Testing for HISTAMINE in feces, blood, or urine

What is HISTAMINE?

Histamine is a biogenic amine produced by bacteria during fermentation, storage, or decay that accumulates in mast cells and is secreted upon activation. As a vasoactive mediator, it plays a dominant role in allergic conditions such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever), allergic bronchial asthma and urticaria.
Histamine is also associated with so-called pseudo-allergies to drugs, food additives and other substances. In addition to being secreted by mast cells in allergic processes, it enters the body with food intake. It occurs in our food as a by-product of the fermentation of histidine, which is a form of protein. This is exactly one of the explanations for where histamines are found – in foods and drinks that have undergone fermentation. These are kefir, sauerkraut, red wine, grapes, cheeses and cheeses, including blue cheese, Emmental and Gouda.

What is histamine intolerance?

Approximately 1% of the population experiences adverse reactions to what is considered a “normal level” of histamine in food. This increased sensitivity is called histamine intolerance. It develops when there is both an increased availability of histamine in the body and a decreased activity of the enzymes that break down histamine and remove it from the body.

This defect is thought to be caused primarily by previous gastrointestinal disease and/or has a genetic signature. The main histamine enzyme in the gut is diamine oxidase (DAO), while areas such as the skin, spinal cord, lungs and other organs rely on an enzyme called histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT).

So an individual with histamine intolerance will have low levels of DAO or HNMT (or both), which can lead to an accumulation of excess histamine in the blood plasma.

What then causes histamines to accumulate?

Some reasons why you may have lower DAO levels and higher histamine levels include:

• Certain drugs that block DAO production, including antibiotics;
  Gastrointestinal disorders such as leaky gut syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis);
• Foods high in histamine and foods that trigger histamine release;

Signs and symptoms of histamine intolerance

Although the symptoms appear similar to an allergy, they do not involve an IgE-mediated response and are therefore not allergic reactions (hence the term intolerance).

Of course, there is no way to know this until you rule out allergy through testing. The onset and severity of symptoms of histamine intolerance vary greatly from person to person, but common complaints include:

• Redness and headache;
• Respiratory problems, including asthma, runny or stuffy nose;
• Skin conditions such as rashes, dermatitis, hives or eczema;
• Stomach problems such as nausea, reflux, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea;
• Dizziness, low blood pressure, and a racing pulse.

What to do if you have histamine intolerance

Histamine intolerance can be difficult to distinguish as many foods contain histamine and in some people their gut bacteria produce the excess histamine that causes the symptoms. Fermented foods are one of the biggest culprits as even beneficial bacteria produce histamine during fermentation. In fact, reacting to fermented foods is a classic sign of histamine intolerance .

For anyone suffering from histamine intolerance, strict adherence to a low histamine diet for a period of time is necessary. After that, smaller amounts of histamine may be allowed depending on the person and their condition.

Food products containing histamine:

• Yeast, colorants, preservatives and other enhancers;
• Salty snacks, solettes and chips;
• Coffee, green and black tea;
• Chocolate and other cocoa products;
• Nuts;
• Seafood;
• Smoked meats and fish;
• Canned;
• Fermented foods – vinegar, sauerkraut, cheeses;
• Alcohol and red wines.

Remember: the longer a food is mature, the more histamine it will contain. Pizza, for example, is a great example of a histamine bomb because it is rich in salami, cheese, yeast, tomatoes, some pizzas have seafood. And these are all histamine-rich foods.

Determination of histamine levels in the body is done by testing blood, urine or feces:

• Histamine in Feces – 119 lv;
• Histamine in blood – 56 lv;
• Histamine in urine – 56 lv