drink wholesome is the best low histamine protein powder.
Written by Jack Schrupp & endorsed by Baylee Reller, RDN
What are histamines?
Histamines are chemicals that act as neurotransmitters (chemical messengers). They also trigger the release of stomach acid to help with digestion and cause inflammation as part of a local immune response.
What is histamine intolerance?
Histamine intolerance is a disorder associated with the inability to fully metabolize (break down) histamine. Histamine is produced by the body and taken in from food. In healthy individuals, enzymes break down histamine. In individuals with histamine intolerance, histamine is not fully broken down and builds up in the bloodstream. High levels of histamine can cause headaches, nasal congestion, fatigue, hives, and digestive issues.
Common causes of histamine intolerance include: 1) medications or foods that inhibit the function or production of the gastrointestinal (GI) enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) 2) foods that trigger histamine release and 3) gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), leaky gut syndrome, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
GI disorders like IBS, leaky gut, and SIBO cause significant inflammation in the gut, which may impair DAO function and production. Gut inflammation can cause excessive histamine production. Excessive production, paired with impaired enzyme activity can lead to increased histamine absorption and accumulation in the bloodstream. Basically, emerging research suggests that an unhealthy gut may be the main driver of histamine intolerance.
What is the low histamine diet?
The low histamine diet aims to reduce the symptoms of histamine intolerance by avoiding histamine-rich and histamine-releasing foods. Research shows that reducing histamine-rich foods in the diet dramatically reduces symptoms. Foods high in histamine include things like alcohol and other fermented beverages, dairy products, processed and fried foods, and food additives. Histamine-releasing foods include things like pineapple, shellfish, and tomatoes.
The low-histamine diet is not a histamine intolerance treatment, but rather a band-aid for symptom relief. This is why addressing the underlying causes of histamine intolerance, one of which may be GI disorders like IBS, leaky gut, and SIBO, is so important. Moreover, because each of these conditions can be managed through diet, picking the right protein powder can make a huge difference.