Histamine is created by our own cells but we can also get some from foods. Our bodies break down histamine with an enzyme called DAO (diamine oxidase). How much DAO you have available to manage histamine levels will depend on genetic and other factors like medications, hormonal imbalances, GI disorders, nutrient deficiencies and alcohol.

To help with your histamine balance, make sure you get your daily B6, vitamin C, zinc and copper.

We can get into great detail about histamine but I like to keep things simple and give practical steps a person can take right away. The simplest way to change your histamine response today is to make some dietary changes. It has been our experience that not all foods on the non-compliant list will have to be eliminated to get rid of that indigestion and some of these will be time of day dependent. We have found that sometimes a food can be tolerated early in the day but not later in the afternoon or evening.

You will need to experiment to see what works best for you. You might find that you can have a pickle with your sandwich at noon but not at 6 p.m. or you will have indigestion that evening. Of course, some of these foods are not good for many reasons like processed meats so should be eaten sparingly anyway.

Keep your acid blockers around for those events when something just goes wrong and you won’t sleep due to your indigestion but you work this list until you have learned what your body can tolerate and what it can’t.

Foods likely to contribute to your histamine imbalance and indigestion:

Aged cheese: Parmesan, cheddar, Gouda, Camembert, Swiss

Fermented foods: Sauerkraut, pickles, pickled vegetables, kefir, kombucha

Yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk

Processed meats: cold cuts, bacon, sausage, salami, ham, chorizo, pepperoni

Alcoholic beverages

Egg whites

Tea

Soy

Peanuts

Frozen and smoked fish

Shellfish: clams, mussels, shrimp

Canned fish: salmon, tuna

Certain vegetables: spinach, tomatoes, eggplant

Certain fruits: strawberries, cherries, citrus fruits (papaya, orange, lemon, pineapple)

Spices & condiments: ketchup, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, vinegar

Processed foods: snacks, ready-made grains, cookies, sweets

Food additives, preservatives and food coloring

Licorice and chocolate

Yeast

OK, that is quite a list. Again, you probably won’t react to all of them and it will take time to figure out which ones are OK for you and in what frequency.

Common pain relievers can also contribute to acid indigestion. The most common offenders are aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil). Aspirin is found in stand alone tablets but also is an ingredient in Excedrin Migraine.

It is thought that these medications cause problems by increasing acid production in the stomach, slowing production of prostaglandins that are stomach protective and damaging the protective layer of the stomach directly.

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is generally considered a better source of pain relief for those dealing with acid reflux. I think this must be dose-dependent as smaller doses (2-500 mg tablets) may not cause any noticeable symptoms but talking with people taking 2-3x that amount (2000 – 3000 mg) also report acid reflux problems after many weeks.

Here are a few supplements that might be helpful as you sort this out.

Xymogen HistDAO

NuMedica HistaMend DAO

Neurobiologix Gut Histamine Blocker

2021