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Why a low-histamine diet concerns us all

This article explains why a low-histamine diet is not only essential for people with histamine intolerance, but can also be beneficial for people with inflammatory diseases, allergies, or irritable bowel syndrome, for example.

As nutrition experts who are themselves affected by histamine intolerance, we deal with low-histamine diets on a daily basis – not only in an enjoyable way, but above all in a scientific way.

Here's what we found during our research:

Histamine acts in the body as an inflammatory mediator and is responsible for immune responses. When a reaction occurs, histamine is released from mast cells, which in turn can lead to further reactions or symptoms. A low-histamine diet can stabilize mast cells, which can reduce the release of histamine from mast cells—and thus, for example, inflammatory processes and immune responses.

Hokkaido pumpkin

Mast cell activation, histamine and inflammation

Mast cells are found, among other places, in the skin and the gastrointestinal tract (*1) and are involved in defending against pathogens, neutralizing toxins, and triggering allergic reactions (*2). Upon activation, they release bioactive substances (histamine, enzymes, and heparin) and newly synthesized cytokines, chemokines, and lipid metabolites. (*3) These mediators can be involved in various disease processes that extend beyond an allergic reaction.
For example, irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, inflammatory bowel diseases and intestinal infections.(*3,4)

But how could it come to this?
If the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO), responsible for breaking down histamine, is not produced in sufficient quantities, histamine levels can rise – potentially leading to histamine intolerance, chronic inflammation, or mast cell activation syndrome. High concentrations of histamine can trigger allergic symptoms such as hives, swelling, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, or severe diarrhea.

In all these symptom patterns (*5), a histamine-reduced or anti-inflammatory diet can have a supportive effect:

  • Allergies
  • migraine
  • asthma
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Stomach and intestinal inflammation (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease)
  • Skin diseases (e.g. acne or neurodermatitis)
  • osteoporosis
  • Thyroid disorders
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Osteoarthritis
  • rheumatism
  • Bechterew's disease

The low-histamine diet

The first step in treating histamine intolerance should therefore always be to stabilize mast cells and support the normal function of the DAO enzyme. Examples of foods that stabilize mast cells (and are low in histamine) include apples, watercress, and moringa.

Classic antihistamines also aim to stabilize mast cells and thereby reduce the symptoms of allergic or inflammatory diseases.


*Studies:

  • Lorentz A, Sellge G, Bischoff SC. Isolation and characterization of human intestinal mast cells. Methods Mol Biol. 2015;1220:163-177. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1568-2_11
  • DeBruin EJ, Gold M, Lo BC, et al. Mast cells in human health and disease. Methods Mol Biol. 2015;1220:93-119. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1568-2_7
  • Zhang L, Song J, Hou X. Mast cells and irritable bowel syndrome: from the bench to the bedside. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2016;22(2):181-192. doi:10.5056/jnm15137
  • Wilder-Smith CH, Drewes AM, Materna A, Olesen SS. Symptoms of mast cell activation syndrome in functional gastrointestinal disorders.
  • Scand J Gastroenterol. 2019;54(11):1322-1325. doi:10.1080/00365521.2019.1686059
  • Food as an inflammatory agent, Sabine Koch https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/a-0895-1956

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