Causes And Treatment Of Histamine Intolerance

by Sydney Health Wellness Centre Joanne Kennedy Naturopathy

Histamine can also be released from cells due to an increase in inflammatory cytokines, certain medications, certain foods, chemicals and physical stimuli.

Histamine intolerance occurs in certain people due to an inability to detoxify histamine. There are two ways the body detoxifies histamine; via the DAO enzyme in the gastrointestinal tract and via the HNMT enzyme which requires adequate availability of a methyl group.

Histamine can build up in the body due to:

1. Genetic DAO enzyme deficiency

2. DAO enzyme being saturated with histamine and not being able to clear it effectively via the gastrointestinal tract. Oversaturation of histamine can be caused by:

Allergic reaction
Tissue injury
Inflammation
Autoimmunity
Gut infections (bacteria and parasites)
Over consumption of high histamine foods (aged and fermented foods)
Oestrogen increases the release of histamine and decreases DAO enzyme activity
Deficiency of DAO enzyme cofactors including Vitamin B6, Vitamin C and copper
Methylation issues (MTHFR gene mutation)
HNMT gene mutation
DAO gene mutation

Signs and symptoms of histamine intolerance include:

Hives (urticaria)
Itchy skin (pruritus)
Tissue swelling (oedema)
Low blood pressure
Fast pulse/heart racing or tachycardia
Headaches and migraines
Hayfever and sinusitis
Anxiety
Insomnia
Hyperacidity in the stomach and reflux
Nausea
Diarrhoea
Vertigo
Burning sensation in the stomach
Dysmenorrhea (painful periods)

Histamine Intolerance Treatment through natural medicine:

Reducing foods high histamine is one of the first steps in reducing the amount of histamine in the body. Foods high in histamine include shell fish, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, olives, aged cheeses and cured meats.

Correcting any gut issues which may include eliminating any bacteria or parasites that release histamine into the body. Sydney Naturopath has had great success in treating people with histamine intolerance by healing their gut issues.

Correcting any methylation pathway issues to ensure the HNMT gene is working optimally. Naturopath Sydney has had great success in treating people with histamine intolerance by correcting methylation and MTHFR gene mutation issues

Addressing any inflammatory conditions such as autoimmune thyroid (Hashimotos and Graves Disease) is very important for reducing histamine.

Supporting liver detoxification of oestrogens is recommended for treatment of women’s hormones Sydney as too much oestrogen will increase histamine in the body.

Histamine is a biogenic amine that is released by basophils and mast cells in response to injury and in allergic reactions. Its role it to mediate inflammation which will cause an increase in vasodilation and vascular permeability to facilitate the infiltration of white blood cells to the site of injury for repair.