Test blog

A recognized cause of histamine intolerance comes from reduced activity or deficiency of the enzyme system (diamine oxidase – DAO) that is responsible for processing histamines in the body and keeping them maintained in a healthy range. Without adequate DAO control, histamine does not break down at a sufficient rate and instead accumulates to create more severe problems, such as an increase in symptoms that may mimic allergic reactions The journal, Histamine and Histamine Intolerance, describes this phenomena as a “disequilibrium of accumulated histamine and the capacity for histamine degradation.” For example, an oral administration of histamine after the inhibition of DAO can induce severe and life-threatening allergy-like reactions.

As another example, when a person who is histamine intolerant is exposed to high histamine levels from certain food sources that cause a dramatic reaction, it can be confused with food poisoning. The types of symptoms exhibited from both are very similar – each can lead to digestive issues, nausea, and vomiting, severe headaches, migraines.

Knowing the difference between a food allergy and histamine intolerance can take time and discovering a histamine intolerance can take even longer. Typically, to find out whether someone is histamine intolerant, they must follow a strict histamine-free diet. Once completing the diet for a set amount of time, the person will either notice a remarkable difference or no change at all. If there is no change, it could mean that the problem lies somewhere else in the body, or there is an imbalance of another chemical.