HISTAMINE IN FOODS
Some foods contain large amounts of histamine, and this can cause unpleasant symptoms when they are eaten. The histamine has a drug-like (pharmacological) effect on the body. Although this is not false food allergy (according to the definition we are using) it is appropriate to discuss it here – since histamine is also the main mediator produced by mast cells, the effects are similar.
Histamine is formed in foods by the action of certain bacteria. These are not disease-causing bacteria, and their presence is normally harmless, but if they are too numerous the histamine they generate can cause problems. The principal foods concerned are well-ripened cheeses and Continental sausages, especially those that are kept for a long time. Some types of fish, principally mackerel and tuna, may cause similar problems if they are not kept at low temperatures before being eaten or canned. Bacteria in the fish produce a cocktail of toxins that includes generous quantities of histamine. Fish affected in this way have a sharp, peppery or metallic taste.
The symptoms of histamine poisoning are nausea, diarrhoea, skin rashes, flushing and headaches. The liver is well-equipped to detoxify histamine, and these unpleasant symptoms are relatively short-lived, usually clearing up within 12 hours. However, the drug isoniazid, used for the treatment of tuberculosis, reduces the liver’s ability to break down histamine, and anyone taking this drug should avoid histamine-rich foods. Viral hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver also make the body less able to detoxify histamine.
Any increase in the leakiness of the gut wall increases susceptiblity to histamine in foods, simply because more histamine gets through. It seems likely that greater permeability of the gut is a common feature of both food allergy and food intolerance, so avoiding histamine-rich cheeses and sausages may be generally advisable.
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