Histamine intolerance (HIT) is more common than we think and can cause allergic reactions, swelling, tiredness and feelings of general malaise and difficulty losing weight. It can also manifest as eczema, itching and redness of the skin, migraines or heart palpitations. Histamine intolerance is caused by the body’s inability to tolerate or break down the histamine naturally present in some foods. By eating a low-histamine diet, you can be free of symptoms and feel better than you have in a long time. But the most important thing is to get rid of what’s causing the problems: SIBO – an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. It affects between 50-90% of people today and this article describes the appropriate treatment.

Histamine is a natural substance in all allergic reactions and helps the immune system defend itself against foreign substances. Histamine intolerance occurs when the body absorbs too much histamine from food, due to a lack of the enzyme DAO or poor enzyme function. The body is then unable to process and break down the histamine already present in food or triggered by certain foods.

Update 2022-12-12:

The cause of Histamine Intolerance is often SIBO – overgrowth of bacteria in the upper small intestine (they should be in the colon). It forms harmful biofilms and prevents nutrient absorption as well as producing harmful substances. SIBO is a major hidden problem, and half of the people in Sweden have SIBO according to the doctors’ gut flora analysis at Gutfeeling labs and 90 percent according to the FunMed clinic (which does exhalation analysis). I got rid of my histamine problems completely with a combination of new methods and preparations: 1-2 Saltwater Flushes and then a course of GutClear, which consists of four effective herbs. Many others have had very good results and clearly reduced problems or completely free of problems as I am now. NOTE I do not recommend anything to anyone, this is a general experience and these are new methods. Everything is done at your own risk, consult experts in medicine or health in case of uncertainty.

• With the code MAGENSJUL you get 50% discount all December 2022 GutClear. Is not a collaboration but highlights a good, new Swedish health product.

NOTE! stop taking capsules with probiotics when you want to get rid of SIBO, because they help create the problem. Better to eat yogurt with granola or sauerkraut when it is cleared, so the lactobacteria are in their normal environment with lactic acid and fiber. Alternatively, open the capsule, dissolve in a little water and take in rectally – because they should be in the colon, the large intestine. Too little of the bacteria in the capsules really reaches down through 5-7 meters of intestine.

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Continued from original blog, first published on 2017-11-18:

The enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) breaks down and destroys food histamine, and is found in the small intestine. DAO deficiency can be congenital or acquired. It can be caused by poor gut flora, SIBO and high alcohol consumption. But it can also be caused by medications such as painkillers, asthma medicines, expectorants, antihypertensives or antibiotics.

I discovered in early 2017 that I can’t tolerate histamine in food, and eating a histamine-free diet has made a huge difference to my health, energy levels and well-being. For me, it’s probably hereditary, because my mother showed the same symptoms as she got older. I stopped drinking alcohol in 2015 and it was amazingly good for my whole system. I can highly recommend trying this!

Now is the time to introduce new concepts in Sweden – and a lot of people will be helped by eating a histamine-free diet.

Symptoms of HIT

• Gastrointestinal problems – nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, abdominal pain, gas, bloating and occasional diarrhea.
• Skin problems – eczema, hives, hot flush, itching and redness.
• Headaches and migraines
• Chronic fatigue
• In childhood and adolescence, DAO deficiency has been linked to concentration problems and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Asthma-like symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing and runny nose.
• Palpitations, heart arrhythmias, drop in blood pressure, dizziness, burning sensation in the mouth and throat.

How common is HIT?

It is unclear how many people currently have HIT, but in the UK it is estimated that 2% of the population have severe histamine intolerance and up to 10% have some reaction to histamine-containing foods. This compares with around 15% of the Swedish population having some form of food intolerance or food allergy (not including histamine intolerance).

In Sweden, histamine intolerance is unfortunately very unknown, and it can be difficult to get help in the health care system because there is often a lack of tests and experts in the field. (Reference to analysis is at the bottom.)

Which foods contain histamine?

Foods that are ripened or stored for longer periods have high levels of histamine. In addition, a range of foods act as so-called histamine releasersas they also release histamine in the gut. Examples of these are:

• Alcohol, especially red wine and sparkling wine (champagne)
• Fish, fish sauces and seafood, – especially tuna, mackerel, sardines. Avoid all canned fish.
• Vinegar and vinegar-containing foods such as dressings, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard
• Tofu and soy sauce
• Sausages and cold cuts e.g. ham, salami, bacon
• Smoked meat products – salami, ham, sausages
• Cheese and fondues
• Pickled or preserved food including sauerkraut
• Nightshade plants (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants) as well as spinach and arugula.
• Different types of fruit (e.g. strawberries, pineapples and bananas)
• Beans, chickpeas, soybeans and peanuts
• Mushrooms and quorn
• Dried fruit, nuts, seeds
• Ready meals
• Yeast extract, yeast
• Salty snacks (chips type)
• Sweets with preservatives and artificial colors
• Chocolate and other cocoa-based products, cola

There are also foods that contain Diamine Oxidase (DAO) blockers, and these are alcohol, black tea, energy drinks, green tea, mate tea.

There are also histamine releasers, i.e. foods that release additional histamine in the small intestine. Examples of these food groups are alcohol, especially red wine and champagne, cheese, seafood, fish and fish sauces, raw and smoked meat sausages (e.g. salami), fruit (especially kiwi, lime, pineapple, mango, plum, papaya, strawberries), citrus fruits, additives – benzoate, sulphites, nitrite, glutamate, food colors, wheat germ, nuts.

• Read at the bottom that common medications, symptom suppressants of various kinds cause histamine problems.

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General advice: avoid histamine foods

Histamine levels in foods vary depending on how ripe, mature or hygienic the food is. Avoid or reduce eating mature and fermented foods (aged cheeses, alcoholic beverages, products containing yeast, not quite fresh fish).

Stay away from or avoid eating canned foods and ready meals. Buy and eat fresh products as much as you can. Learn to cook – and cook from raw ingredients.

Eat only fresh food because histamine is formed all the time except in the freezer.

Food hygiene is also important. Make sure your cooking area (kitchen) is always kept clean (don’t get manic though). Do not leave food outside the fridge – especially meat products. Histamine is formed all the time except in the freezer. Therefore, it is important to always freeze leftovers immediately after cooking instead of storing them in the fridge.

You can also take a tablet with added DAO. However, it is advisable to change your diet and avoid histamine foods.

FACTS: Biogenic amines (histamine, tryptamine, tyramine, serotonin, phenylethylamine) are produced when amino acids are converted (decarboxylated) into different amines. This occurs during bacterial activity as part of the natural process of breaking down organic matter. Fish, meat and dairy products are particularly prone to the accumulation of biogenic amines. Mackerel or tuna stored in a jar with an open lid contains very large amounts of histamine after a few days. (From Wikipedia)

Low histamine diet

The solution is to eat foods that are low in histamine, or as low in histamine as possible. Fresh and cooked from non-processed food.

Foods with low histamine levels:

• Fresh meat (chilled or frozen)
• Freshly caught fish
• Chicken (skinned and fresh)
• Egg yolk and well cooked egg white
• Fresh fruits – with the exception of strawberries, kiwi, lime, pineapple, mango, plum, papaya.
• Fresh vegetables – with the exception of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, spinach, arugula.
• Gluten-free and puffed rice cakes (however, it is fast carbohydrates so be careful with it)
• Coconut milk, rice milk
• Fresh cheese feta cheese made from sheep and goat feta cheese can work
• Butter and ghee
• Most vegetable cold-pressed cooking oils.
• Most green leaf herbs (check suitability before use)
• herbal tea

Could possibly work: Yogurt – depends on bacteria culture used, Egg white that is well cooked, because it is a histamine releaser only in its raw state.

According to histamine lists, you can eat fresh cow’s milk products and some cereals like barley, but since cow’s milk and cereals increase the risk of autoimmune diseases, I cannot recommend this.

DAO test: Analysis of a blood sample measures the activity of the DAO present in the blood and evaluates the degree of histamine intolerance. Then you must not be on a histamine-free diet. Analysis can be done via, for example, Amado Medical.

Stress and hormone balance

Reducing stress, meditating and relaxing are important. Cortisol is our stress protector, and it is built by progesterone. But progesterone is needed to keep DAO levels at a good and high level. So a lack of progesterone creates a lack of DAO. Too much oestrogen also reduces DAO. Beans, lentils, legumes and dairy products increase estrogen – which reduces DAO.

There is also a link to thyroid function. Progesterone is needed to convert the energy storage hormone T4 (thyroxine) into its active form T3 (triiodothyronine) to regulate the body’s metabolism. This happens in the liver, kidney and other organs. If you are under a lot of stress and anxiety, progesterone is used to make cortisol, and then you feel low in energy because your body can’t convert T4 into the energy form T3. This makes the DAO decrease even more.

Hormonal imbalance, histamine and DAO are thus linked. So relaxing activities and dietary changes can improve a lot!

Did you know that medicines cause histamine problems?

How many people know that common medications can cause histamine problems in the body? Drugs that can affect the production of DAO are acid blockers, antidepressants and immunosuppressants. Other medications such as hormone replacement and statins reduce the amount of available nutrients needed to produce DAO.

This means that painkillers, asthma medication, acid blockers, expectorants, antihypertensives, antibiotics, etc., i.e. medication taken to help your problem, can instead make it worse. Give secondary symptoms for which you get new medicine, and so it all gradually gets worse.

Welcome to your new life!

Here are ways to identify histamine intolerance, causes and a few possible solutions. It is important to clear out any presence of SIBO and also make dietary changes. A lot of food disappears in a transitional phase, but then you are less sensitive and can see what you can tolerate. My general advice is to avoid all industrially processed foods, smoked and fermented foods, canned foods, sugary foods, gluten and cow’s milk products, as well as nightshade plants (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant).

The Green Diet can work well as long as you leave out the spinach and arugula. The health benefits far outweigh the effort it takes to change your diet, and it is so much tastier! A high proportion of carnivorous foods may be very appropriate.

I would like to point out that the histamine content depends on the quality and handling of the food substance, and for example, some organic cocoa is fine but not the usual, alkaline-treated cocoa. It is good to learn muscle testing and test yourself or the food, to test if your system can tolerate it.

I am convinced that many of the diffuse symptoms that exist today with bad stomachs, fatigue, exhaustion, allergies etc, which cannot be directly traced to any dysfunction in organs – are due precisely to HIT – histamine intolerance. You can do an analysis for 950 SEK – or do Saltwater Flusher, take GutClear and at the same time change your diet and you will notice if it works. Listen to how your body reacts. Feel free to tell me about it in the comment field below. (NOTE most comments from before I presented possible solution).

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• Read more in Sannas Fastebok
• Read more about SIBO – Having bacteria in the wrong gut
• The SIGHI list is the most complete for histamine intolerance.
• Note the bear in the picture has nothing to do with histamine, he just conveys a feeling.