Alcohol and histamine intolerance
A glass of red wine, a cold beer, a sparkling Aperol in the evening – for many people, this is a normal pleasure. Especially, there are many social occasions where alcohol plays a significant and almost natural role. However, some people experience symptoms afterward, such as a blocked nose or sweating. So, is there an alcohol allergy? You can find out here what this has to do with histamine intolerance.
Alcohol and Histamine (Intolerance)
Alcohol in general is, among other things, a histamine liberator. This means alcohol promotes the release of the body's own histamine without you actively consuming histamine.
Additionally, alcohol is considered a DAO blocker – it blocks the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO), which breaks down histamine. If this enzyme is blocked, histamine cannot be properly broken down in the gut and is more likely to enter the bloodstream.
Speaking of the gut: alcohol also increases the permeability of the intestinal mucosa – keyword Leaky Gut – which in turn means that histamine increasingly enters the body through the intestinal mucosa. This can cause the gut to react with constipation, diarrhea, or abdominal pain.
Alcoholic beverages often contain yeasts, sulfur and sulfites, as well as additives or preservatives. These ingredients are often incompatible for people with histamine intolerance.
What's more: alcohol is a liquid. Liquids are absorbed more easily by the body than solid food, and thus histamine is also absorbed more quickly.
Finally, another important point – alcohol dilates blood vessels. This can lead to an intensification of existing symptoms.
Symptoms after alcohol consumption
Typical symptoms after drinking alcohol include:
- Headaches
- Gastrointestinal complaints, diarrhea, nausea
- Runny or blocked nose
- Sweating
- Skin redness/red face/flush
- Cardiovascular problems, such as dizziness
Do I have to completely abstain from alcohol?
Our recommendation here is: Yes! We actually recommend limiting alcohol consumption as much as possible, as it negatively affects the gastrointestinal tract. Another incredibly important fact is that the liver is additionally burdened. This is because it is responsible for breaking down alcohol in the body. And the liver also contains an enzyme that is involved in the breakdown of histamine: histamine-N-methyltransferase.
However, abstinence is not an absolute must. This is because every body reacts with a different tolerance to histamine and also to alcohol. This means that if you pay attention to a few things, you can occasionally have an alcoholic drink.
Even if we recommend avoiding alcohol as much as possible, special occasions cannot always be avoided. For exactly such exceptional situations, we have developed our DaoFit. It contains vegan DAO from pea sprout powder, as well as vitamin C from acerola and quercetin, and is a practical supplement before histamine-rich meals or drinks.
Lieferzeit: 2-3 Tage
Tips for alcohol consumption
We have summarized some tips for you to keep in mind if you don't want to abstain from alcohol:
- If you drink alcohol, pay particular attention to a low-histamine diet before and after.
- Drink plenty of still water (more than you already do), as histamine is water-soluble.
- Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach.
- Always consume only small amounts of alcohol.
- Since mast cells also play a major role here, you should provide your body with nutrients.
- A liver or gut cleanse can generally improve your tolerance. Therefore, it makes sense to regularly perform cleanses, especially with alcohol consumption.
Which alcohol for histamine intolerance?
Now we would like to give you an overview of which alcoholic beverages are absolute histamine bombs that should be avoided and which alcohol is better suited instead.
Alcoholic beverages – high in histamine
- Red wine
- Mulled wine
- Champagne
- some types of white wine
- Cider
- Sparkling wine
- Liqueurs: e.g., Baileys, herbal liqueur, Sambuca
- Brandy
- Top-fermented beers: e.g., Altbier, Ale, wheat beer, malt beer
- Aged spirits: e.g., Absinthe, whiskey, dark rum, cognac
- Cocktails and long drinks: e.g., Pina Colada, Cuba Libre, Aperol Spritz, Gin and Tonic
Alcoholic beverages – lower in histamine
- Clear spirits: e.g., vodka, gin, white rum, grain alcohol, fruit brandy
- Bottom-fermented beers: e.g., pilsner, light beer
- Low-histamine wines or sparkling wines
There are now several providers that produce low-histamine sparkling wine or wine. Here you can try out what tastes good to you and what you tolerate. Please always pay attention to your individual tolerance level. If your body tolerates low-histamine wine occasionally, for example, this is certainly a good way to enjoy a glass of wine now and then.
Important: Please note that there is NO histamine-free alcohol – even if some manufacturers declare it as such.
Since alcohol is mainly broken down in the liver, this organ is particularly challenged. Our MetaFit combines choline, vitamin C from acerola, and selected bitter substances from milk thistle, dandelion root, and coriander. Choline contributes to the maintenance of normal liver function, while vitamin C, among other things, contributes to normal energy metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Lieferzeit: 2-3 Tage
