially heartburn, “indigestion”, and reflux
Histamine intolerance is unlike other food allergies or sensitivities in that the response is cumulative, not immediate. Imagine it like a cup of water. When the cup is very full (high amounts of histamine in the diet), even a drop of additional water will cause the cup to overflow (symptoms activated). But when the cup is less full, it would take more water (histamine) to cause a response. This makes histamine intolerance tricky to recognize.
In addition, histamine intolerance is closely related to SIBO and dysbiosis, which suggests that curing the latter may alleviate the former. Many integrative practitioners, including myself, believe that a primary cause of histamine intolerance is an overgrowth of certain types of bacteria that make histamine from undigested food, leading to a buildup of histamine in the gut and overwhelming the body’s ability to catabolize the excess histamine. This causes a heightened sensitivity to histamine-containing foods and an increase in symptoms that are commonly associated with allergies.
For more detailed information on histamine intolerance, including causes, symptoms, and treatment, check out this article by Dr. Janice Joneja, a Ph.D. in medical microbiology and immunology and former head of the Allergy Nutrition Program at the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre.
What to do if you have histamine intolerance
Histamine intolerance can be a challenging diagnosis to manage, since many foods contain histamine and for some patients, their gut bacteria is producing the excess histamine that is causing the symptoms. Fermented foods are some of the biggest culprits, since even beneficial bacteria produce histamine during fermentation. In fact, reacting to fermented foods is a classic sign of histamine intolerance, especially if probiotic supplements are well-tolerated. Other foods that are high in histamine include:
- Seafood: shellfish or fin fish, fresh, frozen, smoked or canned
- Eggs
- Processed, cured, smoked and fermented meats such as lunch meat, bacon, sausage, salami, pepperoni
- Leftover meat (After meat is cooked, the histamine levels increase due to microbial action as the meat sits)
- All fermented milk products, including most cheeses
- Yogurt, buttermilk, kefir
- Citrus fruits – eg. oranges, grapefruit, lemons, lime
- Most berries
- Dried fruit
- Fermented foods: Sauerkraut, Kombucha, Pickles, Relishes, Fermented soy products, etc.
- Spinach
- Tomatoes- including ketchup, tomato sauces
- Artificial food colors and Preservatives
- Spices: Cinnamon, Chili powder, Cloves, Anise, Nutmeg, Curry powder, Cayenne
- Beverages: Tea (herbal or regular), Alcohol
- Chocolate, cocoa, and cola drinks
- Vinegar and foods containing vinegar such as pickles, relishes, ketchup, and prepared mustard
For anyone experiencing histamine intolerance, strict adherence to a low-histamine diet is necessary for a period of time. After that, smaller amounts of histamine may be tolerated depending on the person. Individual sensitivity varies tremendously. I have one or two patients that cannot tolerate any amount of histamine in food, and others that are only sensitive to the foods highest in histamine.
In order to improve your tolerance to histamine-containing foods, it is crucial to heal the gut and address any dysbiosis or SIBO issues that may exist. I recommend working with a qualified practitioner who can help you address any bacterial imbalance and create a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs.
What can you eat on a low-histamine Paleo diet?
You may be feeling overwhelmed by the list of foods to avoid – I don’t blame you! It can be especially challenging to eat low-histamine foods on a Paleo diet. There aren’t many resources available for this condition, and everyone reacts in their own unique way to excess histamine and certain high histamine foods. For example, a person may do fine eating berries and citrus fruits, but they may have horrible reactions to wine or sauerkraut. If you’re dealing with histamine intolerance, you will need to determine your own trigger foods, and reduce or eliminate them accordingly.
For help figuring out what to eat, those with histamine intolerance may want to check out my Meal Plan Generator. It contains over 600 Paleo-approved recipes, and allows you to exclude many high histamine foods from your meal plan, including fermented dairy, eggs, tomatoes, eggplant, fruit, certain spices, vinegar, alcohol, and seafood.
Of course, you’ll have to pay attention to whether or not the recipe contains cured meats like bacon or sausage, other spices like cinnamon or cloves, and certain fruits and vegetables like citrus and spinach. Some of these issues can be addressed by excluding fruit and pork from the meal plan, which isn’t necessary but can help make your low-histamine recipe search a little easier. You’ll still need to double check the ingredients of each individual meal, but this search function makes it much easier!
Once you’ve made your selections for foods to exclude, you can plan meals for a full day, a week, or simply find a recipe for a single meal. Even with a histamine intolerance, you can still enjoy many delicious Paleo recipes: Lamb Roast with Fennel and Root Vegetables, Beef Brisket with Mushrooms, Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes, and even Chicken Pot Pie, just to name a few.
There are few other online resources for low-histamine meal plans, and most are not Paleo compliant. The Low Histamine Chef has a “Low Histamine Diamine Oxidase Boosting Recipe Book” which some people may find helpful, though many of the recipes contain less-than-desirable ingredients such as grains, legumes, and sugar. It’s important to focus on healing the gut and identifying your specific trigger foods in order to reduce symptoms without indefinitely following a strict low histamine diet. Just remember, individual results will vary!
Do you follow a low histamine Paleo diet? Have you seen a difference in your health as a result? Share your story in the comments below.
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{ 232 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the article! I have a question regarding vinegar. It is often recommended to drink or take apple cider vinegar to help balance pH levels, especially those with urticaria (such as myself) or other skin conditions. I noticed vinegar on this list, does that include apple cider vinegar?
It would be on the list, but it does seem to be less provocative than other vinegars for most people.
Hey Kerri,
What type of urticaria do you have? I’m curious because I have Cold Urticaria. Yes – I’m allergic to the cold. I am now wondering if avoiding foods high in histamine would help me. I’ve had this since August 6, 2012 which is right after the swelling of my bee sting vanished.
I have giant urticaria. I went through everything they think could be food related. What I ended up finding was it was stress related. I went through all kinds of things to control stress. My satisfaction came from physical exercise. If I combine lifting weights twice a week and some form of cardio, either super high intensity or long slow cardio, (2 hours or more). The slow cardio works way better longer then shorter. Maybe this will info help.
Deve yupic, was there some sort of examination you underwent that proved it was stress related. I am convinced I have the same but no doctor is really helping me ( not even the allergologist. I would Really appreciate your help thank you
Hi. I also have Cold Urticaria and have had it for almost 27 years. I cannot find “the trigger”. I thought it was dairy but for me it’s not. I hope that as I transition to Paleo eating that my urticaria will disappear. I react during all seasons and temperatures to include cold food, washing vegetables in cold water, I have to wear gloves in the cold section of the super market…and the list goes on. If you find a trigger, please share it! Thanks in advance. Trace
It may be an underlying autoimmune condition. I am not sure at this point. I seem to not have it as bad as you but I have yet to find the way to heal yet.
My 9 year old son just acquired this condition. He has food allergies that we know of prior to this. We went to a naturopath and she did a food intolerance test for him. She indicated a couple of items that we were not aware of including pineapple. Now at the same time he had his first incident of cold urticaria we started giving him a new multi-vitamin that also has pineapple fruit listed in the ingredients. I say this because it wasn’t until about a month later after the results came back from the naturopath that I made the connection to the vitamins. My suggestion to you is go to a naturopath and get a screening for food intolerance. I’m not sure this is our connection but I’m taking him off of these vitamins and going to see what happens.
Good luck finding your cause.
Paul
It would definitely include apple cider vinegar. That’s my experience; I have histamine intolerance for sure, so I’m not most people.
Really great article, and thank you for the Meal Plan Generator as a life raft.
Since always, I start my day with a bunch of sneezes and a runny nose which continues throughout, especially if I go outside. I believe I tested negative for SIBO and I can’t bear the thought of cutting out all those foods… Some day when I have the will power, I will go on a short “histamine fast”. But for now, I am following a different suggestion which Chris left as a comment on this site a while back – I buy a supplement from Amazon called Histamine which apparently breaks down the histamine in my body. It reduces my symptoms significantly and I still eat those foods. That’s about all the change I can handle right now; like I say, a complete “clear out” is a goal for the future. I’m not so badly affected that I can’t cheat right now. Although histamine intolerance isn’t a huge deal for me, having this information and using this supplement has improved my quality of life in a meaningful way.
Is that ‘Histamine’ by New chapter or what exact product do you buy?
I went for the one by Solray. Seems okay.
I have used “Histame” from Amazon. It is the actual DAO enzyme from pork.
Thanks guys, I like New Chapter and it is at Whole Foods, so I will get that today and see if that works…
Goodness! I just looked at the ingredients on the solray histamine – there’s 4 mg of iron in it. I don’t want that.
I don’t like all the fillers and additives in the New Chapter product, and nettle leaf would be cheaper. It seems that nettle extract is the active ingredient in the New Chapter Histamine. I assume that is from nettle leaf. An extract and may be more convenient, but I am going to try nettle leaf tea. I used to drink it, and it seemed very supportive of my adrenals. It also has minerals that are good for bones. I’m going to look up nettle root and nettle seed and see what uses they have, to figure out whether it’s the leaf in this product. (I know that nettle seed tincture can be supportive for the kidneys because I used it for my dog with chronic renal failure, in a combination tincture that seemed to help a lot. She was relatively stable for many months..)
I’ll report here if I find any concrete information indicating that the best part of the plant to reduce histamine is the leaf, but I suspect it is. Time for me to get some organic nettles and drink a few cups a day. I’ll let you know if that seems to help my itchies.
Lately, aside from the big itch attack a few weeks ago, I have itchiness on my scalp, ears, nose and face that comes and goes, and sometimes it travels from place to place on my body, mostly on the arms. The itching is usually mild to moderate, except for a few short episodes recently that were severe, and several severe attacks about 10 years ago. I wish I had kept a food diary then. I get slightly puffy eyes and face, and the brain fog has been bad for 8 years, but I thought it was some kind of generic chronic fatigue.
I also have nasal congestion and loss of sense of smell. I have had an acute sense of smell all my life, but now at times I can barely smell a thing.
Hi Anna,
I have the same symptoms. I start my day with an itchy/runny nose followed by sneeze after sneeze. It was getting quite embarrassing because I would constantly have bouts of 5+ sneezes in a day. I never counted how many times I would sneeze in a day but it wouldn’t surprise me if I was around 50. A few weeks ago I started taking Betaine HCl before my meals just to see if it would reduce my abdominal distention/acne (I’ve never had heartburn before). I found a really nice side effect – my sneezing/runny nose/itchy nose has reduced dramatically! I think this might mean SIBO is my underlying problem. Maybe the HCl would help you as well.
Thank you, Stephanie; I appreciate the kind suggestion
I do take the max amount of HCI already, though 
Yesterday was a stressful day, and I found I only had appetite for simple carbs like potatoes and applesauce (no meat, tomato, etc) so I think I was pretty histamine free. Today, no sneezing.
It doesn’t surprise me at all. I am all too familiar with histamine intolerance. At this very moment my underarms are swollen again, every vein I can see, even the smaller ones. I really should stick more to the diet, but I got a hard time with it. How to combine it with Paleo which is so restricted already?
I get lots of dandruff and Blepharitis and overall skin inflammation when I eat certain things… I thought it was cow dairy, then I thought it was insulin spikes (small), but I am not sure and my wife thinks I am neurotic and crazy. Now I think it could be histamine foods… I have had cases of candida and overall gut problems practically my whole life. I am an Eat Clean / Paleo person that kept to the diet now for 18 months, but can’t get rid of the skin stuff… help me…
I’m currently finishing up Brian Peskin’s book where he makes a pretty compelling case for supplementing with pure Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, in proper ratio, and in the parent forms of the EFAs (LA and aLA) for addressing skin inflammation (or any inflammation, for that matter). It’s making a lot of sense to me. May be worth a try.
Thanks, I currently take 500 MG of Omegas 3 DHAs and it really does seam to help inflammation. I will check out the book on EFAs….
I need some help. I’ve been diagnosed with leaky gut syndrome and heavy metal poisoning. I’m currently on a detox for the heavy metal and am taking supplements to heal my gut. I am down to eating about four different foods now and recently tried to introduce eggs and spinach. A few days after I’ve been getting reactions again when I eat. Acid reflux, panic, adrenal fatigue, crying etc etc. it sounds like I have histamine intolerance and my dr told me to avoid high histamine foods. Does anyone know if this will go away when my gut is healed? I’m feeling very lost and overwhelmed by everything. Thanks so much!
Sorry to hear that. I’m going through the same issues for about an year now. Healing the gut will help reduce the symptoms. While the gut is being healed strictly avoid everything. I’m taking Glutimmune, colostrum and probotics to heal my gut. I’m able to tolerate small amount of tomato, cheese and coffee. On the days when you have strong acid reflux symptoms use an H-2 blocker like Pepcid (not for long-term but every once in a while when the symptoms are overwhelming). If you are suffering from occasional insomnia from high histamine take a first gen H-1 blocker.
GV,
Thank you so much! I tried quercetin yesterday before each meal and that seemed to help. Do you recommend anything to help with the head and emotional stuff? Is that maybe an h3 or h4? If so do you know any good ones. I’m doing a very painful heavy metal detox right now so I’m hoping symptoms will lessen once I’m done. Lastly, I have to introduce a fat into my diet, do you know a good nut oil that’s safe for low histamine? I’m allergic to coconut so can’t do the oil:( thanks so much!
Since histamine intolerance is cumulative, does this mean that a person could tolerate certain high-histamine foods for most of his life and then suddenly develop an intolerance? Would you include diarrhea in this list of symptoms as well, or is reflux the main digestive problem?
I think it’s more likely that gut dysbiosis became an issue and that led to histamine intolerance.
I completely agree with this! Before reading this post, I knew next to nothing about histamine intolerance, but now I’m fairly certain I have it. I already know I’m struggling with SIBO (or some other form of dysbiosis), so it makes total sense that I would have histamine intolerance too. Instinctively, I felt like my skin rash/itchiness and face swelling were connected to my gut dysbiosis, but reading this post made me realize that histamine is likely the mechanism connecting them. What a fascinating discovery! Thanks for teaching me something new (: Now if I can just fix this dysbiosis…
I know it is common teaching that gut dysbiosis leads to histamine intolerance. I am however doubtful. I do have a histamine intolerance, yet my body produces enough DAO and it is fully functional, only I have a lack in HNMT (or it is not properly working), which is produced in the liver. The symptoms appear around 10 hours later than in the DAO-type HIT, yet it is HIT.
Chris,
Does there have to be a visible rash? I have SIBO and I treated it with Xifaxin and an incredibly low but not completely sugar free diet. I suspect it has crept back slowly due to not being completely sugar free. I had a glass of wine two nights in a row about 10 days ago and I have been itching like mad ever since. ALL over my body, from head to toe, but no rash. It wakes me up at night, it drives me to distraction during the day. My husband doesn’t think a histamine reaction from wine would have lasted this long. Now I wonder if it is the almonds I eat every day. If you think it doesn’t have to be a visible rash, I am going to try some of these supplements and see if they help. Thanks. Also my huge Nutrition book you recommended to me on FB came yesterday and I am thrilled with it. Thanks!
Nuts are high in histamine. I can no longer eat any kind of nut. My skin burns and itches, then turns into a rash. The heat, sun and cold does this to me also. I’m also getting stomach aches now. Sometimes feeling like food poisoning.
I”m very sensitive to high histamine foods along with having gluten, dairy, and soy allergies.
It is getting very hard to eat. I only have two very small meals a day trying to avoid everything.
I’ve tried to find practitioners to help me but nobody has heard of histamine intolerance. I’m getting desperate! The only thing that helps somewhat is taking a product called Histame. The problem is that the company often runs out of the product and can’t say when it will be back in stock. That makes it hard to count on having when I need it.
Sandy,
Swanson vitamins has a product similar to Histame…same active ingredient…and cheaper
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-daosin-300-mcg-30-caps
I find I don’t tolerate supplements either…but I have the same level of sensitivity you have too…you need to eat…sometimes one must cope with symptoms it seems…I have to.
good luck
I have been taking the Histame for a few years now. It’s the only thing that helps. I’ve know about the Swanson Daosin, but was hesitant to get it since it has corn starch in it and like Chris says “other crap”. I did order it the other day to try, as my supply of Histame is running out. I hope I don’t cross react to the corn gluten!
Is fermented cod liver oil a safe supplement to take if you are histamine intolerant?
Yes, for most of my patients. But not the most sensitive ones.
I was diagnosed with idiopathic urticaria 5 years ago along with hashimotos. if I don’t take an antihistamine everyday I am covered in hives. I also get hives from pressure on my skin.
I have complained of heartburn from fruit, juices, vinegar, ketchup and dense carbs for years. I cannot do alcohol at all and get drunk very fast and my nose and throat close shut and I get extremely flushed and headache. I get migraines regularly as well.
I had a lactose intolerance breath test a year ago and the pre-lactose sample came back so high in hydrogen that they diagnosed it as SIBO.
my dr solution to this was acid reducing drugs and 3 strong antibiotics for 3 months. a year later, I feel worse than ever. I have two take two antihistamines a day now.
Sarah,
I read your doctor recommended acid reducing drugs. I was on Omeprazole, a PPI. After having all these food intolerances I saw a third doctor, an immunologist. He told me to get off the acid reducing
drugs. They harm and lower the levels of stomach acid which you need for digesting your food. I googled Omeprazol? and couldn’t believe all the stuff it does to you. I got off the acid reducers and started taking a slice of lemon squeezed in water before meals. It worked. I don’t know if this would help you for I am not a doctor but it is worth reading on. Get well~
4 years ago, I suffered a terrible bout with skin rashes & itching. It took me like 6 months to finally get it under control through an elimination diet and lots of trouble-shooting.
As a side benefit, the 24 migraines per year I was getting for 20 years reduced to maybe 2 per year. I think it indeed was food.
Check out tyramine in addition to histamine.
Mike
Hey Sarah!
Acid reducing drugs are just about the WORST thing you could take to resolve SIBO, so that’s probably why you feel worse. I would highly recommend checking out syontix[dot]com and reading his series on SIBO; it’s an 8 part series that I found extremely informative and comprehensive, and I bet you’ll find some useful information in there!
Sarah, I have to chime in here and say acid reducing drugs are the worst thing you could be taking. Definitely read up on SIBO and if you aren’t already Paleo (grain, sugar and dairy free) give it a try. I am doing so much better. I had similar but less severe symptoms- still do when it comes to alcohol- I feel like I just inhaled a bag of pollen. I also get strange hives/terrible itching when I walk outside in the cold. It only happens on my thighs and my pinky fingers. Odd eh? Anyway, I was on PPIs for 20 years and I am sure that is what has landed me in the position I have been in the last 10 years of multiple vitamin deficiencies, chronic severe IBS and weight gain. I went off PPIs cold turkey in Jan 2012, went gluten free in May and grain free in November. I have never felt better. I also get great relief from heartburn symptoms (for lack of a better word) by using a product called “Glutagenics” that I get from Amazon. It’s L-Glutamine, DGL and aloe vera powder. I take one teaspoon every morning in a shot glass of water. I have tried it all and that is the only thing that works for me. It takes a few weeks to notice a difference so don’t give up. Best of luck to you.
You probably have cold urticaria.
So glad you posted this!
I have been gluten free and 80% Paleo for about 7 years now, but I still had some nagging symptoms like asthma and sinus problems. A betaine HCL protocol a couple years ago helped the sinuses but didn’t clear them up completely.
I read some stuff on the histamine in my diet and was a little overwhelmed. . . This is everything I eat! And then I realized. . . this IS everything I eat. I noticed sinus and asthma (exercise induced) issues clearing up after about a week. Two weeks and it was even better.
Since discovering my histamine intolerance problems, I have fell off the wagon so to speak. I can avoid some of the foods in combination (for example, I try not to have tomatoes, spinach and citrus fruit all in the same day), but I have a hard time avoiding all of the foods on the list considering that I am already gluten/corn/dairy intolerant. I think my next step is to go for a bacterial overgrowth protocol and get that straightened out.
-jj
of note…I do not get classic allergy symptoms most of the time in spite of having a very intense histamine intolerance. I have had one heavy intense bout with hives…but in general don’t have any classic symptoms associated with histamine (stuffy nose, seasonal allergies, itching etc)
I just discovered this issue and for me it’s huge. I can’t even eat meat unless it’s freshly slaughtered and cooked or frozen because it will put me over threshold. So eating paleo is a bit challenging right now. I’m experimenting with some legumes doused with lots of ghee. I can’t eat most oils and fats now either, but I’m okay with ghee. Olive oil and coconut oil are more problematic and animal fats I’m not sure about but since I can’t eat meats I’m not including them at this time. I’m in process. I would just eat legumes and be done with paleo because I feel so much better if I didn’t have a blood sugar issue that also needs to be addressed. I can’t eat a lot of vegetable proteins and stay healthy. I’ve known this for a long time.
I discovered that Nigella Sativa seeds, a natural antihistamine, really helps tone down the histamine. In researching the seeds I found that they also help balance blood sugar so they may help me if I need to eat legumes once a day or something…
because of the threshold dynamic with histamine I just have to figure out how to eat enough meat to keep my blood sugar happy while cutting down my histamine enough to keep the rest of my body happy and healing…
I wrote about my early adventures in this on my blog here: http://beyondmeds.com/2013/01/07/histamine-intolerance/
anyone who has ever taken psychiatric drugs might find it helpful.
Where do you get Nigella sativa, and how do you use the seeds? it would be good to have a natural antihistamine handy. I don’t like Benadryl or similar products.
I don’t know if I have this condition; I thought I had alpha-gal allergy (allergy to a carbohydrate that is in red meat) and just discovered it recently. About 10 years ago, I had several episodes of intense, burning itching and general malaise. The itching would start in the morning and last for hours, and my hands and feet were bright red and painfully itchy–it hurt to touch anything at times. Homeopathic Apis sometimes helped a little; drinking a lot of water fast sometimes helped. But nothing helped all the time. Then it went away mysteriously.
The burning and itching reoccurred a few weeks ago when I had a lot of beef chili (without beans). I put in too much tomato sauce, and stubbornly ate it all anyway. I rarely eat tomato so this was an unusually large dose, plus a lot of beef that I normally eat only once or twice a year. It will be hard to figure out which sensitivity I have. I tested my alpha-gal theory by eating small amounts of bacon, and I did react to 4 oz in one day; one or two ounces didn’t seem to cause a reaction. But that could have been from histamine intolerance, not red meat allergy.
I am itchy often,and the itches travel around from one spot to another. I have only had hives once, when I had the beef/tomato chili recently. There was one hive on my thigh. But the burning and itching in that episode was intense, and I felt sick for three days. I eat a lot of eggs, and some of the other likely triggers for this condition: yogurt and aged cheeses, tea every morning, and cocoa occasionally. Really not sure what to eliminate to test out which allergy/intolerance I have. I suspect I do have some sort of dysbiosis and have had for many years. Was going to do the GAPS diet but now I am afraid to try that since it includes red meat and fermented veggies.
How long does it usually take for the reaction to occur with this condition? Alpha-gal reaction is delayed, usually 4 to 8 hours after eating red meat. Mine has been more like 10 or 12 hours.
you can get them at health food stores most likely. I got them through Frontier (the spice company)…I have a friend who gets stuff from them whole sale online.
I imagine you can buy them directly that way too.
Make sure it’s Nigella Sativa…they’re called many things Black Cumin, Black Caraway and other things too, but they are neither cumin or caraway…so whatever they’re being called you have to make sure that they are, indeed, Nigella Sativa…
I don’t use Nigella Sativa so that I can eat high histamine foods…I just use it as part of an over-all strategy which includes cutting out as many histamine foods as possible.
Thanks for the info. do you use Nigella sativa daily, or just at certain times when you need the effect? How do you use it specifically?
I am also caught between eating meat and going Paleo, vs. avoiding most meats. Whether my reaction is from histamine or alpha-gal, I am only eating chicken and eggs for animal protein right now, and I may have to try giving them up for a while to see if I have a histamine problem. But I have blood sugar issues, too–I get hypoglycemic easily if I eat a high carb diet. Fats help, but I still do much better with meat and low-carb veggies. This is quite a quandary.
Judith,
I’m still experimenting…but at the moment I’m taking them at certain times…I can’t say how I’ll end up taking them in the long run…
You know what was interesting? My blood sugar went up when I first started adding legumes…but it’s been so clear that meat and most animal products in general were raising my histamine I finally made the leap and I’ve stopped eating meat (and yeah, I’m a hard-core paleo girl)…
well, after several days, MY BLOOD SUGAR STABILIZED and now it’s lower and more stable than when I was eating animal protein. I continue to eat lentils but I’m not eating other legumes as they were raising blood sugar for a while…I will try them again since I’ve had this big stabilization. I have a friend who found that when she got the histamine levels down her blood sugar stabilized too..odd connection it seemed to me…but here we go…bodies are odd.
So I’m eating lentils (as many varieties as I can find) and some seeds…(hemp, pumpkin so far) Will add more later.
The only animal product I’m currently eating is ghee. I make my own. I’m allergic to milk otherwise…but ghee has no milk solids and I do okay with it.
Monica, the blood sugar reduction from cutting out animal protein is amazing. Quite the opposite of what we would expect. I’ve been moving toward Paleo or GAPs so this subject is a shock for me, too.
I’m finding this information both fascinating and frustrating! I spent a while last night googling on Nigella sativa, and if you have any good links I’d love to see them. I’m going to order some and use them in small amounts to see what effect they have. They sound like an interesting spice, in any case. I did find that the seeds can help control blood sugar, so I’m wondering if they have contributed to the lowering of yours.
I usually avoid doctors, so I have to figure out how to diagnose my itching episodes–are they alpha-gal red meat allergy, or are they histamine intolerance? I’ve cut out red meat and haven’t had any more major episodes, but I am slightly itchy all the time lately (she wrote, as she sipped her morning tea). I’m still eating butter and a little yogurt, and some people with the alpha-gal allergy can’t tolerate dairy.
I had hives from chocolate when I was a little kid, and had to avoid it for a few years, and may have reacted to strawberries for a while back then, so maybe it’s been histamine all along. I probably have to do a very strict elimination diet to decide what is going on, cutting out both alpha-gal sources and histamine sources too. This is going to be challenging.
In any case, I found Nigella sativa for a very good price at Nuts.com, FYI.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Judith,
you’re very welcome…this is how I learn…by networking!
No, the nigella sativa is not what is helping with the blood sugar as I cut them out when I had a couple of bad days…just didn’t know what was up…you need to take 2 grams of the seed a day for blood sugar control according to a study I found and I am not eating nearly that much now either.
I didn’t find any great info on Nigella Sativa in general…it was kind of scattered bits and pieces from all over, but this website was useful: http://theblessedseed.blogspot.com/
and also this is the blood sugar study I found: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21675032
Monica, it would be great to have an update on what you can eat and how you are doing with blood sugar and reducing histamine. I haven’t done anything to change my diet so far except that I haven’t eaten any meat for a week or two, and have cut out eggs for about a week. I’m eating mostly grains and legumes, and it doesn’t feel very good! My brain fog makes it hard to absorb all this information and make a plan. But I think I will either try some DAO as a sort of diagnostic technique–if it reduces itching, then I probably have high histamine–or nettles tea and Nigella sativa added to food daily as antihistamines.
What I need is a list of foods that are usually OK for people with HIT.
oh…Judith…I have been keeping notes on the process and I do intend to do an update…several people have asked since I wrote my post on histamine on my blog…I’ve simply been feeling overwhelmed…I will however notify you here when I finally get it posted…
I’ll try to get to it really soon. I should say it’s still very much a work in progress which is probably why the post has not been written and every time I think about putting all the bits together in writing I shirk…
Oh Monica, I don’t mean to put pressure on you to report to us! Do it when it is appropriate for you. I understand the feeling of overwhelm! I’ve spent many hours so far trying to learn about HIT and how to deal with it, but I’m still overwhelmed. I’ll be interested in what you write, but no pressure!
I just ordered a pound of Nigella sativa from nuts.com and will order some nettles too. I plan to use both daily for a while before trying quercetin or DAO. Nettles is good for me, anyway and it will be a substitute for black tea which I should probably give up since tea is high in histamine.
Judith! I did it, finally wrote the post…it’s long and really there is so much more to discuss…but for now…this is it…
http://beyondmeds.com/2013/02/18/more-histamine/
all my latest thoughts and discoveries on my own histamine intolerance…(or at least a lot of my thoughts…like I said there is really so much more!)
Hey there Judith, THANKS for sending me the link to this article – very informative. I am having lots of skin issues, (rashes, the “itchies”, etc.) I just love how a connected community of health-seekers can help each other out by sharing information – I likely would not have found this on my own!
Is fermented cod liver oil a histamine problem?
See my reply above to this question.
I think anyone with digestive/skin/allergic issues should start with mono diet or diet with foods that are least reactive and add other foods slowly. I was advised by my ayurvedic doctor to consume these things freely to start with:
Well cooked fresh rice,
chicken,
carrots, green beans, courgettes, squashes. mung beans.
Also many herbs and foods change their personality and behavior with their form, processing- example ginger is inflammatory and should not be consumed with IBS/IBD? issues where as dry ginger powder is medicine.
This diet would ruin me. I can’t tolerate rice, green beans or mung beans.
Isn’t ginger anti-inflammatory? This is the first I’ve heard fresh ginger is inflammatory.
unless you’re allergic to ginger (which is possible) it’s ANTI-inflammatory…
I don’t think that guy knows what he’s talking about. I use fresh ginger because I seem to have issues with dried products…that guy seems to be suggesting the powder is better than fresh…that only powdered ginger is medicine (that’s just totally counter intuitive is you take a whole foods approach!)
don’t sweat it…if you’ve found ginger helpful keep eating it…
Wow. This would seem to explain a lot. I’ve had migraines and unexplained hives all my life, really unpredictable reactions to any kind of alcohol (like 2 glasses of wine can land me in the hospital), and I break out in a sweaty flush upon consuming any type of vinegar product. I love Kombucha but it gives me spots on my tongue (along with citrus and tons of other things) The fermented cod liver oil pills gave me migraine two times I tried them, almost immediately. I couldnt’ figure out why, when everyone was recommending them from paleo sites! So confusing!
I’ve been doing the GAPS diet and working on dysbiosys and making good headway, but as part of that diet I’ve been eating fermented foods and fermented raw dairy left and right. Maybe I’m fixing my gut despite adding the extra histamine, because my migraines have diminished by a lot. I’m going to take this into consideration though, and try to limit histamine as much as possible. I do okay on raw milk and raw colostrum, maybe those will be enough to continue to heal my gut without all the ferments. Learn something new every day.
I’m confused about the difference between a ‘histamine supplement’ and antihistamine medication. As a singer I try to avoid the latter as I have never been prescribed one that doesn’t dry my throat. I’m very underweight and, what with avoiding gluten, am finding it very difficult to know what to eat without my gut or my head suffering! Sadly my GP seems to know very little about diet: once she recommended me to have ‘a little salami sandwich and a small glass of wine’ as my elevenses (she’s Greek, by the way). The last time I saw her she said she knew I ate a healthy diet (I don’t know how) and just told me to eat more.
Doesn’t histamine increase stomach acid levels? If low stomach acid is the predominant cause of acid reflux, why would too much histamine cause acid reflux when it’s increasing stomach acid levels?
Does anyone have muscle cramping associated with histamine intolerance?
When I eat high histamine foods, I get classic histamine symptoms (sneezing fits, red eyes, eyeballs hurt).
However, I’m also having a problem with muscle cramping, tension headaches (muscles in scalp contracting) and I think (but not sure), it’s also related to histamines. Perhaps I have two separate problems. I’ve been trying hard to figure out if the muscles are related or not to the histamines.
Thanks for any thoughts,
Mike
I think this is well within the realm of possible symptoms a histamine reaction could cause.
Thanks for the reply.
BTW, I purchased your Personal Paleo and Cholesterol course and am very pleased with the info contained therein.
BTW, I would very much recommend The Great Cholesterol Myth as a good novice-intro into the idea that fat & cholesterol are not the problem.
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Cholesterol-Myth-Disease–Statin-Free/dp/1592335217/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359169165&sr=1-1&keywords=the+great+cholesterol+myth
Mike
yes histamin intolrence can be associated with muscle cramping
What’s the best forum or online support for histamine intolerance issues?
Thanks,
Mike
On the meal plan generator example, potatos and peppers were excluded. I have not seen these on any list of foods to exclude on a low histamine diet. Are potatos and peppers allowed on a low histamine diet?
This article could not have come at a better time for me–thanks!
Elyse, I’m confused about this as well. Many sites say bell peppers and potatoes are okay, but now I’m wondering if all nightshades should be out since eggplant, tomato, and tobacco all aggravate histamine response in the body. Does anyone know more about this?
Great article.
I thought I was having issues with high-histamine foods last summer causing migraines. But, when I stopped nursing my daughter, the migraines went away. Have you seen anything or have experience with female hormone cycles interacting with histamine intolerance? Specifically, low estrogen while breastfeeding?
-Lindsay
If I suspect this issue to be the cause of my headaches how long after elminating these things do the symptoms decrease?
thanks!
I’d give it a solid 3-4 weeks.
Another supplement that has helped me is Quercetin. It lowers histamine levels and helps with a host of other symptoms.
Shoot! I forgot to mention quercetin. It can be useful in these situations.
What about nettle, that’s what is in New Chapter Histamine…
Do you think supplementing Quercetin long term is a safe option? Some think it may lead to kidney damage. I’m up to 1mg a day, sometimes more when I’m drinking kefir, and it’s a godsend for my symptoms.
Thank you, Chris! My allergist looked at me like I had two heads when I mentioned this as a possibility several years ago after testing positive on an ELISA profile for 15 or 20 foods, including a many histamine foods. I am 30. I have had migraines since I was about 12, idiopathic hives and angioedema (sometimes from pressure), now including internal swelling, for 11 years, stuffy sinuses, itching, IBS, joint pain, and eczema, fog, depression, blood sugar dysregulation, etc. I have intolerances to gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, almonds, and histamine releasing/containing foods, especially tomatoes and many ferments (including a major reaction to attempting apple cider vinegar treatment). I have a severe reaction to any form of alcohol and stopped drinking completely several years ago. I can stay pretty much hive free if I don’t eat anything I’m intolerant to and I keep my histamine below “threshold.” I also eat paleo, between 50 and 100 carbs a day. Tomatoes have become a complete no go. Otherwise I am covered in hives and have pretty much constant migraines. Anti-histamines have never worked for the hives, just the diet elimination. I always feel better lower carb and little sugar. I am intrigued by the possible link to bacterial overgrowth. I have always tested negative for candida and I tested negative for all standard IgE allergies 5 years ago (environmental and food). Could this histamine issue still be linked to gut bacteria issues? How can I get tested for that? Also, I seem to have developed some histamine issues with avocados, which are not on any histamine list. Is there any link to mold? I recently moved to Sonoma county from Montana, a cold, high desert climate. Sorry for the barage of questions, I’ve just never seen anyone even recognize this issue in a post and my doctors have no idea what I’m talking about.
Hi, You might want to try the RPAH elimination diet, also called failsafe. It has avocado on their very high list. You can find it on the web. good luck, E.
Chris, what is your opinion or Quercetin as an antihistamine supplement? I have recently started making kefir (which has helped incredibly with my constipation after being on PPIs for 2 yrs!) but it overfills my histamine glass very quickly. Do you think it’s safe/worthwhile to take about 1g quercetin a day, if it helps manage symptoms while kefir populates my gut flora?
I would be so grateful if you could give an opinion. Kefir is my best help, because I can’t get high dose probiotics mailed here to the Baltics….my HIT symptoms are not super intense (anxiety, congestion, acid reflux, very minor skin issues) and can be easily buffered by Quercetin. I just don’t want to be doing any damage with it.
Almost all the foods listed are what I eat very frequently that is daily or at least regularly. There are antihistamine foods, too. I also eat those quite a bit. Ironically some the histamine foods are also listed as antihistamine some of these being tea and citrus fruits. Capsicum found in cayenne is listed as an antihistamine. Also omega-3 is antihistamine, so some seafoods may be more antihistamine.
I don’t ever headaches or migraines, but I do feel at times a bit itchy. Bromelain is a good antihistamine found in pineapple. I haven’t had pineapple in a while. It does burn my mouth lol. DM found in an OTC drug releases a load of histamine and makes people itch especially at higher than recommended dosages.
I think it’s very difficult with all the information on the net what one should eat or not. I noticed there are sometimes huge differences in what should be avoided. When I look at this list and compare it to a Dutch anti histamine diet list:
* Seafood: The Dutch says white fish is okay, frozen better, but absolutely not tinned.
* Eggs: Egg white a no-no, egg yolk how ever shouldn’t be such a problem
* All fermented milk products, including most cheeses: The Dutch says mozzerella, huttenkäse and very young cheese should not be a problem
* Yogurt: Yoghurt no problem
* Most berries: Not mentioned as a problem
* Dried fruit: only those with sulfur or any other preservatives should be avoided
* Beverages: Tea (herbal or regular), green, black tea and tea without theine no problem.
* Vinegar , salt, pepper can be used to spice the food up without any problem!
Next to that nuts better not, only walnuts or cashew with great modesty.
So what to believe?
I don’t know if I should jump for joy after reading this article or have a good cry. I eat many of the foods on your list. I have been doing a low FODMAP Paleo diet strictly for 9 months but still have issues with reflux, gas and bloating. I have itchy skin, eyes, and ears, occasional racing heart, puffy eyes. At this point I can’t eliminate any more foods. I have to eat. Histamine could be the missing link. I’d like to try the DOA supplement just to see. Can you reccomend one? BTW I have tested positive for fructose mal and SIBO. But I hear breath tests are unreliable as everyone tests positive. Would appreciate any advise.
Quercetin is the most natural without additives. Daosin and Histame have DAO, but also a bunch of other crap.
Histame is a product made from pork Diamine Oxidase. Diamine Oxidase is one of two enzymes that break down histamine so that it can be excreted from your body. An antihistamine merely blocks the receptors in your body so that you do not experience the symptoms of histamine. An antihistamine does not treat the problem, it treat the symptom (headache, flushing, urticaria)
Hey Marsha!
Just wanted to refer you to syontix[dot]com, because he has a really thorough series on SIBO. I know this is the second time I’ve plugged his blog on this comment feed, but I promise I have no ulterior motive! As a fellow SIBO sufferer, I just found the information very helpful (:
I also have tried low FODMAP paleo to no avail, and reading this histamine post made me realize I likely have histamine intolerance too. Best of luck fixing your SIBO! Like me, I’m sure you’d much rather fix the underlying cause and be able to eat as many FODMAPs and histamines as you want, rather than have to eliminate nearly every food under the sun. If you’re so inclined, you could check my blog (linked through my name) periodically to see what I’m doing to get rid of my SIBO. The blog is pretty new so I don’t have much info up there yet, but SIBO will be a major topic for future posts and I’m hoping some of what I try will be able to help others too!
Funny, the above posted where I was trying to post a question….Would you mind explaining what you mean by “but also a bunch of other crap?” I think my bottle of Histame contains DAO, calcium carbonate, vitamin C (which is necessary for DAO function) and cellulose. Which of those ingredients are discouraged? And does Quercetin help remove histamine from the intestines and body? Thanks!
Thanks so much for this article! I have been struggling with histamine intolerance for about a year now. It started with a bad episode that coincided with a case of poison ivy and I am now suffering acute symptoms along with a reaction to a natural perfume. Does this make sense that I am more reactive to high histamine foods when I am having a dermatological issue? Your article has prompted me to try eliminating high histamine foods even though they make up the majority of what I eat since I am gluten and dairy free and attempting to lose weight and eating very low carb is the only thing that works.
I recall reading that histamine intolerance is usually acquired. The destruction of the intestinal cells ability to produce DAO, by way of gluten sensitivity, was one way. Various drugs were another. In the GAPS book, Dr McBride discusses good bacteria that “clear” histamine. If these are not present, and too many bacteria that produce histamine from food ARE present, an imbalance can occur.
If a portion of this effect is driven by the undigested food that is metabolized into histamines by bad bacteria, can digestive enzymes and HCL help alleviate these problems? Specifically, I am wondering if there is less undigested food in the gut and less food to become histamines, can that help address problems?
Breaking down proteins further isn’t the problem since it is the amino acid histidine that is converted to histamine. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, linked together
.
Thanks for the response Nilofer. That makes sense to me, but my thinking was that if the proteins are broken down sooner in the digestive process they have a better chance of being absorbed into the bloodstream before reaching the bacteria that convert them into histamines.
Is all Cod Liver Oil fermented? I never heard it referred to this way.
No, most CLO isn’t fermented. However, the general consensus is that fermented cod liver oil (specifically Green Pastures brand, I think) is the healthiest choice because it is minimally processed and retains all of the naturally occurring vitamins and cofactors. It looks like it might not be the healthiest choice for people with histamine intolerance, though!
I need to know if the histamine ends up in breast milk, it might explain some food sensitivities which make our life miserable right now.
Bravo………….
I have rosacea and have had great difficulty in treating it and keeping it under control. I now see that I eat A LOT of foods high in histamine, and I’m wondering if my rosacea might actually be caused by this – or just maybe, it could be that I have histamine intolerance that has been misdiagnosed as rosacea. I am planning on eliminating high histamine food items to see what happens. However, I have just started taking Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil and High Vitamin Butter Oil based on your recommendations on your site. Like others, I am wondering if these items would be problematic for someone with histamine intolerance. Thanks so much for your site and the valuable information you provide!
Does anyone else here have Cold Urticaria? I’ve had it since August 6, 2012. I’m now in Hawaii to do some more research. I can’t even sweat without feeling itchy all over. And I can’t go in the water – at least not in Lake Michigan but we will see what the ocean has in store for me!
Have you done NAET? I know there are treatments specific for cold and heat.
Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques? I had never heard of this until I just googled it. What is your recommended resource that I should look into? I’m as open-minded as one can be.
Yup that’s the one. I’ve used it a lot over the years to help with my urticaria, while I still get outbreaks occasionally it has been a saving grace! I would look on the NAET website http://www.naet.com and find someone in your area, see who has the most training (qualifications are listed) and see how it goes. I know they can do specific treatments for allergies to odd things like cold. Obviously do it in conjunction with healing the body but its great to calm symptoms down in the meantime.
So you still breakout? Hmmm… I am in Hawaii right now and there is someone here that does it but it seems expensive. I think it would be sweet to be able to heal myself completely. My only friends that I’ve met so far in Hawaii are nurses and doctors which is crazy. They are all intrigued by it and we will be doing more experiments including with apple cider vinegar – it makes them go away for me so will it prevent them maybe?
I don’t have cold urticaria. Usually I get hives from overeating on high histamine foods and once there’s enough histamine in my system I’ll get hives from pressure. Are you sure your hives are caused by the cold? Where do you typically get them? And what’s your diet like?
Yes I am 100% positive since the correlation is 100% in over 100 cases in variety of ways. I am more sure I have Cold Urticaria than me being sure that I will be alive tomorrow…
I’m lucky I know how I breakout though. I’ve learned so much about myself and feel like I am a master when it comes to being intune with my body. It’s a great feeling and I want to teach other folks how to get to where I am.
I’m lucky I have this. I’m in Hawaii now and simply seek out warm climates. I’m lucky in that my I earn a nice income from my blog but I have worked my ass off for the past 3 years.
I can get them all over – really. It just depends.
Todd, I have had a touch of cold urticaria a few years ago. Or something like it?
First I had HEAT urticaria. My doctor told me it wasn’t an allergy. First I tried an allergy diet where I cut back to lamb, rice, pears, spinach… something like that. The hives I was getting in the shower reduced in number over the month I was on the diet, but never went completely away. I got sick and wasn’t good about adding things back slowly. Since my hives were not an immediate reaction to eating, I couldn’t pinpoint when they got worse again. Because of the reduced hives on the allergy diet, I went to an allergist. He didn’t seem to believe in food allergies so didn’t test for any foods, was certain it was a thyroid problem. Negative.
I learned to ignore a dozen or so hives in the shower every day, and did what I could to avoid being in hot weather. One hot summer day I couldn’t avoid I realized I was perspiring with out itching! Finally figured out that I had changed iron supplements months earlier. Went back to the old ones and the hives reappeared. Bingo! Red dye 40. I’ve had some accidental exposures since then and have been able to trace back to the same dye.
The cold urticaria, if that’s what it was, only happened for a short time. I didn’t get a reaction to a cold glass or cold water on my arm, but when I was outside in the winter long enough, some of the exposed skin (my chin) got itchy and blotchy red. I cut out my salmon oil as that was the newest thing in my diet and it doesn’t seem to happen now. I haven’t tried to re-introduce it. My doctor explained it some other way – dry skin or something that didn’t make much sense to me.
This is interesting, but I’m confused about whether my symptoms denote histamine intolerance or something else. For example, I can have a mild hives reaction after eating a lot of spinach or strawberries; other things like citrus and vinegar can leave my mouth irritated; I have other symptoms, like itchiness/irritation, with more acidic foods (tomatoes, walnuts, chocolate); and red wine leaves me feeling congested. I also have issues with sour foods (yogurt, sauerkraut, some naturally fermented breads) — often mild reflux. (I’m gluten-free and try to be yeast-free.) Do you think these are separate issues or some general intolerance?
And sadly, isn’t avocado a histamine food? That’s something I’m not really willing to give up!
Well, if you’re getting irritation around your mouth after eating oranges or pineapple, it could just be that they were unripe… this is a pretty common reaction. However, your other reactions are probably related to histamine and dysbiosis. I also get reactions to all of the foods you mentioned above.
Thanks Chris – this is just the article I’ve been waiting for!
I have chronic non-hereditary angiodema and have to take anti-histamines daily or else I will have a severe reaction. It’s therefore really hard for me to test which foods cause the most problems, because I will have a reaction no matter what. I’ve been following a Paleo diet for over a year now but haven’t found any real improvements on the allergy front unfortunately.
I’m definitely going to try to cut out as many of the histamine foods as I can and see if that makes a difference!
Quick question: should I still take probiotics (I’ve been taking the pre and probiotics pills you recommended in a previous article)?
Thanks,
Louise
Thank you for this information. Been suffering with urticaria for two years. Md didn’t want to see me. No cure. Starting taking bromelain twice daily and I feel cured. How long can I be on this? Only taking 200 mg twice daily.
Wow, I am so appreciative of this article, the link to the other one, and all the helpful responses. I’ve had migraine headaches and sinus infections on and off for years, major allergic reactions to foods and beyond, psoriasis (without itching) that comes and goes, itching that comes and goes, autoimmune issues and other stuff and changed my diet and lifestyle radically (and thankful it is so much improved overall!) but I never fully knew about the histimine connection. I realize I was eating spinach almost every day and drinking a lot of tea, and thought it was the caffeine causing the headaches (which probably is a factor too) but I’m going to try eliminating some of these higher histimine foods (spinach and tea to start) for a couple weeks and see what happens. I do take quercetin and bromelain and love those — wow, this makes me so wonder. Thank you so much.
A lot of info out there says that a vegetarian diet is better because of the histamine release from animal meats? Thoughts anyone?
Yes, how about reading The Vegetarian Myth, the writer was a vegan for 20 years and now after incredibly extensive research, she discovered that agriculture is killing us and our fertilizer is fossil fuel. I was listening to a Podcast just today: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/beverly-meyer-san-antonio/id577470427?mt=2
We are killing the earth and human kind and one the main reasons is this movement in the last fifty years to not eat animals… It is ironic because the reason most people are vegetarian is because they think they are helping nature and the earth–in fact it is the opposite…
yes, sarah, I’m finding it very difficult to eat any animal products at all…and as I said above if I could avoid them I would because I feel so much better with the lowered histamine.
my issue is that my blood sugar goes up too high without animal proteins, so by necessity I’m eating as little animal protein as I can right now to lower histamine…I was hard-core paleo and I just discovered this histamine issue…but I’ve needed to add legumes
(oh for the record, I discovered that fresh (on the boat) frozen white fish (cod and flounder) and also squid is okay. Legumes are better but to get a bit of animal protein those two things are working. Also if I can get freshly frozen meat right after slaughter that works too.
from what I understand once one gets the histamine level down some of the sensitivity abates…still I have a feeling I’m going to have to figure out how to eat some vegetable proteins or I simply won’t be able to eat enough without reacting…
I’ve added legumes and I feel much better from the lower histamine on the legumes…but as I said, my blood sugar which I monitor with a glucose meter is not liking it…I douse the legumes with ghee which is a low histamine fat…fat helps slow down the absorption of sugars…some days I do better than others…lots of tweaking ahead…
Monica, which legumes are ok to eat for histamine? Like u, I dont do well on high meat diets. But, Im having such a hard time figuring out what to eat….Im reacting so badly
Hi Bee,
I’m eating most legumes (but no peanuts!)
But lentils (all varieties) and black beans and pinto beans…I’m avoiding chick peas and adzuki for the time being because I’ve read they’re higher in histamine, but I’ve eaten chick peas and done okay…I”m just still having severe problems so I’m kind of hard core about not adding much at this point.
Also, I’ve found that I can eat freshly slaughtered rabbit and lamb…we’ve got local farms here and the farmers freeze it right away for me…that’s been a godsend….but I can’t afford to eat those daily…I can’t eat beef, pork or chicken and that was the affordable meat I ate mostly…but I don’t have anyone to do specialty slaughters and freezing for me on those.
Also, I can eat freshly caught trout and there is a lovely sustainable and green local fish farm nearby too…so I’ve been able to add more variety, but am still eating legumes because I can’t afford the meat and fish on a regular basis being I have to get it so specialty…still it’s possible and may be worth looking in your area.
I’m also eating seeds and coconut…fresh coconuts are great and better fat wise than other nuts.
Sarah, Look how many items that are high in Histamines are fruits or veggies: LOTS!
These types of meats are high histamine, but I just eat pastured or wild meats…
Processed, cured, smoked and fermented meats such as lunch meat, bacon, sausage, salami, pepperoni,
Leftover meat (After meat is cooked, the histamine levels increase due to microbial action as the meat sits)
all meat is potentially high histamine…pastured and wild too, if it’s not eaten right after slaughter. which unless you hunt or live on the farm is a bit of a challenge. Freshly frozen after slaughter is okay but not always.
depending on ones level of sensitivity it may or may not be an issue.
The list he provided for high levels does not show what you just said, is Chris not correct?
If you read the piece Chris links to by Joneja you’ll see that all animal protein raises histamine…this doesn’t conflict with anything Chris said, he simply didn’t get explicit about it…it’s not significant for people with less severe sensitivities. And not everything about the condition can be mentioned in one short introductory essay.
I’ve also found that fish is generally ok for me to eat, but red meat usually gives me symptoms.
Evan, I too have found some fish okay (at least some of the time)…but only if it’s fresh frozen on the boat…and only white fish…I’m eating cod, flounder and squid (not fish) okay…if it’s frozen upon catch.
I’m not eating any meat otherwise because I keep reacting. I want to try lamb…as it’s supposed to be safer…
in any case the above three sorts of seafood and legumes (lentils are better than beans for my blood sugar issues) are the only proteins I’m doing okay with…oh…I’m okay with almonds and hemp seed too. Still I feel like I’m not eating particularly enough and the fact is I keep having reactions so I’m not sure I should be eating the fish at all…it’s HARD.
Ok. Are you low carb? Yea, it sometimes IS hard to find enough food to eat. I still don’t feel great on my limited diet but at least I can avoid bad reactions for the most part. I stick to mostly sardines (I like wild planet brand) and white rice, frozen peas, carrots, coconut oil, fruits (except bananas) and occasionally lettuce. Red meat is bad if you have any sort of dysbiosis because bacteria use the iron rich meat to grow.
Evan, yes, I was pretty hard-core paleo until I discovered the histamine issue…and that’s only been a couple of months now…so I’m eating more carbs in the way of legumes now…but prior to the histamine discovery ate no legumes at all…I continue to be grain free.
I’ve written about my early experiences here with the histamine issues: http://beyondmeds.com/2013/01/07/histamine-intolerance/
I think my experience may be common among those who get medicated for various phenomena that get labeled as psychiatric issues. If one has a history of using any psych medications (many of which have strong antihistamine properties) it’s worth looking at histamines.
For me now, blood sugar is a problem…I had stabilized it completely on paleo…adding legumes is kicking it up…and I don’t like that at all…but I can’t live in chronic histamine hell…nope…so it’s a big task now to figure out how to simply continue nourishing myself.
I’m researching strains of bacteria (pro-biotics) that might assist at this point.
oh…Evan…
Canned sardines?? Those are reportedly one of the very worst offenders for histamine and certainly a food I have to avoid (I loved wild planet too when I was eating far too much histamine)
I’m always in awe of how different bodies react to things though, so I am not at all denying your experience. I wish I could eat sardines, but don’t dare try at this point.
I’m unclear on coconut and coconut oil…anyone else have experience with those two things? I’ve been avoiding them but would love to re-introduce…
thanks for this exchange…it’s not a topic broadly understood and it’s hard to find people to trade notes with.
Monica, have you tried white rice? That might be preferable over legumes. I used to eat a lot of legumes but then switched to rice, which seems to give me less symptoms.
Hmm, I didn’t know that about sardines. I used to eat canned salmon but felt much better after switching to sardines. It’s my only meat source at this point.
I think coconut oil (I prefer refined over virgin) is generally ok. Other coconut products like flour may cause issues.
I also think that probiotics and altering one’s gut flora may hold the answer to histamine intolerance.
I don’t imagine white rice would be a problem histamine wise, but given I do not need the carbs and it’s almost an empty calorie otherwise, I’m not sure why I’d want to eat it. I need protein sources and I am grain free. I eat sweet potatoes and yaro root and apples. I really don’t need another carb source and given a big issue for me is blood sugar balance, white rice, again, doesn’t sound like a good idea.
Have you looked into lowering omega 6? Almonds are quite rich in this, and some people can have problems with it. Personally I have had good success in cutting out omega 6 sources, especially nuts and oils that contain a lot of it. I realize this may be difficult on an already limited diet though.
Is there some kind of test for DAO levels? I just want to stop itching….please!
http://www.biohawk.com
Product – Digstease
I wasn’t saying that by eating fruits and veggies of any kind that I am better off than eating meat. I understand that there are lots of fruits and veggies I will need to limit as well. Just that there is high histamine levels in meat unless you eat it the second it’s slaughtered. And you can’t eat leftover meats. As you can imagine on a Paleo diet and being a full time working mom…I don’t have all the time in the world to be making food.
I’m just wondering how a Paleo style eating plan can work with Histamine avoidance. I certainly don’t want to be vegetarian. I adore animal protein! I am going to be seriously missing bacon. UGH.
I have an app for my iphone that gives a list of foods that contain histamine which is really good. It’s called Food Intolerances or if you search in itunes for histamine it should come up with it.
Hi, I’m not sure that’s exactly right about fresh meat. If you can cook the meat without browning it (eg. boil), it might be possible to freeze meals ahead for a short time. There are tips on lowering amines in your meat if you look up the failsafe diet – maybe start with the wordpress site on minimising amines. I think chicken is the easiest, as long as you don’t eat the skin. good luck, Etta.
What is a good brand of Quercetin? Can it be ordered in Canada?
I’m trying out Bluebonnet Super Quercetin, recommended by a friend — it has quercetin, bromelain and vitamin c in it. Don’t know if it is available in Canada. I’ve also taken plain quercetin and bromelain separately.
Thought I would add that I went back to plain quercetin, finding it’s easier to tolerate than the Super Quercetin, in case that’s helpful for anyone.
Good article. I’m one of the folks who turned to a paleo approach to eating only to find it unearthed my histamine intolerance within just a few months. I’m still paleo, but a low histamine version. I’ve never considered paleo a big effort/pain, but let me tell you, it’s hard not to complain about histamine restrictions! No comparison – would be a dream to simply eat a ‘traditional’ (if I could put it that way) paleo diet.
looks like I’m headed that way too Sarah. Just going paleo isn’t enough for me as I’m still covered in hives.
a few have mentioned that their dao levels are fine and histamine levels and another marker was fine…HOW are you finding this info out!? is it a blood test that can be ordered? from what I can see its only research facilities that routinely do this?
I’m with you there Sarah, I don’t know at this point how to go about finding this out. Any doctor I’ve mentioned HIT to (albeit few as I’m rarely with doctors) doesn’t appear to know anything about it – even the naturopath I was seeing at one point. I need to research this more. But at this point, I find my situation manageable so I’m not sure how far I’ll go down that road.
Did you folks find out how to test for DAO and histamine levels?
Sarah Brown, what does a low histamine Paleo diet look like? Since meat and fish are problematic, I can’t figure that out. but I’d like to try it.
Chris, what about food sensitivities from other chemicals found in a paleo-style diet, like vasoactive amines in general (there are plenty besides histamine including tyramine, serotonin, tryptamine, dopamine), salicylates, glutamates, sulfites, glykoalkaloids, and saponins just to name a few? Thyroid health may also be involved in addition to gut health from what I’ve read.
I’m VERY interested in this point as well. I’m very appreciative of Chris’s posts about histamine lately. I’ve been primal/paleo for 3 years, and tried Whole30 twice, and the GI and scalp symptoms plus fatigue and brain fog have not improved. I suspect sulfites, but I can’t tease out whether it’s sulfites, or histamines, or both, or other things as well. And the idea of doing paleo plus the avoid nightshades immune protocol plus avoid all histamines/sulfites/tyramines, etc. is just overwhelming. Some kind of general intro road map to understanding this, and the relation to gut health and thyroid health. I’m pretty sure the problem is not SIBO, but does one still prioritize gut health first? (GAPS?) Thyroid? My allergist has me on daily antihistamines and ranitidine, but I’m not sure if that’s a good idea in the long term… even though it does control the GI anaphylaxis-type symptoms. Sigh, confusion… although I’m very happy to see more information about this subject. Thanks!
Hi — I’ve got a daughter who does have food allergies, but we’re strict about keeping them out of her diet. However…she does get diarrhea when she has a lot of orange juice, oranges or vinegar. Not all the time, but only when she really consumes a lot of it. Could the the diarrhea be part of the gastrointestinal symptoms?
Thanks!
This article is so interesting! I have read Joneja’s article before.
I have extremely high total IgE levels and have for the past 4 years since my CFS has been severe, would this equate to high histamine levels?
This may explain why my reactions to ‘healthy’ foods occur and can be quite random in nature. I cannot tolerate cacao, having too much leaves me in bed with heart palpitation for hours. Possibly the stimulants as well. I have recently taken a break from fermented foods as I instinctively felt they were not agreeing with me. I do not have dairy, alcohol, citrus fruits or night shades but have plenty of fish (fresh, canned), berries, olives, spinach, spices, egg yolks, ACV and leftover lamb. Joneja mentions pumpkin and avocado too which I have all the time! Could be worth an experiment!
Thanks for this article Chris! You helped me solve yet another piece of the puzzle!
I have a question, though. I usually watch what I eat during the week(no wheat, sugar, alcohol), and then eat allot more liberally on the weekends(social gatherings)
I get allot of the symptoms from histamine foods described(anxiety, reflux) I thought it was only glutton, and it does play a role, but, I always noticed it happening when I would revert back to eating fish, meats, vege’s fruits during the week, but, only in the beginning part of the week. The fish I ate was canned salmon, and I also pre cooked my meats for the week.
My question is, could having a lowered calorie intake, and a raised level of omega 3′s negate the negative effect of histamines or increase your own tolerance?
Hi Chris,
Amazing timing for this article to appear in my in box! I recently began a 30 day AIP and on the third day I broke out in hives. I always thought hives were an immediate response as opposed to something that was accumulated. So, that was eye opening! As with all of the other sufferers, limiting or avoiding these foods stinks! I too have been paleo for two years now and thought I healed myself after being a vegetarian for many years. Now it seems like my gut is still not healed. I do not have GERD or anything like that, so I thought all is well. I’m going to have to look into SIBO and Gut Dysbiosis information, which I always avoided since I didn’t think I had any more problems, until the case of the hives came along! In this day and age, aren’t there any tests to check for this? A recent trip to my doctor’s office suggested some allergy testing, but I think they are just going to do some kind of blood test. I know we all want to do what’s right for our bodies so that we don’t end up with inflammation and disease, but sometimes it feels we take one step forward and then two steps back again. Thank you again Chris for the timely information. I’ve found your articles to be the most informative and we really appreciate all that you do for us! I recently have been discussing hives with Paul Jaminet from The Perfect Health Diet and he was quite helpful as well. Others were commenting on recent outbreaks of hives and I found this interesting article as well: http://thatpaleoguy.com/2011/04/11/histamine-intolerance/
Janis
HI Janis
Do you have a link to your discussions with Paul Jaminet? I’m trying to gather as much info as possible on this problem, as it is quite an issue for me,
Thanks
Hi Roger,
Here it is: Janis January 6, 2013 at 9:09 am
Hi Paul,
Thank you so much for your reply. I was eating potatoes prior to my AIP, but eliminated them (nightshades) for 30 days. Do you feel that they contribute towards arthritic pain? I also eat plenty of protein at each meal, so my cravings are not that bad, just a habit I think at dinnertime! Ah, those pesky habits! Thank you so much for the information regarding the 5-HTP and melatonin. I had no idea about that. May I ask, what did you think regarding the hives issue? I suppose it could be anything. An allergic reaction or releasing toxins? Our bodies are amazing! Do you recommend CO-Q10 or ubiquinol or are these better attained through food as well. I’m also taking Quercitin and R-Alpha Lipoic Acid and maybe I shouldn’t be taking that either. I ordered your book and like I said before, I’m sure the answers to my questions will be in there! Thank you so much for your help!
Janis
Paul Jaminet January 6, 2013 at 1:03 pm
Hi Janis,
Arthritis can have a variety of causes and one of them is food sensitivities or food toxins. It’s possible therefore that in some people potatoes contribute to the disease. However, I’d be surprised if that was a major or common cause.
The trouble is that all plant foods have toxins, so if you exclude potential contributors, you can quickly get a malnourishing diet. I think it’s worthwhile removing a category for a month to see if you feel better, but if you don’t notice a difference then I would restore those foods.
Hives I take to indicate a vicious circle of an inflammatory immune response combined with oxidative stress; white blood cells produce reactive oxygen species to destroy threats, but oxidative stress reacts with omega-6 fats in cell membranes to create inflammatory molecules that promote immune activity. So some combination of an immunogenic agent (such as an infection or food sensitivity) and an antioxidant deficiency is usually involved. You can try taking NAC, vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, copper, selenium, and other antioxidants to help. But the key thing is to resolve whatever is underneath.
CoQ10 is fine to supplement. In people with high oxidative stress it is probably beneficial. Not sure about quercetin and lipoic acid.
Janis January 21, 2013 at 10:00 am
Hi Paul,
Some recents comments have sparked my interest concerning hives and histamine intolerances and found this interesting article: http://thatpaleoguy.com/2011/04/11/histamine-intolerance/
I also submitted a comment to you about a recent case of hives (which I think I can say after reading this article, could have been from fish that I ate) and you were kind enough to explain a reason for this outbreak. After reading this article though, it did mention that NAC may block intestinal DAO. You recently recommended it for me as well as other antioxidants. I believe that I have a histamine intolerance, especially to red wine, which I (used to) love, all of those fermented foods we are supposed to be eating, but upon learning more information about histamine, perhaps I shouldn’t be taking the extra NAC 600 mg. Oh yes, and plus I just started taking MK7, that is fermented. What are your thoughts? Thank you!
Janis
Reply
Janis January 22, 2013 at 8:30 am
Hi Paul,
As per my question above, I am wondering if I am doing more harm using the NAC, MK7 and fermented foods, which really don’t agree with me any way. Should I continue with these supplements? Thank you for your time.
Janis
Reply
Paul Jaminet January 22, 2013 at 8:58 am
Hi Janis,
I think dropping the NAC and fermented foods may be good ideas. I’d be reluctant to give up the MK-7 which I believe is safe and important.
Reply
Janis January 22, 2013 at 9:02 am
Hi Paul,
Ok, thank you. That’s what I needed to know. I don’t want to make the situation worse. Should I be taking the MK-7 everyday or every other day?
Janis
Reply
Paul Jaminet January 22, 2013 at 9:36 am
Daily is good.
Janis January 21, 2013 at 10:03 am
Plus, there was an update on histamines as well if anyone was interested.
http://thatpaleoguy.com/2011/11/14/histamine-intolerance-update/
Reply
Amy M. January 21, 2013 at 11:14 am
Thank you Janis,
I was wondering about the NAC and histamine issue as well.
I too have a histamine intolerance and so many of the foods that are recommended for paleo (eggs, dark chocolate, wine, yogurt, fermented veggies, bananas, nuts) are off limits. Since paleo eating is restrictive anyway this makes things more complicated. And when you are trying to heal gut infections the fermented foods are supposed to be so important.
I am playing with digestive enzymes and maybe it will take a while to see the effects. Thanks again for the links!
Reply
Janis January 21, 2013 at 11:25 am
Hi Amy,
You are very welcome for the links, I’m glad that I found them as well and that I could pass on the information. I love all of the foods you mentioned and I am too now finding them to be off limits. It’s kind of a rude awakening after all these years to finally to note of what my body doesn’t really like, especially after being a vegetarian for so long as well. (paleo 2 years and for the most part, it’s been better for me) But, knowing that there are people, like you Amy, that are out there, who are facing the same dilemma. Thank you for responding to my comment! I appreciate it.
Janis
Reply
Katie Grunhard January 21, 2013 at 1:55 pm
Hey Janis, Amy,
I took a food sensitivity test and histamine foods were listed like eggs, pineapple, yeast, mushroom. So I think I have some of those issues too. do probiotics from a pill have histamine issues. I seem to crave these histamine foods but also have issues with eating them.
Reply
Amy M. January 21, 2013 at 5:06 pm
Hello Katie,
Someone else on this site suggested this link: http://lowhistaminechef.com/
and there is a link on the page that addresses the histamine and probiotics issue. Very interesting. Apparently some strains increase and others decrease histamine levels. I am currently experimenting with yogurts (24 hour homemade).
Hope some of that helps!
Thanks a lot Janis
I forgot to mention that I was taking Quercetin and it obviously didn’t help me. I still had allergy symptoms, itchy eyes, sneezing, etc. and then the not so lovely hives came along!
Thank y!’ I started the 21 day sugar detox two weeks ago and my throat swells up every night and I’m very gassy – I have ibs-c and lactose egg allergies but this is new. The only change I made was eating a lot of coconut oil and saurkraut and have not had any fruit. I thought it was the candida dying off!
Speaking of quercetin supplements, I’m wondering now about the bromelain in the Super Quercetin or taking bromelain separately since it’s derived from pineapple. Anyone have experiences with sensitivity to it? I may try going back to straight quercetin for a couple weeks and see if there’s a difference.
Chris,
I’m really surprised you made no mention in this article of the methylation cycle and its role in histamine balance, especially since you’ve just brought out a new range of supplements to assist with methylation. Diet and gut health are just two factors affecting histamine production, the methylation cycle is the other main one.
There isn’t a great deal of information out there in scientific journals so I’m linking to the website of a respected clinical nutritionist from Australia: http://www.nutritional-healing.com.au/content/articles-content.php?heading=Major%20Mental%20Illness%20Biochemical%20Subtypes
You touched on mental health complications from histamine imbalance, the link above goes in to more detail about that for anyone interested. There are doctors that treat this sort of thing quite regularly with good success. Listings for doctors can be found at the back of Nutrient Power by Bill Walsh: http://www.amazon.com/Nutrient-Power-Heal-Biochemistry-Brain/dp/1620872587
Hi Allison, your first link won’t work for me. Do you have another link to the same site?
Wow I can’t believe the timing of this article! Thanks so much chris.
We have been trying to get to the bottom of our 18mo daughters excema, nappy rash and hive reactions which she’s been prone to her whole life. (Despite a paleo pregnancy, being fully breastfed and being slowly introduced to paleo foods). We had just had the idea that histamine might be a problem since we noticed she reacted strongly to avocado, tomatoes and sauerkraut. It’s such a shame we’d been purposefully including lots of fermented foods in her diet!
A couple of questions-
Does bone broth/ slow cooked meat contain a lot of histamine?
Does anyone know if histamine passes through breastmilk?
Julia, I’d like to know about bone broth, too. I had a terrible episode of “the itchies” a few weeks ago, and I thought it was due to red meat allergy, which was my theory until I read about HIT. I had had some beef chili with a lot of tomato sauce in it, and I rarely eat beef or tomato. That meal was an unusually large dose of both for me. I had also made a smoothie with a little beef gelatin in it. I had just discovered the therapeutic qualities of gelatin powder, but had been making chicken bone broth for a long time. The reaction was one of the worst I’ve ever had.
I’d like to know if bone broth from poultry can cause histamine reactions, but I suspect it can. Looking forward to an answer from someone who knows.
for those of us with acute sensitivities slow cooking is problematic it seems…histamine increases the longer things cook…and since i’m not able to tolerate meat at all…bone broths are most certainly out too…
from what I”m gathering once one heals more foods can be eaten…at least on occasion…
I’ve had to radically alter my diet in the last two months and am finding that I’m much less symptomatic totally vegetarian…wow…it’s a trip to say the least.
also my blood sugar has totally stabilized and I’ve learned that histamine, when one is sensitive, increases insulin resistance…not surprising since it causes inflammation…
so that meant once I got my histamine levels down but blood sugar went down too and now I tolerate legumes when before I did not. I actually have the best blood sugar levels I’ve ever had in my life now…
again, WEIRD. and not what I would have expected prior to this piece of the puzzle.
Would high dose niacin have a particular affect in someone with this problem, or perhaps be useful diagnostically? Just a thought, as the “niacin flush” is due to histamine release
Hi Trina,
According to the following study, histamine release in not involved in the flushing-effect of niacin (nicotinic acid): http://tinyurl.com/ateurhc
I’m assuming whey protein would still be ok – if anyone has thoughts on this, I’d love to hear them.
After suffering from severe facial acne for the past 2 years and hand eczema for 12, I had an allergy test done-lots of food allergies with the main ones being Dairy, Wheat and Beef. After avoiding them for a year, along with taking probiotics, my acne has disappeared as well as my ezcema. However I have devoloped other itchy areas on my neck and arms, and also still have continual nasal swelling (I can hardly ever smell) along with brain fog and sometimes strange headaches…now after reading this, wondering if it’s histamine. Eventhough some of the foods listed are not said to be some of my allergens, I know I have reactions when I eat them-wine, avocados. Not sure what to eat anymore as there are so many things to avoid with my allergies, I eat a lot of the foods on the histamine foods list! If anyone can identify with this or have recommendations on what they can actually eat and feel good about it, please let me know
Histamine vs. Migraine vs. Tension headache . . .
I get sneezing fits (lasting 5 minutes) from eating several items on the high-histamine list.
However, I wonder about the relationship & over-lap of tyramine rich foods which are what migraine sufferers frequently are asked to avoid.
I dramatically reduced my migraine frequency (which I had for 20 years) from 24 per year to about 2 per year.
However, for the last 2 years I’ve been having “tension headaches” (hate that name). It’s when there’s a crushing vice-grip like pain in the scalp and neck muscles. During these episodes, My eyes get red and painful (which I thought were associated with the histamine stuff).
Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts on migraines vs. tension headaches vs. histamine reactions?
Thanks,
Mike
I thought I would add my experiences with Histame (DAO enzyme) in case it helps anyone.
I find that any level of histamine gives me major gut inflammation and associated symptoms, so I started trying out Histame.
Rather than taking it as suggested (when eating high histamine foods, because I just don’t), I started using it as a daily supplement.
The initial results were amazing, with perfect sleep, normalised BMs, great energy and so on. But after about a week of taking 2 caps morning and night, my digestion crashed and I ran out of energy. I assume the digestion problem was because histamine is part of the HCL production cycle in the stomach, and the energy something to do with the adrenals.
So I waited to recover then tried again with one cap morning and night. Same again. Now I’m down to 1/2 cap every other day, and this seems to be more sustainable. Although the results aren’t as radical, the side effects aren’t as major either (although still present).
I’m going to drop to a 1/2 cap every 3 days and see if that gives me a positive effect without the downsides. We’ll see what happens.
Roger,
Are you saying a DOA supplement will reduce your acid production? I’m wondering because I am going to try it in a few days. Also how does it mess with adrenals?
I hope the lower dose works for you. I was hoping for a magic pill.
HI Marsha – as I said in my comment, I assume the Histame reduced my acid production as I was taking too much of it. I cannot say that is definitely the reason, although normally my digestion is fine. I don’t know how histamine is involved in the adrenal system, just that the fatigue I got was profound and felt like I was seriously lacking adrenal response. This has happened 3 times now. The first time was the worst as it lasted several days. Subsequent times have been one day, and I’m starting to be able to refine my approach with the histame. Now, when my BMs get too perfect, I know it’s time to back off the Histame. Well, you did ask
What about medicines with histamine or those that cause histamine release? For example, I just had surgery, and Vicodin (which causes histamine release) and my sinuses are completely swollen shut for days….I’ve been suffering from this for about a year. Ambien did it to me at first. Please let me know!
Chelsea,
I don’t tolerate most medications (especially in the two classes you mention above) and haven’t for a long time before I even discovered the histamine issue. I avoid them. Most medications are not necessary once one learns how to use natural means of care. I’ve learned many coping techniques and at this point I don’t miss the bulk of meds. I’ve never been able to take any opiates either…since I was a child.
The histamine issue shined a new light on my intolerance for (most) medications.
Anyone have time for a read? Hi Chris!
Thanks so much for your comment on my first effort, the low histamine diamine oxidase support book. It was my attempt to introduce those with histamine intolerance and mastocytosis to a diet healthier than the standard american diet.
But I’m afraid you’re mistaken in saying that the book’s recipes contain sugar. If you refer to the whole fruits in that book’s recipes, absolutely, I am a firm believer (as is my nutritional role model Dr Fuhrman), that fruit’s phytonutrients are beneficial to the health and a wonderful substitute for processed sugar, in addition to being an excellent source of histamine-lowering vitamin C and quercetin.
Histamine disorders are so personal, and influenced by so much more than what we ingest, that even the most comprehensive food list could not cure us. This is why a food diary with additional potential trigger listing became my most powerful tool – I basically threw out the food lists and made my own diet (which is what my next few books are based on). But, it would be amazing if you could help spread the word that food is not the only culprit, and that we must be aware of other histamine triggers so that we don’t drive ourselves insane wondering why we react to everything we eat. Heat, cold, stress, vibration, altitude, beauty/bath products, perfume and nail polish are all triggers (readers please visit the Mastocytosis Society website for a full list of triggers). As you know, the very act of digestion itself releases histamine, a fact that many who struggle to understand their adverse reactions to all food, might not be aware of.
Most who write to me are still struggling with the concept that their nutritional choices affect their histamine issues, and even once they do, are finding it hard to wean themselves off said poisons. While many are happy to tell me that they absolutely will not include the odd highly nutritious, slightly higher histamine ingredient (fresh tomato, red pepper), they feel totally justified in “cheating” with store bought frosting, foods containing high fructose corn syrup, food dyes and pizza (this is just a sample from the hundreds of people I correspond with). It certainly doesn’t help that even the doctors who diagnose and treat histamine disorders like histamine intolerance, mast cell activation and mastocytosis, for the most part do not even acknowledge the role of diet. It’s for that reason I’m truly excited to find someone as highly respected as yourself writing about histamine.
My newest book (low histamine on the go) was the result of my understanding that there was a need for a book to bridge the gap for those not ready to jump ship from junk food to my personal diet. I’m afraid it seems that even this book was too hardcore for many, and I continue to be flooded with requests for more accessible recipes that can be shared by the whole family. My three upcoming books will feature the antihistamine and anti inflammatory foods I’ve devoted the last two years to researching (this ex-CNN/BBC journalist LOVES research), their effects on histamine intolerance and mastocytosis, as well as my personal diet which is high nutrient, low animal fat, modified paleo, with every bite having either antihistamine or anti inflammatory properties.
I realise not all my books suit everyone – the idea is to allow those affected by histamine disorders to choose their recipes based on their personal nutritional ideology. I do not dictate, nor discriminate, I try to cater to every (high nutrient) need in order that everyone who desires it, can find a book to help them stop being a victim of their appetite. And I’m living proof that a strict (paleo, modified paleo, whatever, just high nutrient!) diet and attention to non-alimentary triggers works. I’ve gone from unemployed, bed bound with full blown mastocytosis symptoms, to traveling the world at least six months of the year and running two successful businesses, while on no meds at all. I wish everyone the very best of luck in building their own safe food list (one list never fits all!) and in finding the right diet, no matter what it’s called.
I look forward to your future histamine-related posts!
anybody ever try eating raw honeycomb? I looked it up a bit on the webz and some ppl seem to report good stuff with allergies after chewing on some comb
I haven’t tried eating raw honeycome, Danimal, but raw honey out of a jar gives me an instant headache – sad, because Tasmanian Leatherwood (a type of eucalyptus) Honey is very delicious, with more aciditiy than some ‘ordinary’ honeys!
Just stumbled upon this and wondering if anyone thinks this could be the reason for a reaction I have lately been having to alcohol-on many, but not all, occasions. When I drink a few sips (it has now happened with red wine, white wine, vodka, champagne, prosecco) I immediately get red and splotchy on my face-the rash is hot, and makes my skin feel tight like a sunburn). It resolves within an hour and happens within a few sips. Seems to happen if I have a drink on an empty stomach more than when there is food in my stomach already, but this is just a theory. On many occasions I have been fine with various types of alcohol, but it has started to happen more and more frequently over the past year so that I never know when it’s going to happen. Not able to pinpoint a certain type of alcohol either. If it were histamines I think it would happen with other foods, too, though. Any advice is welcome as this is a really irritating issue for me…
Katrina,
I have the exact same reaction, as well as sneezing immediately on my first sip of wine…I have so many food allergies, I just thought maybe I was allergic to alcohol/wine as well. Wish I could help, I hope someone has an answer to this, too!
Hi Katrina,
I too have a very red face and it is hot to the touch when I drink, but it takes a little more than a sip I think. And it’s all of the alcohol you mentioned. I don’t believe it happens on an empty stomach either. I’ve often wondered if it’s related to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction
What are your thoughts Chris?
Dietary measures are a good way to help stabilize histamine levels in the short run – however, IMO the ultimate goal should be to start to address the over-aroused nervous system (HPA axis,etc.) as well as trigger points (subconscious tensing from arousal) which fuel the process.
The NIH has biopsied active trigger points in muscle and found inflammatory mediators (substance P), neuropeptides, cytokines, and catecholamines, etc. They can form an electrical network throughout the digestive system and beyond which release these chemicals and create endless hypersensitivities – set off by dietary, environmental and emotional factors.
Wow, I can’t believe I came across this web page! I was diagnosed with Chronic Uticaria 2 1/2 yrs ago. Losts of doctors, nutrionist and lost of money with no results. Now I have some answeres. But recentely I have found about furmentation and how good it is for you. I even started making my own Kambucha tea. Lots of probiotics and now I read its not good. Some days I don’t know if I am coming or going. Eat this don’t eat that, only raw milk, cheese and yogurt don’t eat any of that its not good for you. I will try some of the suggestions above though. Thanks for the article.
I’ve dealt with Urticaria for years and the doctors diagnosed it as idiopathic; However, when I adopted the paleo diet about 6 months ago, the hives went away, I was overjoyed, That is, until recently, About 4 weeks ago they came back as strong as ever, I am still adhering to a strict paleo diet with no help and Its the same old deal with the doctors: antihistamines that do not work and prednisone that only masks the problem until I run out. Could this be a histmine intolerance. If I accidentally ran into some gluten that caused this, how long would it take to get out of my system and for the hives to go away?
@dee I am no expert but it sounds like a HIT respons not a gluten problem, my husband has gluten problems he does not get hives, just my two cents.
Thanks sherry! Ive done a lot of research and I agree with you. I think I have a histamine intolerance. Trouble is, my doctors wont take it seriously and they scoffed at my ideas of HIT. They say it is idiopathic urticaria and it will eventually go away… could take a day, could take years. I am in the military so I have no other options as far as health care so it is quite depressing. I have adopted a low histamine diet and some DAOSin is coming by mail soon. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any positive results yet.
I am 26 weeks pregnant and have been out of my probiotics (biokult) for a month. Almost all of my histamine intolerance symptoms went away a year ago when I started on raw milk and probiotics a year ago, but now i am getting hives to differing degrees almost every day. I follow a loose Weston A. Price style diet, but I never got hives this often before.
What can I do while pregnant? Eliminating a lot of foods doesn’t seem like a good idea, but I don’t want to give birth with a poorly balanced stomach.
I’m just now experimenting with lightening the histamine load, and it does seem to be improving things already…..time will tell. I am so grateful for the information! Has anyone had experiences with using Butterbur for headaches or sinus pressure? I just found out about it and Petadolex for migraines (important to get a safe formula it sounds like), and thought it might be better than using ibuprofen for headaches (only do that when they are severe, as minimal as possible, as I know it’s not that healthy). And has anyone done okay with the Classical Pearls (used with a practitioner) or other formulas based on Chinese medicine that have cinnamon in them if you’re sensitive to histamine? It seems like I am more sensitive to some than others, and am on the Cinnamon Pearls, doing okay if I take a smaller dosage than suggested. Just trying things one at a time to see what happens.
Whilst being extremely sorry for those of you who have such awful skin problems, I am lucky to have eventually got rid of teenage acne and have no real problems myself. I’m not sure, in all this lengthy correspondence, whether anyone has mentioned the wearing of different fabrics and the use of washing materials, but I have found that wearing pure silk thermals can make my underarms itch badly. Perhaps
this is because the silk made me too warm and my antiperspirant wasn’t effective enough? Any comments? My best wishes to those of you who have been looking for solutions to your problems.
Hello Chris,
I’m a dietitian specialist in DAO deficiency. It’s amazing how this subject increases and how wonderful is to see people improving. Since 2011, when I opened my own office in Barcelona, I visit lots of DAO deficiency cases, with headaches, fibromyalgia, atopic skin, dermatitis, bad digestions, irritable bowl syndrome, etc. and the majority of them get better with 2 capsules of DAO per day and a low histamine diet followed constantly.
Thank you to write this post,
Adriana Duelo BS RD
Hi Adriana
That’s very interesting to hear – as I mentioned further up I had a great result at first with Histame, but started getting side effects later such as digestive insufficiency (I think the histame interefered with my HCL production). Have you ever had a patient that didn’t get on well with the DAO supplements?
Cheers
Roger
Hi Roger
Fortunately I’ve never heard that DAO supplements could give bad results on people with DAO deficiency (under 80 HDU/ml). Which supplement do you take?
What brand DAO would you suggest…
Hi Raphael,
It depends on yours symptoms? Do you have migraine?
Not migraines, forehead pressure that feels tight and seems to make my brain foggy too. My main symptoms are skin flakiness and gut inflammation.
Hello Adriana,
I am interested in which DAO supplement you would suggest. I have migraines.
Thanks!!
Hello, I should be able to discern the meaning from context, but alas, I cannot – can someone tell me what DAO stands for?
Diamine Oxidase. It is an enzyme that your body produces to break down histamine.
You can purchase supplements that contain this enzyme.
This is excellent. My alcohol “allergy” finally makes sense to me as do a number of other symptoms that come and go seemingly without rhyme or reason (pressure hives, pounding heart, indigestion, eczema). But the diet part feels a little overwhelming, especially when symptoms are often mild or nonexistent, and given the foods I already eliminate, and that most of the time, I can eat most of the foods and be fine (but never alcohol). Is there a way to treat this other than by diet, or alongside diet, to make it permanently disappear? Or is it a condition one is going to have for life? (I’m thinking supplement of some kind …) I can’t manage a vegetarian diet when I already don’t eat grains or soy and struggle w/blood sugar issues. My diet is all about protein in the form of meat, fish, eggs.
Thank you so much for this piece. About a month ago, after a period of flus and stress, I began suffering from severe urticaria and symptoms of what seems to be a histamine intolerance (and when I look back, I can see that I had other symptoms for a long time – tightening of the throat, constant sneezing for a few months, heart racing, what felt like conjunctivitis but wasn’t). I am just so grateful to you for writing carefully and thoughtfully about this as I move forward and adjust my life while trying to keep to the low histamine diet. I am wondering if you or any others can comment on exercise – I really miss it and can’t exercise because it is giving me severe hives. Is it all connected? Will I feel better if I am reducing histamines all around? Thank you again.
I have a problems with exercise. Just started last summer after exercising daily for 6 months. I get angioedema, progressively worse everyday until finaly I ended up in the hospital. I suspect histamine intolerance. I was making spinach, banana and strawberry smoothies every day too. My allergist and GP are both perplexed (allergy tests came back negative). So, I am off to a specialist next week. I am keeping my fingers crossed to find an answer!
Look up angioedema in Wikipedia. They go into detail about what could be causing it. At least you will
be more prepared with ideas and questions for your specialist. It could be related to histamine or not
depending on if there is a genetic connection. You could try not drinking that smoothie (loaded with high histamine foods) and see if that helps. The combo of that drink and the exercise could be pushing
your histamine intolerance over the edge. Good luck with figuring it all out. I know you will. Let us know what you find out.
Sandy F,
I just stopped eating spinach as an experiment since reading this post (was eating it nearly everyday), and it seems like that has really helped, among a few other things (maybe cinnamon, tea, not sure yet). It does seem to be a total load type situation (in terms of histamine) with me, and I do best with not too intense walking and stretching, nothing too strenuous or I get all wheezy. Don’t do well with bananas or strawberries, but blueberries are okay, and maybe raspberries (but I think they are higher histamine). Do you also work with holistic/alternative practitioners?
I started taking Quercetin the day this post came out in an effort to halt my histamine response to almonds and it seems to have worked. I am taking a complex made by my local health food store that contains Quercetin, Lemon Bioflavonoids, Vitamin C, a small amount of magnesium and Bromelain. I’m very pleased.
Tara,
That is great news! I too have good results with Quercetin and Bromelain, so am going to keep going with those and see what happens. For some weird reason I ended up with pink eye this week and had to go to urgent care, and when I told the nurse about Quercetin, she had never heard of it. But I swear by it, so glad to hear it’s helpful.
Could people let us know which brands of quercetin are working for you? I’m not sure what to try.
I have a rash on my face that started about 2 or 3 months ago. Have never had anything like this in my life. It is reddish and blotchy, sometimes has small bumps and otherwise is sort of dry and flaky. It is sore at times or itchy, other times doesn’t bother me. But it has spread over most of my face lately. At the same time, I’ve gotten itchier all over, off and on, and the itches sound like HIT to me. How many others have a face rash, and does mine sound similar?
I’m sure the rash is due to diet. Healing oils don’t seem to help it at all.
I thought I had alpha-gal allergy to red meat (that was before the face rash started) but now I think it may be HIT. I have to figure out how to determine the cause. Perhaps a very low histamine diet for a while? I haven’t had any red meat for weeks now, but I’m still itching. However, the itching is not the same as when I ate red meat–then I would get very sore, burning itching palms. Now I get itching all over. I wonder if I have both conditions. It’s going to be interesting creating a diet at all.
Judith,
Mine is made by my local health food store so I don’t have a specific brand for you but I can tell you the amounts of each thing in it:
Quercetin 250mg
Vit C (As ascorbic acid) 100 mg
Magnesium (From magnesium carbonate) 15 mg
Bromelain (from pineapple) 25 mg
Lemon Bioflavonoids 50 mg
Directions: Take 1-6 capsules daily between meals.
I have been taking 6 caps a day, 2 at a time, 9am, 3pm, 9pm. I have no itching even though I continue to eat almond meal daily.
Best of luck to you.
Judith,
I have tried Bluebonnet Super Quercetin (and stopped because sometimes Vitamin C aggravates my skin condition), which many people seem to benefit from, Eclectic Institute Nettle/Quercetin
and Now Quercetin with Bromelain. I like the Now brand best so far because I can take 2 capsules and get 800 mg of Quercetin and 165 mg of Bromelain, and so have been taking 2 capsules 2-3 times a day. The Electic Institute brand has 175 mg of quercetin and 175 mg of nettles in each capsule. Plus the Now brand is more affordable for me than the other two. Hope that helps.
I have been taking quercetin for a long time now. It does nothing for me. But I have found that taking Stinging Nettle capsules and drinking Nettle tea helps. I guess we all respond differently. I am always on the lookout for things to help with HIT.
Tara and Felicia, thanks! This certainly is a complicated subject, and we have to find our individual paths through a maze. Your experience helps. (I’m itching right now and wondering why. Tea? Miso? I have almost quit using miso but have a little to use up so I’ve had some daily for a while. I know it’s not from meat.)
It IS fermented though…
Judith, I am experimenting with tea since reading this post — ie I haven’t had any since the post was published (and stopped spinach and some of the other things on the list from Chris’ link) — while my symptoms got worse before they got better, today is the first day I haven’t had a headache in weeks! We’ll see how it goes going forward, and it really helps to read about everyone’s experience.
Yes, that is what I was thinking. Very fermented. No more miso for a while–it’s not worth the itch.
I just glanced at the Low Histamine Chef website and immediately saw that Holy Basil (Tulsi) is a natural antihistamine. I knew that it reduces excess cortisol but didn’t know this. I took Tulsi for a few months in the past and felt better, but had no idea what it was doing. Still have some, so I’ll try some starting now and see if it helps the itchies.
Can someone tell me how I can stop getting notifications of followup comments by email? I initially checked off that I wanted followup comments sent to my email, now I want to uncheck it, but it does not give me that option. I am looking at a blank box next to “Notify me of followup comments via email” -there is nothing to uncheck.
Help? Thanks.
In the emails you receive, there should be a button to click to unsubscribe.
Like Jane, I imagine, I don’t want to unsubscribe from Chris Kresser; but I do want to cease getting the interminable emails that keep flooding in on this subject. I can’t see how to do one without the other. Help, please, for her and for me.
If you look at the emails you are receiving, at the bottom it says, “TO MANAGE” your subscriptions. You just click on that and it takes you to a page where you can unsub from specific posts. THis will solve your problem and will not unsub you from his entire website.
Thank you, Tara. Fiona, this is exactly right.
Thanks to the Revolution Health Radio podcast for putting Histamine Intolerance on the radar. I have been suffering intensely for months and just recently began a transition into a low histamine diet to find I am feeling a little better.
My head is less foggy, ringing in the ears is turned down from 11 to about maybe 4, sleep is better, and the rash on my neck is not as bad. Most of all psychologically I am doing better. I am guessing that if it is HIT that dopamine levels can be drastically effected.
As for HIT being acquired, I was very bad off with gall stones and leak gut prior to the real onset the intensity of the symptoms that align well with it.
What I would like to know if eating a low histamine diet and taking supplements (quercetin, DAO enzyme) do anything in the way of resolving the cause or is it just a way to alleviate symptoms?
If the cause is gut bacteria imbalance then can further healing of the gut help resolve the issue? What should be done for probiotic support to help improve gut health if fermented foods are not allowed?
Would a product like Minuka Honey be beneficial? I know it is anti-bacterial so would it kill unwanted bacteria inhibiting DAO production (if that is the problem) and not be harmful to good bacteria?
I have read some studies where this has been effective in killing H-Pylori, but I cannot find them now (darn brain fog).
Thanks for any helpful answers given!
HI Rob
Earlier in the thread I wrote how Histame helped my symptoms. I recently started taking mastic and manuka for H Pylori and got a similar resukt. My guess this is due to the antibacterial effect of the Manuka against histamine producing bacteria. What I dont know is whether Manuka is selective for this type of bacteria or whether it is wiping out a load of good bugs too. Regardless, the effect is welcome!
Here is a research thesis on “The Effect of Manuka Honey on Enterobacteria”
by Lin, Shih-Min (Sam) PhD at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.
http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/3972
My uneducated assumption is that consistent dosages would have to be taken continuously over a set interval of time and limit recovery of the bacteria. The question being how often and how long before it is completely eradicated, if at all that was even possible? What indications would you have, if any, to subside the approach? Also since bile and pancreatin reduce the effect so significantly (50%) I wonder how a diet would may be optimally programmed around this? Fasted? And what to eat if or when not fasting?
I started a regimine of Manuka Health +15 this morning 1/2 tsp mixed in warm water every hour since waking at 5:00AM after no food for 12 hours. New reactions occurred following taking the Minuka that were not like I would feel just because I have not eaten. It started with a bad headache in the front of the head then moved into brain fog this was constant until 1:00 PM when I broke out of the approach with a salad (Red Lettuce, Cucumber, 2 apples, Olive Oil, Sea Salt) and Whey Protein shake. I felt slightly better, but still foggy. A die off effect of bacteria (good or bad?), or a toxin of the honey impacting my system in another way?
Interesting link Rob, it’s good to read that Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli are “particularly resistant to manuka”. It’s also interesting to read that manuka is not ‘rapidly bactericidal’.
I tend to take a large teaspoon on an empty stomach last thing at night. When I first started taking it, I got similar symptoms to you, which I put down to die off and which subsided after 4-5 days.
I am finding at the moment that I am often waking up hot at around 3am and taking around 2 hours to get back to sleep – I am not sure what this is but I am testing increasing the manuka by taking it in the morning as well to see if that helps.
One experience I had that may be informative is that when I stopped treating H Pylori last time, I had a horrible 4-5 days of serious headaches and fatigue. I assumed this was HP bounceback at the time, but now I am more of the opinion that it is likely to be histamine-producing bacteria bounceback.
At the time, I had been able to go back to eating a fairly high histamine diet including bone broths and stews. It’s my guess that this, combined with bounceback of the problematic bacteria, was what caused the problems.
So it seems to me that for myself anyway I may need to continue with at least a maintenance dose of manuka indefinitely until I can do something else to alter the bacterial balance (I’d like to hear more about Chris’s comment on soil-based bacteria probiotics that he mentioned in a recent podcast).
And regarding the concentrations of manuka, perhaps it would be worth testing a fairly high dose for a few days (say 3-4 teaspoons before bed) to see if that makes a larger impact, returning to maintenance dose thereafter.
On your other questions – I would guess that it is impossible / potentially undesirable to eradicate the problematic bacteria, and that the aim is more to get other bacterial populations increased to keep them in line. My experience above might give some indication on whether it is OK to cease treatment – in other words, you might get a nasty response to tell you otherwise.
In line with the info this thread, I’m also taking quercetin, magnesium and vitamin B6 to hopefully enhance the operation of DAO and generally improve my histamine handling. Oh, and a herb call Holy Basil. Interesting discussion – let’s keep it going.
Hi
Just bought the Paleo Meal Planning tool as it was positioned in the histamine intolerance article as a great tool to use to design a low-histamine diet. When I entered all the parameters (incl no fruit), I still get things like bacon and lemon in every other recipe. Disappointed as this does not delivered what was promised. Magdalena.
Thanks so much for this article, Chris. It put me on the road to solving nasty chronic eczema which I’ve had for months. I’ve had a couple of setbacks on this diet though, and I’m sure others may have experienced similar. Overripe fruit, for instance, set me back by a week and since excluding all fruit (just to be sure), my eczema has receded again.
I still seem to get some anxiety but assume this is all part of clearing the histamine overload.
Would some gut issues (bloating, cramping and general discomfort) be part of the process? Have you had any patients who have experienced some fluctuation of symptoms when starting a low-histamine approach?
I schooled up on what to eat and not to eat and wow, no brain severe brain fog for almost a week now.
I still have slight neck hives and rash. I think if I took the meat out it might fade, but no thanks. I would fade away before the rash did.
Stopped the manuka, seems like alot of sugar. 5 days in and 250 grams of honey later I am waking up at 4:00AM when I should be up at 8. Now foods quercetin with bromelain and HealthForce Nutritionals, Truly Natural Vitamin C are saving mer right now, but what the heck do you do to get out of this?
It seems I am developing worse pain in the feet, ankles, and hips and loosing sleep from it
I am wondering if it is gout? What the heck am I doing to cause this? All I can think is flush, flush, flush. 2 gallons of water a day and epsom salt bath at night. If I miss doing this right now then I will be in pain all night, tossing and turning.
I am trying black cherry, but has anyone looked at the sugar content? Also it is a no no food for HIT, so I am really confused. Cider vinegar does not slow it either. Not eating and drinking about a lake of water seems to be all that works.
Could not even eat beef or anything with too much animal fat. I would feel great from escaping calorie and nutrient deficit but then I would pee foam and swell. I ate bone broth and felt like I had been poisoned.
What seems to sustain me (barley) diet wise is to under eat protein (2 8oz. servings of chicken breast). and then very lightly eat 3 servings of salad (red lettuce, radish, carrot, cucumber, green onion, light olive oil), and 1 or 2 yams a day. I am about 15 to 20 pounds, with no body fat change, under the weight I seem to normally hold.
Anyone know any health practitioners in Seattle experienced with successful treatment of HIT without drugs?
Chris- any thoughts on taking quercetin for histamine intolerance issues if you don’t know if you have a TH1 or TH2 dominant autoimmune disorder? I have read that quercetin can impact the immune system and this could potentially negatively or positively impact an autoimmune disorder – that is, depending on which type is dominant. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
What about coffee and green tea? I thought they actually block histamine receptors?
Hi Caroline,
I’ve been doing lots of research and everyone seems in agreement that black, green and mate tea block DAO production – the enzyme that breaks down histamine.
Some people say coffee is a problem, others say only caffeinated coffee is a problem. I’d stay off all these things for 4-6 weeks and then test them to see.
Hope this helps,
Julia
Thanks for the great article. (also LOVED learning from you about sleep and light during the healthy living summit! Shared your presentation with everyone I could find and they loved it too! Excellent. Thank you, thank you)
It seems there could be more said about hydration regarding these types of problems: not only is water necessary to good digestion (less transit time in the gut, etc), but a body that is required to constantly ration its “clean” water supply is more likely to overreact to anything. One of the primary functions of histamine is water regulation. When water supply is low, “the troops” are stationed at every corner, so to speak, ALL ready to respond at the slightest signal. Furthermore, interference in communication lines is more likely due to cloudy, poorly transmitting fluids and overworked filtration systems.
Antihistamine regulation is great in its place; watching what you eat and avoiding (hopefully only for a time if it’s a healthy food) things that are triggers so the body can heal is important; recognizing and addressing thirst is inexpensive, do-able for everyone, but so easy to overlook.
I know several people who have dramatically decreased seasonal allergy discomfort just by drinking more water. I was never a soda drinker and neither were these friends, but I would think cutting syrupy carbonated drinks and replacing them with plain water would show even greater improvement… actually, being diuretics, colas would be among the biggest culprits in causing an overactive histamine environment, wouldn’t they?
In my own case, drinking water cleared up several years of constant severe heartburn and (pleasant surprise!) back pain. So… whatever else you do, drink up!
Thank you so much for this article! I have been experiencing histamine intolerance myself, with my symptoms getting crazy this spring! They have been mild for the past few years, but I can tell that the addition of pollens in the air is pushing my body over the edge. I’ve been cutting out histamine rich foods and seem to be getting better. I am so grateful to have found this site to realize I’m not alone.
Do you know if pure lard is good on a histamine free diet?
Did you know that being DEHYDRATED and provoke a histamine release?
I was getting so focused on foods that I wasn’t paying proper attention to dehydration.
Google it.
Here’s one link:
http://www.naturalnews.com/032624_allergies_hydration.html
tea? most of them suggests tea to take as anti-histamine. is there a particular kind of tea that shouldn’t and should be taken? I’m trying ginger everyday. I hope I’ll get some result after a week. Right now I’ve been suffering and it’s one of the longest months I’m having hives. Have this since before college and I’m 36 now, mostly attacks during summer, hot.
This might be the answer to years of frustrating symptoms and no answers! Do you recommend the histamine intolerance blood test?
I seem to have the opposite, where certain raw foods, like carrots give me a slight tissue swelling and itchiness in the throat. If everything is cooked, I’m fine.
Listen up guys, I’m keeping this short. Im 16 and was diagnosed with ‘solar urticaria’ that’s right, I’m allergic to the sun. I looked for various treatments, cures and diets to cure it and doctors explained how there was no cure. WRONG!! I you have any sort of urticaria it is because of the unbalanced ph level in your body. Look at a programme called BUTEYKO, it is a proved asthma cure but also cures allergies. I carried out this programme along with a strict diet for 4 months and believe it or not it worked. To celebrate I went to Spain with my school in June and enjoyed the good weather and when I returned I went to a dermatology department in the Dundee hospital and they were amazed at my tan but refused to believe it was due to my efforts and more to do with the mysteries of the human body. I’m not a diet extremist, I still eat all the crap in the world but I’d never be able to do that without doing this programme. I urge anyone who reads this to please please look into BUTEYKO breathing. If you have any questions, Direct message me on twitter at (HutchieJunior) or Facebook mail me at (Kieran Hutchison). Never settle for what a doctor or specialist tells you all the time, they’re only human like you and they can be wrong too.
Hi Chris,
Ever since going strict paleo 2 mo ago Ive slowly incorporated new things into my diet. I was on a strict anti-histamine food diet previously. I felt so good and my skin looked great from eliminating processed food (that I wasnt eating alot of to begin with so it wasnt a difficult transition) that I started slowly adding more and more after the first month lemons, limes, sauerkraut, bacon, onions, ginger, garlic powder, brussels sprouts, sausage..things I havent eating in a about two years. In addition, to adding all of these foods I began not only cooking with coconut oil but slowly increasing my intake to 2/3 spoonfuls a day bc I felt like I wasnt getting enough calories from cutting grains and I was losing crucial body fat (despite eating redic portions of meat and veggies that Im not used to) from all of the new muscle from protein intake and working out (not overtraining) 2 days a week. My period became lighter in the last 2 cycles (down to one day a week) I assume from the drop in estrogen from even lower body fat than I had to begin with. That was the first scare, but I thought it might balance out. Two weeks ago I developed an awful outbreak on my neck (only) and is WORSENING daily, I thought it was due to a new hormonal imbalance. I have recently re-introduced more sweet potatoes and squash and root veggies (in the last week) and have avoided coconut oil like the plague in last few days to try to increase body fat and calm skin down. I have also stopped working out which I am upset about bc I was in a good routine again finally and have felt stronger than I have in years. But, now thinking about all of the drastic changes I made to my diet maybe its a histamine reaction or detox reaction and not just a hormonal imbalance acne breakout. It resembles acne and a rash in different parts on both sides under my jaw and down neck. Also, I have been on bcp from 18-32 and never had an issue w my hormones before despite always having very low body fat. Other things, Ive had difficulty sleeping waking up sweating around 2/3am. I truly believe that way of eating has wrecked havoc on me and I want to start eating grains again to fix the imbalance but Im scared of the side effects (the rest of my face is still very clear) of that bc Ive cut them out for 2 mo. Ive never had a gluten intollerance and Im terrified that Ive started something I cant stop. Please Chris, if you read this — I need serious help and dont know where to start.
Hi Alison,
Sounds like you are having a histamine response. I have the same problem with histamines and still eat a Paleo diet. I just avoid all the histamine food triggers and other triggers as stress, heat and cold and etc.
I also use a product “Histame” before I eat a meal that helps me not get reactive. But if I do go over my histamine load for the day, Benadryl helps take away the symptoms. Going back to eating grains is not the answer. But we all have to find out what histamine foods and triggers we react to. I belong to a couple of Histamine Intolerance groups on Facebook. The people have been very helpful with questions. We are all learning form each other from all over the world. I hope this helps you!
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