Histamine Intolerance

Histamine Intolerance

Histamine is an organic chemical compound which plays an important role in digestion, intestinal function and the nervous system. It is also involved in immune responses, acting to defend the body when there is a perceived threat. When the body experiences an allergic reaction, histamine is released in an effort to fight off the perceived threat from the allergen. This can cause a range of different symptoms, including sneezing, swelling and itching, amongst many others.

As well as being produced in the body, histamines are naturally found in some foods, including beans and pulses, mature cheeses, chocolate, alcohol, and foods which contain wheat, preservatives and artificial colouring.

Our bodies produce an enzyme called diamine oxidase which breaks down histamines from the food we eat, but if we are intolerant to histamines, we may be deficient in this enzyme which means we are unable to break down the chemical effectively. This can result in the histamines causing symptoms similar to those experienced during an allergic reaction, such as itching, hives, rashes, pain in the abdominal area, and vomiting or diarrhoea. Symptoms and reactions can vary widely from person to person, and everyone will have a different threshold when it comes to the level of histamine they are able to tolerate.

There are many different foods which contain histamine, which means it can be difficult to know what is okay to eat and what to avoid if you experience any of the above symptoms. Food intolerance testing is an effective way to detect exactly which foods are causing problems for your body, allowing you to eliminate them from your diet and focus on foods that do your body good. We can carry out painless, non-invasive testing to help you make better decisions in your diet and identify whether you are intolerant to histamines.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like any help with this condition and you would like to get that Vibrant feeling.

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