How to Reduce Histamine in Your Body

Histamine is a chemical produced by white blood cells of our body in blood. Histamine causes allergies when it combines with allergic factors like pollens, dust, smoke etc. Allergies caused by histamine will disturb your healthy life. You can reduce histamine formation in your body by correcting your daily lifestyle. You can follow some tips and steps which will be discussed below to reduce histamine in your body.

 

1. Foods to Eat:

• Fresh food: You should include fresh and non-preserved food i.e vegetables, fruits, meat and beans in your daily diet. Foods that contain high preservatives have a high quantity of histamines in it. Use fresh foods in your diet to keep histamine levels low. Packed or preserved food isn’t healthy for you because it contains histamine. Frozen foods like frozen fish, chicken or other meats are good for your health. Frozen food doesn’t contain any histamine.

• Fresh fruits and vegetables: You should take fresh vegetables and fruits daily in your meal. It will provide important nutrients, minerals and vitamins to your body. It will help you to reduce histamine levels. But avoid some fruits and vegetables that contain high quantities of histamine such as avocados, bananas and plantains, citrus fruits, eggplant, and spinach.

• Whole grains: Whole grains like bread, pasta, rice, flour and oats don’t contain histamine. So, take all these whole grains in your diet everyday. Sourdough bread and yeast products contain high histamine levels that cause an increased histamine level in your body. So, avoid these things. Whole grains and whole flour is very healthy for you rather than white grains or white flour. So stop eating white bread or rice and switch to whole wheat and whole grains.

• Don’t take dairy products: Dairy products like milk or cheese contain high histamine levels. If you take dairy products in your diet it will increase histamine in your body. Exchange milk or cheese with soy, oats and coconut items in your diet plan to control histamine levels in your body.

 

2. Foods to Avoid:

• Fermented, packed or preserved foods: Packaging or preservation of foods in any chemical like vinegar or alcohol contains high quantities of histamine. Eating these foods increases your histamine level. So remove cured or smoked meat, sausages, bacon, any canned foods packed in vinegar, these items increase histamine in your body. Fermented foods which include yogurt, kifer, and pickles also contain high concentrations of histamine.

• Citrus fruits: As we all know citrus fruits are very healthy for your body but it also increases histamine levels in your body. Don’t eat citrus fruits like oranges, lemon, limes or grapefruit etc. Also don’t use citrus fruit juice.

• Milk and cheese: Dairy products trigger your body to release histamine. Avoid dairy items in your diet to reduce histamine levels. Take substitutes of milk and cheese such as soy or coconut. Histamine in cheese depends on your age and the temperature it is stored.

• Beans and legumes, tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, and avocados: Usually vegetables are very healthy but many vegetables contain high histamine. If you have histamine intolerance then avoid such vegetables in your diet such as beans, legumes, tomatoes, eggplant, spinach and avocados.

• Tree nuts, cinnamon, and chocolate: Tree products have high histamine levels in it. Avoid tree nuts, cinnamon and chocolate to reduce histamine levels in your body.

• Wine and beer: Both wine and beer contain many preservatives in it that cause an increase in histamine in your body.  These drinks contain more histamine levels than other alcoholic drinks. All alcoholic drinks are bad for your health because they all contain histamine.

• Fridge leftover foods: Don’t eat fridge leftover foods because bacteria produce excess histamine in your food. If you eat fridge leftover foods it will increase histamine levels in your body.

• Sweetened Soft Drinks: Sweetened soft drinks increase histamine production in your body. Avoid soft drinks to reduce histamine in your body.

 

3. Medical Treatments: 

• Consult with Allergist: If your body releases too much histamine in your bloodstream then you are likely to have histamine intolerance and cause many allergies. To diagnose histamine intolerance at home is very difficult. For this you have to consult with any Allergist for proper treatment and medication. If you come to realize that you are histamine intolerant, then visit the doctor and get a test for histamine intolerance. Main symptoms of histamine intolerance are allergies like sneezing, flu, coughing, itchy eyes, nose congestion and headache. Even gastrointestinal disorders like constipation, diarrhea and vomiting are also a symptom of histamine intolerance. There is no proper and accurate test for histamine levels, so doctors would suggest you to have a histamine free diet and observe the change in your condition.

• Take antihistamine medicine: Antihistamine medicines block or decrease histamine production in your body and reduce histamine levels. These medicines prevent histamine from causing allergies in your body. If dietary changes can’t improve your health condition and heal histamine allergic symptoms then immediately consult with the doctor for medication and Antihistamine medicines to reduce histamine in your body. Antihistamine medicines include loratadine, diphenhydramine, and cetirizine. Don’t take antihistamine medicines without consultation of the doctor. It will cause problems if you take it for too long. Your allergist must guide and consult how to take antihistamine medicines to decrease histamine production in your body.

• Visit a dietitian for a histamine free diet plan: Majority food items contain histamine. It’s difficult to find food that contains low histamine levels. If you face trouble finding it then consult with a dietitian for a proper histamine free diet and tell your histamine intolerance condition. Dietitians will give you a diet plan so that you don’t face any problem finding low histamine foods. Dietitian is also in contact with Allergist. They will suggest you best allergist if you have allergies caused by high histamine in your body.

CONCLUSION:

Histamine is produced in your body and may sometimes cause allergies of pollens, dust or smoke in some people. If you have histamine intolerance then you should take low histamine foods and avoid histamine rich foods. You should eat fresh foods and avoid preserved food items because fresh foods have low histamine levels. Take whole grains and whole flour in your diet as they are low in histamine levels. Take milk and cheese supplements because milk and cheese increase histamine in your body. Avoid those foods that have high histamine levels such as fermented, canned or preserved foods, milk and cheese, citrus fruits and juices, wine and beer, sweetened soft drinks and also avoid fridge leftover foods because it increases histamine levels in your body. If you have histamine intolerance consult with the doctor for proper treatment and medication such as antihistamine medicines like loratadine, diphenhydramine, and cetirizine and visit a dietitian for a proper histamine free diet plan.