Understanding the Duration and Realistic Expectations of Following a Low Histamine Diet
Living with histamine intolerance can be incredibly challenging. From the exhausting journey of obtaining a diagnosis to the ongoing management of symptoms, it’s a path that requires perseverance and resilience. As someone who has experienced a histamine intolerance diagnosis firsthand, I understand the frustrations and the long road to finding effective solutions.
One common approach to managing histamine intolerance is adopting a low histamine diet. A low histamine diet aims to minimize the intake of histamine-rich foods and alleviate symptoms. However, considering a low histamine diet raises an important question: Is a low histamine diet a lifelong commitment, or is it only a temporary measure?
Understanding the long-term implications of this dietary approach is crucial if you have histamine intolerance. By delving into the root causes and gaining insights into real-life experiences, you can gain some clarity on whether you’ll need to adhere to a low histamine diet indefinitely or if there is room for flexibility.
Understanding Histamine Intolerance
Histamine intolerance is a condition where the body has difficulty processing histamine, a chemical that plays important roles in our body, such as regulating our immune system, aiding digestion, and transmitting messages between cells in the nervous system.[1] In people with histamine intolerance, the body struggles to effectively break down histamine, resulting in its buildup. This can lead to a range of symptoms as the excess histamine interacts with your different body systems.
Common Symptoms of Histamine Intolerance:
- Hives
- Flushing
- Itchy skin
- Eczema and other skin rashes
- Abdominal pain or cramping
- Bloating
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sneezing
- Runny or congested nose
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Asthma-like symptoms or difficulty breathing
- Recurrent headaches or migraines
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
- Irregular heartbeat
- Anxiety or mood swings
Histamine intolerance symptoms can vary in severity and frequency from person to person. If you suspect you have histamine intolerance, talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis and guidance. Or schedule a consultation to receive one-on-one support.
Low Histamine Diet
If you’re new to a low histamine diet, let’s start by reviewing what it entails and how it can benefit you. A low histamine diet is a dietary approach aimed at reducing the intake of foods that are high in histamine or that trigger the release of histamine in the body to help you find relief from histamine-related symptoms.[2]
While following a low histamine diet may seem overwhelming at first, with time and guidance, it becomes easier to identify suitable food choices and create a well-balanced eating plan that will meet your needs. In exploring the low histamine diet, you will learn about histamine-rich foods to avoid and discover alternative options that will help you regain control over your well-being.
Foods to Avoid: High Histamine Foods and Histamine-Releasing Substances
Following a low histamine diet starts by becoming aware of high-histamine foods and histamine-releasing substances that can trigger your histamine intolerance symptoms. High histamine foods naturally contain higher levels of histamine, while histamine-releasing substances are known to stimulate the release of histamine in the body. These foods and substances can contribute to histamine accumulation and exacerbate symptoms such as skin rashes, digestive issues, headaches, respiratory problems, and more.
High histamine foods and histamine-release substances include: [3]
High Histamine Foods
- Aged cheeses
- Sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha
- Fermented alcoholic beverages – wine, beer, and champagne
- Deli meats
- Smoked or cured meats
- Shellfish such as shrimp, lobster, and crab
- Canned or processed fish such as tuna, sardines, and anchovies
- Pickles and relishes
- Vinegar-based dressing and condiments such as ketchup and mustard
- Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits
- Strawberries, pineapples, avocados, and bananas
- Spinach, tomatoes, and eggplants
- Soy sauce
- Miso paste
- Tempeh
- Peanuts
- Walnuts & cashews
- Sesame seeds
- Dark chocolate
- Cocoa powder, cinnamon, curry, allspice
Histamine-Releasing Substances
- Alcohol (especially red wine and beer)
- Caffeine (specifically coffee, black tea, mate tea, and green tea)
- Food additives such as artificial preservatives and flavor enhancers
Individual tolerance to histamine-containing foods can vary from person to person. Some people may need to strictly avoid these high-histamine foods. Others may tolerate them in moderation. If you’re new to a low histamine diet, I suggest keeping a food diary to monitor your body’s response to different foods. This can help you identify specific triggers and customize your dietary approach.
Foods to Include: Low Histamine Alternatives and Nutrient-Rich Options
When following a low histamine diet, it’s important to focus on incorporating foods that are low in histamine while still providing essential nutrients for optimal health. Including nutrient-rich options help support your overall health and ensures you get the necessary vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Low histamine alternatives and nutrient-rich options include: [4]
- Freshly cooked chicken, turkey, and beef (beef is usually aged and may not always be well tolerated)
- Fresh fish (non-canned)
- Apples, pears, and berries (except strawberries)
- Leafy greens like lettuce, kale, and Swiss chard
- Red onion is high in quercetin
- Cherries
- Broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini
- Olive oil or Coconut oil
- Basil, parsley, and cilantro
- Turmeric, ginger, and cumin
- Oregano, thyme, and rosemary
- Sunflower seeds (in moderation)
- Herbal teas – Chamomile, Peppermint, or Rooibos
Benefits and Limitations of the Low Histamine Diet
The low histamine diet offers several potential benefits to help you manage your symptoms and improve your overall well-being. By reducing the intake of histamine-rich foods and histamine-release substances, you may experience a decrease in a wide range of symptoms:
- Eczema and other skin rashes
- Hives
- Itching
- Flushing or redness of the skin
- Digestive issues like bloating and diarrhea
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Sneezing and runny or congested nose
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Coughing or wheezing
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Low blood pressure
- Moods swings and irritability
- Anxiety and nervousness
One of the primary advantages of the low histamine diet is that it provides a structured approach to identifying and avoiding dietary triggers. By carefully selecting foods low in histamine, you can gain better control over your symptoms and overall health.
Following this dietary plan can be challenging and require significant eating and lifestyle adjustments. The diet restricts a variety of commonly consumed foods, which can make eating out more difficult. Plus, not everyone finds symptom relief by following a low histamine diet. Finding the balance between avoiding triggers and maintaining a nutritionally diverse diet can vary from person to person.
Remember that the low histamine diet will not address the underlying root cause of your histamine intolerance, such as gut health issues, hormone imbalances, environmental toxins like mold, or vitamin deficiencies. Only when you address these underlying factors will you be able to stop eating a low-histamine diet.
Is the low histamine diet a lifelong commitment?
The question of whether a low histamine diet is a lifelong commitment largely depends on your specific circumstances and how effectively you can address any underlying root causes.
Ideally, if you address your underlying root causes of histamine intolerance and make necessary lifestyle modifications, you can experience an improved ability to tolerate higher histamine foods and have more foods to choose from. It is possible to get better entirely and not need to follow a low histamine diet forever!
Factors Influencing the Duration of a Low Histamine Diet
Various factors influence the duration of a low histamine diet and may vary from person to person. Some key factors that can play a role in determining how long you’ll need to adhere to the low histamine diet include:
- Intensity and frequency of histamine-related symptoms
- Identifying and addressing the underlying causes
- Your sensitivity to histamine
- The way you breakdown histamine
- Personal response and trial-and-error to food reintroduction
- Overall health and well-being
As a reminder, the duration of a low histamine diet is not set in stone and may evolve over time.
The Role of Underlying Causes for Long-Term Treatment
Understanding and addressing the underlying causes of histamine intolerance is crucial for long-term treatment and management. While following a low histamine diet can provide symptom relief, it will not address your intolerance’s root cause. Here are some of the underlying causes associated with histamine intolerance: [5] [6] [7] [8]
- Gut health issues
- Hormonal imbalances
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Enzyme deficiencies
- Mold and environmental factors
- Inflammation and immune dysregulation
- Stress, anxiety, and other emotional factors
- Genetic predisposition
Identifying and addressing these underlying factors, with the guidance of someone that knows how to help you (hint: my team), can help you manage your histamine intolerance more effectively and help you work towards a more inclusive diet.
Navigating Histamine Intolerance and a Low Histamine Diet
I believe that having a comprehensive approach, including a low histamine diet, is essential for effectively managing histamine intolerance. While adopting a low histamine diet can be a valuable starting point, it is important to recognize that it may not provide the profound and long-lasting healing you deserve.
Long-lasting healing is only possible when you identify and treat the root cause of your histamine reactions. When you work with us, we partner to identify the underlying patterns contributing to your symptoms and devise a plan to provide lasting outcomes. Our revolutionary care model allows you to give your body the care and love it needs to feel like yourself again.
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Resources
- “Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art – PMC – NCBI.” 14 Aug. 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7463562/. Accessed 14 Jul. 2023.
- “Low-Histamine Diets: Is the Exclusion of Foods Justified by Their ….” 21 Apr. 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8143338/. Accessed 14 Jul. 2023.
- “Histamine intolerance and dietary management: A complete review.” https://www.elsevier.es/en-revista-allergologia-et-immunopathologia-105-articulo-histamine-intolerance-dietary-management-a-S0301054616300775. Accessed 14 Jul. 2023.
- “Histamine Intolerance—The More We Know the Less We … – NCBI.” 29 Jun. 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8308327/. Accessed 14 Jul. 2023.
- “Histamine Intolerance Originates in the Gut – PMC – NCBI.” 12 Apr. 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8069563/. Accessed 14 Jul. 2023.
- “Histamine Intolerance—A Kind of Pseudoallergic Reaction – PMC.” 15 Mar. 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8945898/. Accessed 14 Jul. 2023.
- “Role of Histamine in Modulating the Immune Response and … – NCBI.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6129797/. Accessed 14 Jul. 2023.
- “Acute stress modulates the histamine content of mast cells in … – NCBI.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2343625/. Accessed 14 Jul. 2023.
