Histamine Intolerance Symptoms
To understand if probiotics should be taken for “histamine intolerance” is you need to understand what people are calling histamine intolerance. Histamine is a compound released by the body during inflammatory and allergic reactions. Histamine intolerance symptoms include itching and swelling.
Normally, histamine is produced normally produced in specialized immune cells called mast cells. Histamine is released when you are exposed to an allergen that activates mast cells and causes them to release their stored histamine. Food allergies cause uncontrolled mast cell activation all over the body which can lead to swelling of the airway, difficulty breathing, and death.
To be intolerant of histamine is somewhat of a misnomer. Everyone does not react well upon the release of histamine. Could some people have increased sensitivity to histamine? That is certainly possible. A condition in which the body is unable to degrade histamine is also theoretically possible, however no pathophysiologic mechanism exists for such a condition.1
What Probiotics Produce Histamine or Biogenic Amines?
Probiotics that Make Histamine Intolerance Worst
There are some strains of probiotics that produce histamine or biogenic amines like tyramine. One study found the species of Lactobacillus casei (TISTR 389) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (TISTR 895) produce biogenic amines.
Probiotics for Histamine Intolerance Individuals
The probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, and Lactobacillus plantarum were not found to produce biogenic amines.3
One question we get is whether or not our Nexabiotic probiotics produce histamine. We utilize probiotics that are non-histamine producing.
Probiotics for Histamine Intolerance
Histamine Rich Foods
Certain berries like strawberries and blueberries contain natural histamine-like or histamine-releasing compounds that cause minor skin itching and eruptions. These compounds are also called “biogenic amines”. Foods that contain biogenic amines include chocolate, tomato, and banana.2 Reactions to biogenic amines in food are typically not as severe as anaphylactic food allergy reactions as these biogenic amines do not trigger systemic activation of mast cells and release of histamine.
Foods with high histamine:
- Alcohol and other fermented drinks
- Fermented foods and dairy products
- Dried Fruits
- Avocados
- Eggplant
- Spinach
- Processed or smoked meats
- Shellfish
- Aged Cheese
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=28344921
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=20371968
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2011.02717.x
About the Author:
Dr. Bryan Do, D.O. is an osteopathic physician whose research interests include gastroenterology, immunology, and dermatology. He is particularly interested in the role of probiotics in the gut-brain-skin axis and has written many articles on the topic. He graduated from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) before graduating from Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana and becoming a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Osteopathic physicians are taught to take a holistic approach to medicine and to consider mind, body, and spirit when treating a patient. Osteopathic physicians receive training in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) in addition to the standard rigorous medical school curriculum. Both physicians with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree as well as a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) can practice medicine.