DIETARY SUGGESTIONS FOR CLIENTS SUFFERING FROM HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE
The most important measure in response to histamine intolerance is a histamine reduced/histamine-free diet.
INTRODUCTION
Histamine is a tissue hormone found in many organs and cells in the human body. Most of it is produced in mast cells of the skin and in the cells of the gastric mucosa but many other cells in the body can produce histamine as well. Four different histamine receptors to which histamine can bind will help conduct various functions within the body. In the stomach histamine will regulate the secretion of stomach acid, H3 receptors in the nervous system will bind histamine to transmit nerve impulses and help regulate sleep rhythm. Histamine is best known, however, for its role in allergic reactions and immune responses.
Typical symptoms of an allergic reaction are swelling and inflammation of the skin, often with the appearance of hives and rashes, accompanied by itching and other symptoms like headaches, dizziness, runny nose. These symptoms are caused by blood vessel dilation and increased permeability of the capillaries. Increased heartbeat, asthmatic symptoms due to bronchoconstriction, digestive symptoms, formation of blood clots and eventually anaphylactic shock with the release of adrenaline are the more extreme symptoms excess histamine will cause.
Histamine is not only found in the human body, but also in many animal and plant foods. Therefore, the consumption of certain foods plays a significant role in histamine intolerance. If all histamine-containing foods would have to be eliminated, no metabolic balance nutrition plan can be generated.
Addressing the root cause of histamine intolerance is the focus and will usually help to relieve symptoms
VITAMIN B6 AND C
Vitamin B6 is presumably a coenzyme for diamine oxidase, an enzyme which catabolizes histamine. Insofar as a vitamin B6 deficiency is determined, the intake of 1/2 mg per day and kg of body weight is a sensible therapeutic measure. Even with a protein-rich diet, a higher intake of vitamin B6 is recommended, since vitamin B6 is necessary for catabolizing proteins. More significant than the vitamin B6 content is the ratio of vitamin B6 to protein; the quotient (vitamin B6/protein) of both should be as high as possible. In addition, it is presumed that vitamin C is doses ranging from 1-3 g daily can lower the histamine count.
In general, the histamine level can rise when foods and substances are consumed which
> contain large amounts of histamine > contain so-called histamine liberators 😊 substances which release histamine from bodily cells) > block the histamine-catabolizer enzyme diamine oxidase 😊 DAO) > contain further biogenic amines which are catabolized by the enzyme DAO with precedence before histamine
SUCH SUBSTANCES AND FOODS SHOULD BEE AVOIDED, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY.
In the following, you will find some examples:
Intolerable foods which have high histamine content ∙ Pickled/preserved foods ∙ Smoked meat, salami, ham, innards ∙ Many fish products, particularly canned fish ∙ Seafood ∙ Aged types of cheese (the longer the aging, the higher the histamine content) ∙ Some types of vegetables (eggplant, avocados, sauerkraut, spinach, tomatoes) ∙ Some types of fruits such as bananas, pears, red plums, kiwi, strawberries, raspberries ∙ all citrus fruits (e. g. orange, mandarin orange, grapefruit) ∙ All pickled vegetables preserved in cans/jars ∙ Beans and legumes (particularly chickpeas and soybeans, also peanuts) ∙ Soy products (soy milk, soy cream, tofu, soy sauce) ∙ Wheat products ∙ Certain types of beer such as wheat beer containing yeast, (red) wine ∙ Fruit and vegetable juices ∙ Lactose-free milk ∙ Black tea, coffee ∙ Chocolate, cocoa, marzipan, nougat, salty snacks, sweets with preservatives and/or colourings ∙ Nuts, walnuts, cashew kernels ∙ Yeast ∙ Wine vinegar (particularly red wine vinegar), table vinegar ∙ Hot seasonings (promote histamine absorption in the digestive tract
FOODS WHICH CAN UNSPECIFICALLY RELEASE HISTAMINE IN THE BODY 😊 HISTAMINE LIBERATORS, CONTAIN BIOGENIC AMINES
∙ Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit etc. ∙ Pineapple, bananas, pears, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, papaya, plums ∙ Fruit juices ∙ Nuts, particularly walnuts and cashews ∙ Avocado, mushrooms, tomatoes ∙ Legumes ∙ Wheat germ ∙ Cocoa and chocolate ∙ any potential additives such as e. g. glutamate, benzoates, sulfites nitrites
FOODS WHICH BLOCK THE HISTAMINE CATABOLIZER DIAMINE OXIDASE (DAO)
∙ Alcohol ∙ Cocoa ∙ Black and green tea ∙ Paraguay tea ∙ Energy drinks (those which contain theobromine)
ADDITIVES WITH HISTAMINE
∙ Dyes: Tartrazine (E 102), chinoline yellow (E-102), yellow-orange S (E 110), azorubine (E 122), amaranth (E 123), cochenille red A (E 124), erythrosine (E 127) ∙ Preservatives: Ascorbic acid and salts (E 200-203), benzoic acid and salts (E 210-213), PHB ester (E 220-227), dipheyl and orthaphenyl (E 231-232), thrabenrudazol (E 223) ∙ Others: Nitrates (E 251-252), glutamates (E 620-625) ∙ Acid regulators (di-, tri- and polyphosphates) ∙ Antioxidants: Butylhydroxianisol (BHA), butyl droxitoluol (BHT)
LOW-HISTAMINE FOODS
Due to further possibly existing sensitivities, please note that the low histamine content of a certain type of food by itself does not yet provide any conclusive indication as to the respective tolerability for the affected person.
∙ Meat (fresh, chilled, frozen) ∙ Fish (fresh or deep-frozen) ∙ Cream cheese ∙ Fresh fruit: Apples, apricots, huckleberries/whortleberries (=blueberries), currants, cherries, khaki, litschi, mango, melon, lingonberries ∙ Fresh vegetables: Broccoli, green lettuce, cucumber, lamb‘s lettuce, various types of cabbage, red beets, squash/pumpkin, onion, radishes, white radish, bell peppers, carrots, potatoes, garlich, leeks, corn, rhubarb, asparagus, zucchini ∙ cereal, pasta (spelt, corn and rice noodles, unleavened rye brad, corn-rice crispbread, rice, oatmeal,rice waffles Corn/rice/millet meal ∙ Milk substitutes (rice, oat, coconut milk) ∙ all fruit juices not containing citrus, all vegetable juices (except sauerkraut) ∙ Herbal tea ∙ Bottom-fermented beer, clear types of schnapps (vodka, rum etc.), white wines ∙ Green tea ∙ Egg yolk
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS IN MEDICATIONS WHICH BLOCK DAO
∙ Acetylcysteine: e. g. in Aeromuc, Pulmovent ∙ Ambroxol: e. g. in Ambrobene, Ambroxol, Mucosolvan, Mucospas ∙ Aminophyllin: e. g. in myocardon, euphylliine ∙ Clavulanice acid: e. g. in Augmentan ∙ Metamizol: e. g. in Buscopan comp., Novalgin ∙ Metoclopramide: e. g. in Pasertin, Ceolat comp. ∙ Verapamil: e. g. in Isoptin
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS IN MEDICATIONS WHICH RELEASE HISTAMINE
∙ Mefenaminic acid: e. g. in Parkemed ∙ Diclofenac: e. g. in Deflamat, Diclobene, Voltaren, Neodolpasse, Neurofenac ∙ Naproxen: e. g. in Proxen, Miranax ∙ Acetylsalicylic acid e. g. in aspirin ∙ X-ray contrast agents ∙ Opiates
SUITABLE MEDICATIONS
∙ for relieving pain, e. g. Mexalen or Seractil; exercise caution in the use of non-steroidal anti-rheumatic agents (NSAR) such as e. g. Voltaren ∙ well-tolerable antibiotics such as Erythromycin/Erythrocin; exercise caution in the use of Augmentan (see »Active ingredients in medications«)
BIOGENIC AMINES ∙ Adrenaline ∙ Carnitine ∙ Dopamine ∙ Melatonin ∙ Noradrenaline ∙ Octopamine ∙ Serotonin ∙ Putrescin ∙ Tartracine ∙ Tyramine
*IMPORTANT NOTICE:
The Metabolic Balance® diet plan intentionally refrains from excluding any potentially questionable foods, since the level of tolerability for foods is often highly varied. Since not all aff ected persons react in the same way to diff erent foods, it is recommended to also attentively observe your own reactions for your own benefi t. This is how you can fi nd out step by step which foods are not well-tolerable and should therefore be avoided – or which ones benefi t the body. A nutritional diary or protocol in which daily meals and the individual ingredients (along with the level of tolerability) are noted down can serve as an aid in this process.