Low-Histamine Diet

Background

Histamine is a chemical, known as a biogenic amine. It plays a role in several of the body’s major systems, including the immune, digestive, and neurological systems.

Histamine-rich foods can trigger headaches, skin irritation, or diarrhea. Having a tick-borne infection can increase the chance of developing histamine sensitivity. This is because Borrelia burgdorferi and other co-infections can cause mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).

Mast cells are the immune cells that release histamine, promote inflammation, and can lead to the development of a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. Histamine intolerance is a direct subset of MCAS symptoms. It is a response by the body resulting from an imbalance between accumulated histamine and the inability to break it down.

A low-histamine diet eliminates all foods that contain histamine in order to address symptoms.

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How Does It Work?

Going on a low-histamine diet may help to alleviate MCAS symptoms. It may also be worth considering adopting antihistamines into your treatment regime should the diet change not provide enough relief. Always consult with a doctor before adding anything to your existing diet or treatment plan.

It can help serve as a diagnostic tool when conducted as a part of an elimination diet. By eliminating foods and slowly adding them back in, you can see which specific ones are triggers.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What foods do I have to avoid? Fermented products (e.g., alcoholic beverages, vinegar, yeast, bacteria) and fermented dairy products, such as cheese (especially aged), yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, and kefir; Produce with uncertain freshness (e.g., packaged chopped lettuce, bean sprouts); Canned, finished or semi-finished products (e.g., canned tuna, meal kits); Reheated food (especially fish, meat and mushroom dishes)
• What can I eat? Stick to foods that are as close to their natural state as possible, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. For a full list of foods, you can learn more from the Swiss Interest Group on Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) guide.
• What are the drawbacks? Adopting this diet requires you to become very restrictive with your food intake and could potentially lead to malnutrition if not done correctly.