Histamine intolerance can impact your well-being. Find out what it is and how to address it in your daily life.
Table of Contents
How often does your stomach experience pain or have a burning sensation after eating food? Does your skin feel warm and itchy after eating a certain food? Or have you noticed that you are sneezing constantly, which causes your upper muscles to start to ache? Many individuals experiencing these situations could be dealing with a histamine attack affecting their bodies and immune systems. In todayβs article, we will look at histamineβs role in the body and its symptoms, what causes histamine intolerance, and strategic dietary interventions that may help reduce histamine-related reactions in the body.
Β
When it comes to the human body, the immune system is the bodyβs first line of defense against any foreign invaders in the body. Histamine plays an essential role in the human body. As a chemical messenger, it helps regulate immune and inflammatory responses and stomach acid secretion and acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Itβs naturally produced byΒ mast cells, basophils, and certain neuronsΒ and is also found in many foods. Histamine binds to histamine receptors (H1, H2, H3, and H4) throughout the body. (Patel & Mohiuddin, 2025) These receptors mediate processes such as:
In short, histamine is essential for maintaining homeostasis and defending against pathogens. However, balance is key. Excessive histamineβespecially when the body canβt efficiently degrade itβleads to symptoms commonly mistaken for allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, or hormone imbalance.
Β
Histamine intolerance is not a true allergy. Instead, it refers to aΒ reduced ability to break down histamineΒ in the body, often due to insufficient levels of the enzymesΒ diamine oxidase (DAO)Β orΒ histamine-N-methyltransferase (HNMT), both of which are responsible for metabolizing histamine. (Comas-Baste et al., 2020) When these enzymes are impaired or overwhelmed, histamine accumulates and causes a cascade of symptoms that may be chronic, intermittent, or situational, depending on dietary intake, gut health, hormone levels, and environmental factors.
Β
Histamine intolerance affects multiple systems, often making it difficult to diagnose when individuals are undergoing treatment. This is because histamine is a potent inflammatory mediator associated with allergic reactions, causing vascular and tissue changes in the body. (Branco et al., 2018) Symptoms may vary from mild to severe and can include:
Β
If symptoms improve with a low-histamine diet or DAO supplementation, this may point toward histamine intolerance.
The most direct cause is a deficiency or dysfunction in the enzymesΒ DAOΒ (in the gut) orΒ HNMTΒ (in tissues), which are responsible for breaking down histamine.
When the gut microbiome becomes imbalanced with environmental factors, it can lead to increased histamine production by certain bacteria and reduced DAO activity, especially in cases of:
This is because gut bacteria play a crucial role in the body, providing food digestion and immune activation, and regulating the entero-endocrine signaling pathways to ensure the body works properly. (Dicks, 2022)
Variants in genes encoding DAO or HNMT enzymes may reduce their function, increasing susceptibility to histamine intolerance.
Vitamin B6, copper, and vitamin C deficiencyβall cofactors for DAO activityβcan impair histamine metabolism.
Several medications are known to block DAO or trigger histamine release, such as:
Estrogen can inhibit DAO, which explains why many women experience worsened histamine symptoms during PMS, pregnancy, or estrogen-dominant conditions like PCOS or endometriosis.
To manage histamine intolerance, aΒ low-histamine dietΒ is often a first-line approach. Common high-histamine or histamine-liberating foods include:
This is because environmental factors like eating various foods can lead to food intolerances, thus causing histamine accumulation. (Jochum, 2024)
A well-structured anti-histamine diet should include foods that are low in histamine and supportΒ DAO activity and gut health. Β A low histamine diet can reduce the chances of histamine reactions by eliminating foods that contain histamine and cause responses in the body. (Sanchez-Perez et al., 2021) Here are some food categories that may help minimize histamine burden:
These help stabilize mast cells and reduce histamine release:
When finding a holistic approach for reducing histamine intolerance, many healthcare professionals can devise a customized treatment plan to assess the individual. Β Histamine intolerance often exists alongside broader systemic dysfunctions such as:
In addressing histamine intolerance, itβs important to:
Histamine intolerance is often misdiagnosed or overlooked, yet it can profoundly affect quality of life in many individuals. By understanding the symptoms, identifying contributing factors, and making strategic dietary and lifestyle changes, many patients experience significant relief. As with any chronic condition,Β bio-individuality matters. What triggers one person may be completely benign to another. The path to healing often involves trial and error, careful observation, and sometimes professional guidance. Individuals dealing with a histamine intolerance can have a customized holistic treatment plan to restore balance and improve their health from the inside out.
We associate with certified medical providers who understand the importance of assessing individuals with histamine intolerances affecting their bodies. When asking important questions to our associatedΒ medical providers, we advise patients to incorporate small changes in their routine to reduce the chances of aggravating histamine symptoms from affecting the body.Β Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., uses this information as an academic service. Disclaimer.
Branco, A. C. C. C., Yoshikawa, F. S. Y., Pietrobon, A. J., & Sato, M. N. (2018). Role of Histamine in Modulating the Immune Response and Inflammation. Mediators of Inflammation, 2018, 1-10. doi.org/10.1155/2018/9524075
Comas-Baste, O., Sanchez-Perez, S., Veciana-Nogues, M. T., Latorre-Moratalla, M., & Vidal-Carou, M. D. C. (2020). Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art. Biomolecules, 10(8). doi.org/10.3390/biom10081181
Dicks, L. M. T. (2022). Gut Bacteria and Neurotransmitters. Microorganisms, 10(9), 1838. doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10091838
Jochum, C. (2024). Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Beyond. Nutrients, 16(8), 1219. doi.org/10.3390/nu16081219
Patel, R. H., & Mohiuddin, S. S. (2025). Biochemistry, Histamine. In StatPearls. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32491722
Sanchez-Perez, S., Comas-Baste, O., Veciana-Nogues, M. T., Latorre-Moratalla, M. L., & Vidal-Carou, M. C. (2021). Low-Histamine Diets: Is the Exclusion of Foods Justified by Their Histamine Content? Nutrients, 13(5). doi.org/10.3390/nu13051395
Professional Scope of Practice *
The information on this blog site is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
Blog Information & Scope Discussions
Welcome to El Paso's Premier Wellness and Injury Care Clinic & wellness blog, where Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, FNP-C, a board-certified Family Practice Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) and Chiropractor (DC), presents insights on how our team is dedicated to holistic healing and personalized care. Our practice aligns with evidence-based treatment protocols inspired by integrative medicine principles, similar to those found on this site and our family practice-based chiromed.comΒ site, focusing on restoring health naturally for patients of all ages.
Our areas of chiropractic practice include Β Wellness & Nutrition, Chronic Pain, Personal Injury, Auto Accident Care, Work Injuries, Back Injury, Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, Migraine Headaches, Sports Injuries, Severe Sciatica, Scoliosis, Complex Herniated Discs, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, Complex Injuries, Stress Management, Functional Medicine Treatments, and in-scope care protocols.
Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicine, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.
We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research studies or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies that are available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how they may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to discuss the subject matter above further, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.
We are here to help you and your family.
Blessings
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, APRN, FNP-BC*, CCST, IFMCP, CFMP, ATN
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807
New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182
Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Texas & MultistateΒ
Texas RN License # 1191402Β
ANCC FNP-BC: Board Certified Nurse Practitioner*
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*
Graduate with Honors: ICHS: MSN-FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)
Degree Granted. Masters in Family Practice MSN Diploma (Cum Laude)
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC*, CFMP, IFMCP, ATN, CCST
My Digital Business Card
Β
Β
Can bone growth stimulators help promote bone healing in cases where fractures or fusions fail… Read More
Can incorporating sauerkraut into one's diet help promote healthy gut bacteria? Sauerkraut Sauerkraut, a fermented… Read More
Perimenopause can be challenging. Find valuable insights and tips for navigating this important phase of… Read More
Why do the muscles retighten days or weeks later for individuals who have received massage… Read More
Can pace running help runners concentrate on other things, like breathing, form, or mental toughness?… Read More
What is the body's center of gravity to understand and maintain a healthy posture and… Read More