Natural Ways to Boost Your DAO Levels to Fight Histamine
Histamine – a word that might not have crossed your mind unless you’ve reached for an antihistamine during a hayfever fit. For many, it’s responsible for the occasional sneezes and runny nose during springtime.
But if histamine has been more than an occasional annoyance in your life, if you’ve battled severe allergies, histamine intolerance, or mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), you’re probably familiar with the role histamine can play in your daily life.
In my practice, I’ve witnessed a rising tide of chronic illness, bringing with it an increase in cases of histamine intolerance and MCAS. The symptoms of these conditions can be overwhelming, but the good news is that we can do plenty to regain some control.
Before diving into the solutions that can help you regain control over your histamine intolerance, let’s first understand the pivotal role of the DAO enzyme in influencing histamine levels.
The Powerful DAO Enzyme
Diamine Oxidase (DAO) is an important enzyme responsible for the breakdown of histamine in the body.[1] While another enzyme called histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMH) also plays a role in histamine metabolism, DAO stands out for its remarkable efficiency.
DAO is primarily located in the kidneys and thymus, where it works to convert histamine into a form that can be easily excreted through the kidneys and urine. DAO is also found in the small intestine, where it works to break down histamine to prevent it from entering the body.
When you have a sufficient supply of DAO, nearly all of the histamine passing through your digestive tract is effectively broken down, and as a result, it doesn’t lead to any adverse reactions. However, if your DAO levels are insufficient, histamine can accumulate, potentially causing histamine sensitivity, chronic inflammation, or even mast cell activation syndrome if the problem persists.
Understanding DAO and Histamine
Histamine Intolerance occurs when the body produces an excess of histamine and struggles to effectively break it down, leading to its accumulation. This buildup can result in various persistent symptoms, such as allergy-like reactions, gastrointestinal problems, nasal congestion, and even asthma.
While diagnosing histamine intolerance often requires consulting a healthcare professional and recognizing common symptoms, digging deeper to identify the underlying root cause is crucial for effective symptom management.
One prevalent root cause of histamine intolerance is a deficiency in DAO enzymes. Research even suggests that DAO deficiency accounts for more than 70% of all histamine intolerance cases.[2]
Common Causes of DAO Deficiency
Two naturally occurring enzymes, DAO and HNMT, are required to maintain balanced histamine levels. However, when these enzymes are in short supply, or your body struggles to produce them adequately, it can accumulate histamine.
Several common causes can contribute to histamine accumulation and DAO deficiency, including: [3] [4]
- Genetics: Some people may inherit a genetic mutation that results in a deficiency of the DAO enzyme, making them more susceptible to histamine intolerance.
- Medications: Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can disrupt DAO enzyme levels.
- Hormonal Imbalances: Fluctuations or hormonal imbalances, such as estrogen and progesterone, can disrupt DAO enzyme production and function, reducing histamine breakdown efficiency, increasing inflammation, gut disturbances, and mast cell activation.
- GI Disorders: Conditions like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, Celiac disease, and SIBO may trigger inflammation in the body, mimicking histamine intolerance symptoms and impeding the production of sufficient DAO enzyme.
- Nutrient Deficiencies: A deficiency in essential nutrients like vitamin B6, vitamin C, zinc, or copper can increase the risk of or contribute to DAO deficiency.
- Eating Histamine-Rich Foods: Certain foods can hinder the DAO enzyme’s functioning by inundating the body with excessive histamine, overwhelming your enzyme’s capacity to break it down.
- Alcohol: Besides being high in histamine, alcohol acts as an inhibitor of the DAO enzymes, intensifying histamine-related symptoms.
- Green tea, black tea, and mate tea: contain catechins, which can act as DAO inhibitors, potentially impacting histamine breakdown.
7 Ways to Boost Your DAO Levels to Fight Histamine
In recent years, extensive research has focused on preventing DAO deficiency and understanding its connection to histamine intolerance. Promising strategies have emerged, offering hope for preventing and, in some cases, reversing histamine intolerance, marking significant progress in managing this condition.
1. Vitamin-Rich Foods and Supplements
Scientists have identified various nutrients that effectively boost DAO Enzymes levels. These nutrients include Omega-3 fatty acids, saturated fats, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, magnesium, iron, and vitamin B12.[5] Foods rich in these nutrients can help enhance DAO production.
For instance, Omega-3-rich foods like wild-caught salmon and mackerel stimulate DAO release, while healthy saturated fats found in grass-fed butter aid in this process. Walnuts and avocados are also rich in Omega-3, but they are also high in histamine. Additionally, when consuming fish for this purpose, it must be extremely fresh to reap the full benefits.
Other nutrients like phosphorus, calcium, and zinc can be obtained from almonds, broccoli, and grass-fed meat, all contributing to increased DAO levels. Deficiencies in zinc, copper, vitamin B6, and vitamin C have also been linked to inflammation and reduced DAO activity, meaning that supplementing with these nutrients can be valuable for improving histamine intolerance symptoms. Consider taking a low histamine multivitamin with minerals to meet these essential nutrient needs.
2. Adopt a Low Histamine Diet
In a recent study, they found that changing your diet is the first step in easing histamine intolerance symptoms.[6] Avoiding foods high in histamine allows your body to catch up and deal with the histamine already there. This study also showed that these dietary changes help DAO enzymes move better in your body.
If you’re not sure how the right diet can effectively lower your histamine levels and promote healthy DAO enzyme production, check out my “The 4-Phase Histamine Reset Plan” book to get a comprehensive plan that encompasses a low-histamine diet, liver care, gut support, and recipes and tips to help you experience life long results.
3. Avoid DAO-Blocking Foods
DAO-blocking foods can inhibit DAO enzymes’ activity, impairing histamine breakdown and potentially triggering histamine intolerance symptoms. Here are some examples of DAO-blocking foods.
- Alcohol
- Aged and Fermented Foods
- Processed and Cured Meats
- Vinegar and Vinegar-Containing Foods
- Canned or Smoked Fish
- Artificial Food additives
- Leftovers
Individual tolerance to these foods can vary; some people with histamine intolerance may react more strongly than others.
4. Support Your Gut Health
Since a significant portion of DAO is generated in the digestive system, nurturing your gut health and bolstering beneficial bacteria with the help of a low-histamine probiotic can help mitigate histamine-related symptoms.
Probiotics work much like a supplement by boosting DAO production by reinforcing your digestive tract and maintaining a balanced gut microbiome.
5. Balance Your Fat Intake
When making dietary changes to support DAO, one of the most interesting findings pertains to the consumption of fats.[7] Notably, monounsaturated fats rich in Omega-9 fatty acids, such as oleic acid found in olive oil. The research indicates that Omega-9 fatty acids can significantly boost DAO enzyme release into the bloodstream, potentially alleviating histamine intolerance symptoms. On the other hand, Omega-6 fatty acids from sources like offal, fatty red meat, and certain dairy products have been linked to heightened histamine levels.
Balancing your fat intake involves reducing Omega-6 rich processed foods and vegetable oils while increasing Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood. Try heat-stable oils like ghee and pressed coconut oil for high-temperature cooking, and include olive oil for lighter cooking.
6. Reduce Histamine Release
Reducing histamine release is a method I frequently use with my patients, using my HistoReliefe. While it doesn’t directly boost the DAO enzyme, it does provide your body with a respite from inflammation and damage, allowing the DAO enzyme to catch up and alleviate your symptoms.
By regulating the body’s natural histamine release, many of my patients find an increased tolerance for dietary histamine that they previously struggled with. This means that they have fewer dietary restrictions and a reduction in symptoms!
7. Try a DAO Supplement
One of the easiest ways to bolster your DAO enzyme levels involves using a natural DAO supplement, typically available in capsule form. These supplements provide a convenient way to alleviate histamine intolerance symptoms by facilitating the breakdown of incoming histamine.
It’s important to note that DAO supplements primarily work within your digestive tract, enhancing histamine breakdown from the foods you just ate. DAO supplements don’t directly increase internal DAO levels in your bloodstream, meaning they won’t break down histamine created by mast cells, nor will they cure histamine intolerance.
Find Relieve and Improve Histamine Intolerance Symptoms
These 7 ways to boost your DAO levels naturally are straightforward and can be easily incorporated into your daily routine. So, kickstart the process and start finding relief from your histamine intolerance symptoms.
Are you ready for an even deeper look at what’s behind your histamine intolerance symptoms? Do you want to provide your body with even more support?
Schedule a consultation today to get started.
And if you’re not quite ready for a consultation, don’t worry. You can begin your healing journey at your own pace with our Histamine Reset Online Program.
Resources
- “Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art – PMC – NCBI.” 14 Aug. 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7463562/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
- “Prevalence of Genetic Diamine Oxidase (DAO) Deficiency in Female ….” 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10044988/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
- “Histamine and histamine intolerance – PubMed.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17490952/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
- “Alcohol-histamine interactions – PubMed.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10344773/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
- “Effect of dietary fatty acid and micronutrient intake/energy ratio on ….” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28606572/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
- “Nutrients regulate diamine oxidase release from intestinal mucosa.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9756524/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
- “Nutrient-induced inflammation in the intestine – PMC – NCBI.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4520304/. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
