If you have histamine intolerance symptoms such as headaches, itchy skin, hives, nasal congestion, bloating or flushing one of the best ways to help improve histamine intolerance symptoms is to support the enzymes involved in histamine metabolism including the DAO enzyme, which primarily resides in the gut and helps break down histamine from foods and gut, and the HNMT enzyme, which helps break down histamine inside the cells.
When it comes to improving histamine intolerance symptoms, a broad approach is necessary as there can be many reasons a person’s histamine bucket is full, including poor gut health. Histamine is produced by the immune system to combat pathogens, and optimal gut health is crucial to prevent pathogens from multiplying. Stomach acid, bile flow, and digestive enzyme secretion all play a role in preventing the overgrowth of pathogens that trigger the immune system to release histamine.
Best Diamine Oxidase Supplement for Histamine Intolerance
Following a strict histamine intolerance diet can help reduce reactions to high histamine foods, but for some people, that may not always be necessary long term. DAO (diamine oxidase) is an enzyme that helps break down histamine in the digestive tract and from foods before the body has to deal with it. Taking a DAO enzyme supplement shortly before eating high histamine foods may help support histamine metabolism and improve tolerance to foods that would otherwise trigger symptoms.
If you struggle with histamine intolerance symptoms and also have underlying gut imbalances, supporting the DAO enzyme may be especially helpful. DAO (diamine oxidase) is the primary enzyme responsible for breaking down histamine in the digestive tract and from foods before it can build up and trigger symptoms. Since histamine intolerance is commonly associated with gut issues such as dysbiosis, IBS, SIBO, and reduced gut integrity, lower DAO activity may make someone more reactive to high histamine foods even when those foods are otherwise healthy.
One of the biggest benefits of a DAO enzyme supplement is that it can allow you to eat small amounts of high histamine foods without triggering histamine symptoms. However this may vary for each individual depending on how histamine intolerant someone is.
DAO supplements do not block histamine or stop the body from producing histamine. Instead, they help metabolize histamine from food in the digestive tract while you work on addressing deeper contributors, such as gut infections, microbiome imbalances, poor digestion, and nutrient deficiencies involved in histamine metabolism. For many people, supporting DAO alongside improving gut health may be a more sustainable long term approach to histamine intolerance.
Additional Supplements to Reduce Histamine
One of the most well known supplements for histamine intolerance is vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant and can help stabilize mast cells, the immune cells responsible for releasing histamine. Supporting mast cell health may be especially helpful for symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, flushing, itchy skin, and other allergy-like symptoms associated with histamine intolerance.
Seeking Health’s Liposomal Vitamin C Plus combines vitamin C with phosphatidylcholine for enhanced delivery, along with supportive ingredients including quercetin, lutein, and citrus bioflavonoids.
Another helpful supplement to consider is ProBiota HistaminX, a histamine friendly probiotic designed to help break down excess histamine in the gut. Unlike some probiotic strains that may contribute to histamine production, ProBiota HistaminX contains strains selected for better tolerance in those with histamine issues and to support a healthier gut environment.
Certain probiotic strains, such as Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium longum, and Lactobacillus plantarum, have been associated with breaking down histamine and supporting a healthier microbial balance. By helping reduce excess histamine coming from the gut and supporting the integrity of the gut lining, histamine friendly probiotics may help improve symptoms such as bloating, headaches, itchy skin, congestion, and food reactions while supporting a more sustainable long term approach to dealing with histamine intolerance.
MTHFR and Histamine Intolerance
Another important root cause to consider with histamine intolerance is poor methylation. While DAO helps break down histamine in the digestive tract, the HNMT enzyme breaks it down inside cells and requires the methyl donor SAMe to function properly. Reduced methylation may lower the body’s ability to produce SAMe needed for histamine metabolism via the HNMT enzyme.
Certain genetic SNPs, such as MTHFR, along with low intake of nutrients involved in methylation, may make some individuals more prone to histamine intolerance symptoms. Key nutrients involved in methylation include folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, and magnesium. Supporting these nutrients through the diet and reducing sources of chronic inflammation can help support methylation and the production of SAMe for histamine metabolism.
Healing histamine intolerance is not always easy, as there are many pathways that support it and reasons why the immune system may be producing excess histamine. While following a histamine intolerance diet may help reduce symptoms short term, it is often not enough to address the deeper root causes. Supporting healthy histamine metabolism through the DAO and HNMT enzymes while improving gut health, reducing inflammation, supporting methylation, and optimizing nutrient status can provide a more sustainable long term approach.
Since histamine intolerance is often associated with gut imbalances such as dysbiosis, IBS, SIBO, poor digestion, nutrient deficiencies, and immune activation, a broad approach is often necessary. Supporting the body with targeted histamine intolerance supplements alongside improving digestion and restoring balance in the gut may help improve histamine metabolism and tolerance over time so that food becomes less of an enemy and the body becomes more resilient.
If you are looking for a simple low histamine recipe to get started, be sure to check out my low histamine mango smoothie. This refreshing smoothie is made with ingredients selected to be better tolerated by those with histamine intolerance and is an easy way to enjoy a nourishing snack while supporting your histamine intolerance diet.
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