Don’t fear the fridge! Histamine intolerance is bigger than food

John O'Connor

Histamine Intolerance

A real condition with a very unfortunate name.
No one is actually histamine intolerant, we all need histamine, it’s an essential neurotransmitter. (R) However, as with anything, too much of a good thing can cause problems. When we accumulate more histamine than our body can handle, symptoms begin, and we’re said to be “histamine intolerant.” 

But by this definition, every one of us is histamine intolerant, as heavy doses of histamine cause food poisoning. (R)
If you’re reading this blog, you’re likely in the midst of internet research, which can be useful. I never understood until recently that it was an overload of histamine that sometimes caused my insect bites to swell beyond normal, and I wouldn’t have found this information were it not for commentators like Dr. Ben Lynch, who has written about having the same issue. So, yes, do your research. But a word of caution is in order as well. Before you go too far down the high histamine food list rabbit hole, it’s important to remember that histamine intolerance is multifactorial. Food gets all the attention, but food is just one of the issues that cause histamine to build up to unhealthy levels in the body. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that severe reactions to high histamine foods are very likely a warning sign that one of the five factors I discuss below is out of balance, especially the microbiome.
For me, the issue was getting my wisdom teeth out while living in a region of the country where I have severe allergies. Wisdom teeth surgery equals antibiotics and high dose NSAIDs, both of which kill off healthy gut bacteria, lower levels of diamine oxidase (the enzyme our bodies use to clear histamine) and invite the spread of pathogens, like Candida, that can help cause reaction to high histamine food.

As I continue on a gut repair protocol, and move to a season where my allergies aren’t as severe, I no longer limit histamine rich food, except for the very worst offenders like aged cheese, and in that case, my motivation is really more about avoiding casein than histamine.
Remember, all food contains some histamine. Even if you suspect you have an issue with histamine intolerance, you are not permanently unable to deal with histamine, you just need to do some digging to get a handle on what is happening with your body and why.

Consider this quote from Chris Kresser:
Histamine intolerance is unlike other food allergies or sensitivities in that the response is cumulative, not immediate. Imagine it like a cup of water. When the cup is very full (high amounts of histamine in the diet), even a drop of additional water will cause the cup to overflow (symptoms activated). But when the cup is less full, it would take more water (histamine) to cause a response. This makes histamine intolerance tricky to recognize. [...]

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Full article :https://www.mygenefood.com/dont-fear-fridge-histamine-intolerance-bigger-food/