Inflammation From Your Diet

Histamine is a chemical that promotes inflammation in the body. Certain things, such as allergies and injuries can trigger the release of histamine from the cells of the body itself, but we also get histamine from foods and beverages that we consume.

More correctly, certain foods and beverages result in higher levels of histamine. This occurs in a few different ways.

One way is the foods may contain significant amounts of histamine. The other way is that they may be “histamine liberators” that trigger the release of histamine from the cells of the body. Some foods elevate histamine levels both ways.

Finally, DAO (diamine oxidase), the enzyme that deactivates histamine, may be interfered with by a particular substance that many people consume on a frequent basis that will be discussed a bit later.

People especially prone to high histamine levels are considered to be “histamine intolerant,” but despite the increasing popularity of this term and the diet to combat it, only a few percent of the general population really meet the criteria for histamine intolerance, although many more may have excess histamine to various degrees that produces various symptoms related to inflammation.

Although true histamine intolerance is uncommon in the general population, approximately half of those diagnosed with IBS or gut dysbiosis may also have histamine intolerance. Whether the gut issues are a cause or effect of histamine intolerance is still subject to some debate.

There are various proposed causes for true histamine intolerance and various degrees of histamine sensitivity. These include a genetic lack of the enzyme, poor gut health (due to chronically bad diet or various illnesses), and allergic reactions.

Going back to foods, there’s a relatively small number of foods that are particularly high in histamine. These are proteins with high free amino acids which are prone to fermentation, particularly fish, fermented cheeses, preserved meats (ham, salami, etc.), and fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kim chee. Besides fermented foods, tomatoes, eggplant, and avocado are also high in histamine. Some of these foods are otherwise quite healthy, and it may or may not be necessary to eliminate them from the diet, depending on the individual.

The second type of foods involved in elevated histamine are the histamine liberators that trigger its release from the cells of the body. Pork is one of the biggest culprits here, particularly if it is also preserved/femented. Other common histamine liberators are spinach, tomato, eggplant, avocado, papaya, banana, peanuts, legumes, and artificial food dyes. Here again, these foods can be otherwise healthy, and they may have different effects on different people.

You may have noted that tomato, eggplant, and avocado are both high in histamine as well as being histamine liberators. Elimination may or may not be necessary, but testing these three foods in particular may be worthwhile if you have a lot of issues with inflammation (allergies, aches and pains, gut issues, etc.).

Possibly more of a factor than high-histamine foods and histamine liberators is one particular substance that drastically impairs the function of DAO, the enzyme needed to break down histamine and deactivate it. That substance is alcohol – and the source is unimportant, whether it be beer, wine, or liquor.

Alcohol is a histamine liberator as well, but it’s effects on DAO may have greater implications in overall histamine levels. Alcohol is metabolized somewhat similarly to histamine, and it competes for the body’s detoxification mechanisms. Since alcohol is more toxic, it gets preferential treatment by the body’s detox system over histamine and may deplete those mechanisms before histamine can be addressed.

So, if you think you may have issues with histamine, the first recommendation is to avoid alcohol.

Meats, especially fish, should be consumed while as fresh as possible and leftovers should be eaten within a day or so to minimize fermentation.

High histamine fruits, such as papaya and banana can usually be tolerated in small quantities spaced out over the course of a day.

In terms of food elimination, my suggestion is to start with eliminating alcohol, as this may be enough to take care of the problem. If not, experiment with food eliminations, probably starting with tomatoes, eggplant, and avocado. Look for symptoms like GI upset, body aches and pains, and allergies to improve when a food has been eliminated for a period of at least 3 to 5 days.

There are also DAO (Diamine Oxidase) enzyme supplements available. These get mixed reviews, but are relatively inexpensive and probably worth trying, particularly if you don’t want to give up certain foods or drinks.

Sometimes just one or two simple changes can make a major difference in how you feel.

Until next time…

George F. Best, D.C.