DecemberMasterclass:

HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE
 Introduction
Histamine is so much more than just that annoying thing that pops up every spring when the
pollen count skyrockets.

Histamine plays many roles in your body and many foods contain tons of histamine. Plus, some
foods and medications can stop the body from excreting the excess histamine, which can lead to
symptoms all year long and in spots other than just your sinuses. The more I learn about
Histamine Intolerance, the more I see it in clients.

So, let’s start this masterclass off with a complaint (always a nice way to start 🤣) - I don’t like the
name “Histamine Intolerance”, mostly because it does a very bad job at describing what’s going
on.

The full definition of Histamine Intolerance is “the impaired ability to metabolize ingested
histamine”, which is a better description.

You’re not intolerant to histamine, instead, you don’t metabolize it properly. You have too much
and your body isn’t removing it from your system fast enough…which is something we can fix :)

This is key - some of us, seemingly many of us, have trouble moving it out of our system so our
histamine levels stay high. This can lead to a weird smattering of symptoms that are hard to
balance.

Symptoms like:
Fatigue
Headaches/migraines
Anxiety
Food intolerances
 Flushing
Insomnia
Chronic stomach pain or digestive issues
Eczema and hives
Feeling like your heart is racing (palpitations)
Dizziness
“Hormone-imbalance” symptoms (including menopausal and hypothyroid symptoms)
Nasal congestion, sneezing, difficulty breathing
Pain during menstrual cycle

Yes, that is a LONG list! And more symptoms are added to this list each year. We’re only at the
beginning of understanding how histamine and histamine intolerance affect our overall health.

If you only have 1 or 2 symptoms on the list, histamine might not be your issue. But, if you have
many symptoms on this list (3+) and especially if you find that they’re really stubborn, then it
might be a good idea to check out this masterclass and see if you might be helped by reducing
your histamine levels.

Note: Histamine Intolerance is a variant of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), which is a
more complex imbalance of the immune system. We won’t be getting into MCAS in this
masterclass because a) I’m still learning about it, and b) it’s a very new branch of science and
we’re still a long way away from understanding it. You can use this masterclass to lower your
histamine levels even if you suspect that you may be dealing with MCAS.

This Masterclass is in two parts:

Part 1: All about Histamine – What is it, what does it do, why does it get high, etc
Part 2: Your Histamine Guide – how to lower the histamine in your body

Let’s dive in!

 Part 1: All about Histamine
What does histamine do in the body?

It’s important to know all of the hats that histamine plays in your body so you can better
understand why high histamine symptoms can be so unique to each person.

Histamine has three main jobs:

Digestion, including regulating digestive function and triggering the release of stomach acid
As a neurotransmitter, sending signals throughout the nervous system including the brain (a
common symptom of high histamine is brain fog)
Revs up the immune system and increases blood flow to fight off invaders and bring in
inflammation for healing

Due to these jobs, here are a few fun facts about antihistamine medication:
1. They can lower inflammation a bit
2. Many antacids are actually antihistamines
3. They can unintentionally affect your gut bacteria and gut lining due to the immune cells
(MAST cells) that line the gut and release histamine.

Antihistamines have their place and they can be incredibly important during a major allergic
attack. But, reliance on antihistamines may actually make your symptoms worse by damaging the
gut lining. So, use them when you need them…but let’s see if we can reduce your need for them.

Why do you have high histamine???

In a nutshell, there are three reasons why your histamine levels can be high.
1. Your immune system is making tons of histamine. When fighting off an invader (including to
things like pollen) your immune system produces tons of histamine.

2. You’re eating a lot of histamine. Many foods contain histamine and that can dramatically
increase the histamine in your body.

3. Histamine isn’t breaking down properly in your intestines.

Think of your histamine level as a bucket that can fill up and drain out depending on the situation.
There’s plenty of space in the bucket so normally you don’t really notice histamine at all. But, if
your histamine bucket starts filling quickly and/or the drainage hole is blocked, then your bucket
can overflow. This is when your body can get overwhelmed by histamine. This is when you start
feeling symptoms - when your “bucket” overflows.

So, we need to manage two things – how much histamine is coming into your body and how much
is draining out.

The first step is to manage the histamine coming in because it’s the easiest to control. It’s hard to
stop the immune system from making histamine, so the focus is on food that contains or releases
histamine.

The second step is to work on the underlying gut imbalance that’s making it hard for your body to
excrete histamine as it builds up. This process can take some time, but once your histamine level
is lower, you don’t have to manage it as much while you work on this step.

Histamine and DAO enzymes

The current understanding is that the major reason your histamine bucket doesn’t drain is
because of a deficiency in the enzyme DAO (diamine oxidase). This is an enzyme that’s made in
the intestinal mucosal and deficiencies are very common. This is such a new branch of science,
this belief could change in the coming years.

Here are some reasons that you can become deficient in DAO:

It runs in your family – You may possess a genetic mutation that results in a diamine oxidase
enzyme deficiency.

Medications – Both prescription and over-the-counter medications may contribute to reduced

DAO enzyme levels. Antibiotics, antidepressants, and narcotics are common medications that
block the production of DAO. NSAIDs, like Tylenol and Advil, reduces your overall metabolism of
histamine.

Hormonal imbalances - Imbalances in estrogen and progesterone can impact many of your body’s
normal functions, including histamine levels. This is why you can have more symptoms at
different times of your cycle or symptoms can pop up during perimenopause and menopause.

Gastrointestinal disorders - Disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease,
ulcerative colitis, Celiac disease, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may all
contribute to inflammation in your body causing similar symptoms as a histamine intolerance and
impacts your body’s ability to produce proper amounts of the DAO enzyme.

Nutrient deficiencies - A B6, vitamin C, zinc, or copper deficiency, may put you at risk of a DAO
deficiency.

Consuming DAO-blocking food - Some foods may inhibit the functioning of the DAO enzyme, or
contribute to symptoms by overloading the body with more histamine than your enzymes can
break down. You’ll find a list of those foods in Part 2.
Alcohol - Alcohol is a very potent inhibitor of the DAO enzyme, thus contributing to increased
histamine symptoms, on top of being high in histamine itself. Yes, this is why you might flush or
get sneezy when you drink wine.

Notice how many are changeable? This is why you can develop high histamine anytime and how it
also disappears for a while. It’s a sneaky condition :)

How do I know if histamine is an issue?

Currently, there’s no test to determine if you have high histamine or Histamine Intolerance.
There’s only one way to know for sure – follow a low histamine diet and see if it helps.

If it helps – great! You’ve figured out an underlying issue to many of your symptoms!

If it doesn’t help – great! You’ve ruled out a big possible cause and you can move on :).

I’ve found that for some, following a low histamine diet can be life-changing. Stubborn, weird, and
debilitating symptoms can get under control and clients get their life back. For others, I have
every reason to believe that histamine is contributing to their symptoms, but after weeks and
weeks on a low histamine diet, there’s no change.

In 5 or 10 more years we will probably know a lot more about Histamine Intolerance and Mast
Cell Activation Syndrome. I imagine there will be tests and other treatment protocols available. In
the meantime, the protocol you’ll find in Part 2 can be really helpful in bringing your histamine
level down and under control.

Since this is such a new thing, I’d love to know your results after following the protocol. Please
email me and let me know! Did it work? Didn’t work? I’d love your feedback ❤️
 Part 2: Your Histamine Guide
How to Lower Histamine in Your Body

Step 1: Lower the histamine level in your body

Step 2: Get to the root cause – rebalance the gut

Let’s get started with Step 1! A low histamine diet.

TIMEFRAME – many people start to see their symptoms decrease after about a week and
consider following a low histamine diet for 4 - 6 weeks or so to feel the full benefit. But everyone
is unique in their ability to purge histamine from their system, so you may need to follow it
longer…or maybe for you a few weeks is all you need. Use your symptoms as a guide.

Histamine Food List

This is the best food list I’ve been able to find so far, but it’s important to note that Histamine
Intolerance (HI) is a fairly new area of research and foods may be added (or subtracted) over the
next few years.

Many people with HI are also dealing with other food intolerances, so you may need to customize
this list so it works for your unique and lovely body.

IMPT POINT – this list shouldn’t be taken as a good/bad list. Many foods that are high in
histamine are also chock-full of nutrients. You don’t need to avoid them permanently; you can
reincorporate high histamine foods as your symptoms improve. And, this list doesn’t need to be
followed at 100% even in the early stages. Take this as general guidance, try to lower some of the
high histamine foods and incorporate more low histamine foods. Eating the occasional high
histamine food is a-okay.
Is a favourite food or drink on this list? That’s totally okay – you can keep enjoying it. Follow this
list at about 80 – 90%...which means you can still drink coffee or eat an important food if you’d
like :)

Once your symptoms are better you can begin to learn what your histamine threshold is. How
much histamine can you eat before your symptoms come back? This will be very unique to you,
and I’ve found that most people can add moderate amounts back into their diet without any
repercussions.

If you overdo it and your histamine increases, just follow the low histamine diet for a few days
until your symptoms improve :).

This guidance is from an old version of this website (the website has been down for a few
months): https://www.histamineintolerance.org.uk/about/the-food-diary/the-food-list/

Here are some general pointers:

Avoid or reduce eating canned foods and ready meals
Avoid or reduce eating ripened and fermented foods (older cheeses, alcoholic drinks,
products containing yeast, stale fish)
Histamine levels in foods vary, depending on how ripe, matured or hygienic the foods are
As much as it is possible, only buy and eat fresh products
Don’t allow foods to linger outside the refrigerator – especially meat products
Ensure that your food preparation area (kitchen) is always kept clean – but don’t be manic!
Everyone has their own threshold; you will need to find yours
*Don’t aim for perfection! Do your best, it can make a huge difference!

Low histamine level foods:

Fresh meat (cooled, frozen or fresh)
Freshly caught fish
 Egg yolk
Fresh fruits – except for strawberries, most fresh fruits are considered to have a low
histamine level (also see histamine liberators below)
Fresh vegetables – except for tomatoes
Grains – rice noodles, yeast free rye bread, rice crisp bread, oats, puffed rice crackers, millet
flour, pasta (spelt and corn based)
Fresh pasteurised milk and milk products
Milk substitutes – coconut milk, rice milk
Cream cheese, butter (without the histamine generating rancidity)
Most cooking oils – check suitability before use
Most leafy herbs – check suitability before use
Most non-citric fruit juices
Herbal teas – except for those listed below

High histamine level foods:

Alcohol
Pickled or canned foods – sauerkrauts
Matured cheeses
Smoked meat products – salami, ham, sausages….
Shellfish
Beans and pulses – chickpeas, soy beans, peanuts
Nuts – walnuts, cashew nuts
Chocolates and other cocoa based products
Vinegar
Ready meals
Salty snacks, sweets with preservatives and artificial colourings
Histamine liberators:
These foods will release histamine from your cells.

Most citric fruits – kiwi, lemon, lime, pineapple, plums…

Cocoa and chocolate
Coffee
Nuts
Papaya
Beans and pulses
Tomatoes
Wheat germ
Additives – benzoate, sulphites, nitrites, glutamate, food dyes

Diamine Oxidase (DAO) blockers:

These foods/drinks block the manufacture of the DAO enzyme and therefore reduce the excretion of
histamine from your body

Alcohol
Black tea
Energy drinks
Green tea
Mate tea

Debatable:
Yogurt – depends on the bacteria culture used
Egg white – it is a histamine liberator only when in its raw state
 Supplements

These supplements can be really helpful at lowering your histamine level faster and help manage
your symptoms when a low histamine diet isn’t possible.

You don’t need to take all of these supplements either…actually, you don’t need to take any.
Following a low histamine diet is often enough to bring your levels down. Consider these a
helping hand, and just one or two is enough.

This list is in order, starting with the most helpful supplement :)

Quercetin
This is the best supplement I’ve found to lower histamine levels. It often works on its own, even
without a low histamine diet (but it’ll work better if you can follow the diet).

This means that if your symptoms are high and a low histamine diet isn’t possible right now, grab
some quercetin for sure! (Admittedly, I often take quercetin when I either don’t want to follow a
low histamine diet or I’m drinking wine. It really does work :).

Best – Natural Factors LipoMecil Quercetin. This is very strong and you only need 1 – 3 per day
Or – All other quercetin supplements are good, but you’ve got to take about 1500mg - 3000mg to
be effective. This can mean 6 – 12 caps per day…so be sure to calculate your dose before choosing
the product. Often, the LipoMecil Quercetin is cheaper per dose.

Vitamin C
This is also a natural antihistamine and helps move histamine out of your body. It also helps in the
production of DAO. Aim for 1000mg – 3000mg per day
Vitamin B6
Low Vit B6 can lead to higher levels of histamine, low DAO enzyme, water retention, and for
some, a lack of dreaming. Dr. Carl Pfeiffer connected low B6 and a lack of dreaming back in the
early 1900s. This is a good addition if water retention (or a lack of dreaming) is a thing for you.
Take 50 – 100mg per day

Passionflower
If histamine triggers anxiety, passionflower is a good addition. It’s a nervine and naturally calms
anxiety. It also contains chrysin, which reduces the release of histamine in the body.

A note on probiotic supplements:

They’re helpful at rebalancing the gut and helping your body excrete histamine. BUT! Some types
of bacteria can encourage the release of histamine…so, if you find yourself extra sneezy or stuffy
when you take a probiotic, this is why.

Step 2: Rebalance your gut bacteria

Once you’ve followed this protocol for 4 – 6 weeks, head over to our Rebalance Your Gut
Bacteria Masterclass.

In Conclusion

Histamine Intolerance is sometimes tricky to find as it can look like a variety of other problems.
BUT! Finding out if it’s an issue for you can be as simple as watching your symptoms as you eat
high histamine foods or following a low histamine diet for a few days.

For example, when I was just starting to understand that I had an issue with histamine, I was
experimenting to find my histamine threshold. One Sunday I made a big batch of pasta with
tomato sauce (maybe with ground beef? I can’t remember) and I enjoyed it with a glass of wine.
Day 1 – tasted and felt fantastic
Day 2 - also pretty darn good
Day 3 – it triggered a major sneezing fit and was foggy and tired the next day.

Kinda funny, right? The same meal was fine for 2 days, but the 3rd time it triggered symptoms.
This was due to a combination of histamine building up in my system from the tomatoes, pasta,
and wine plus the fact that the histamine level in the food was building up as it sat in the fridge.

If you find yourself reacting to food sometimes but not others, histamine might be an issue for
you too :).

I’d love to hear about your experience with a low histamine diet, it helps me understand this very
unique and understudied imbalance better :).

Send me an email anytime or post your comment below ❤️