How to Manage Histamine Overload & Improve Your Health
By Nicqui Grant, RD(SA), IFNCP
What are the causes of histamine overload and what are the long term effects of this on the body? Which genes affect histamine levels and how can you best manage your histamine?
Before discussing histamine overload, it’s important to understand histamine itself. Histamine is a key immune system chemical released by mast cells at the body's interfaces with the outside world, such as the skin, gut, and respiratory tract. Think of the immune system as the body’s military, designed to defend against invaders.
Mast cells are like border guards, scanning for threats like viruses, bacteria, and even foreign substances that may pass through a compromised gut barrier. When histamine is released, it acts as an "alarm siren," signaling the immune system to deploy cells like cytokines to fight the invader.
What is Histamine Overload? Histamine overload occurs when there is either excessive production of histamine, as seen in conditions like mast cell activation syndrome, or when the body can’t break down histamine properly, leaving the siren continuously active. This leads to chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation.
Factors Contributing to Histamine Overload
- Genetic Variants in enzymes like DAO, HNMT, ALDH, and MAOA can impair histamine breakdown, leading to chronic inflammation.
- Gastrointestinal Disorders such as leaky gut and gastrointestinal infections reduce DAO availability and allow foreign substances to enter the body.
- Gut Microbiome Imbalance can increase histamine production if certain bacteria overgrow.
- Histamine-rich Foods like aged cheese, processed meats, and fermented foods (e.g., sauerkraut, canned fish) can exacerbate histamine overload.
- Alcohol inhibits DAO and can release histamine from tissues.
- Triggers like stress, allergens, medications (e.g., NSAIDs), and supplements (e.g., NAC) also play a role.
- Age can reduce DAO production, increasing the potential for histamine overload.
- Symptoms of Histamine Overload Common symptoms include headaches, migraines, flushing, itching, hives, gastrointestinal issues, nasal congestion, infertility, vertigo, anxiety, and blood pressure issues.
- Genetics of Histamine Overload
- DAO primarily breaks down histamine in the gut.
- HNMT works more broadly, especially in the brain, liver, and kidneys, where it regulates functions like sleep, appetite, and detoxification.
- MAOA degrades histamine in the brain, liver, and intestines, balancing histamine levels and preventing overstimulation of the nervous system.
- ALDH detoxifies aldehyde byproducts of histamine metabolism, helping with its breakdown.
Managing Histamine Overload
- Avoid high-histamine foods and manage stress.
- Support enzyme function by eating nutrient-rich foods containing vitamin C, B6, B12, folate, and iron.
- Incorporate cruciferous vegetables like broccoli sprouts to help upregulate enzymes.
- Histamine itself is not a problem and is necessary for proper immune functioning and signaling. Some people who have trouble managing histamine levels due to excessive exposure, genetics, poor diet, or other reasons, may develop symptoms associated with histamine overload. Histamine overload is a complex condition that requires a tailored, multi-faceted approach.
Key Takeaways for Managing Histamine Levels
1. Histamine overload happens not from excessive histamine production, but from the body’s impaired ability to break it down, leading to persistent symptoms linked to histamine accumulation.
2. Genes variants such as DAO, HNMT, MAOA and ALDH all contribute to a reduced ability to breakdown histamine.
3. Symptoms of histamine overload include headaches, migraines, flushing, itching, hives, gastrointestinal issues, nasal congestion, infertility, vertigo, anxiety, and blood pressure issues.
4. To manage histamine overload, avoid high-histamine foods and manage stress. Support enzyme function with nutrient-rich foods like those containing vitamin C, B6, B12, folate, and iron. Include cruciferous vegetables like broccoli sprouts to help boost enzyme activity.