Dr. Jill – by Jill Carnahan, MD
Histamine is found lurking primarily in aged, cured, fermented, cultured, and spoiled foods. From a survival perspective, it is imperative that humans have avoided rotting flesh. When animals die, bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract leaks out and starts digesting proteins. Some of the amino acids from the proteins are converted by bacterial enzymes to bioactive amines, the chief of which is histamine (formed from amino acid histamine) At low levels, histamine increases stomach acid, which helps kill off any bacteria we may be exposed to. However, at high levels, histamine may trigger nausea, diarrhea, heart palpitations and dilation of blood vessels may cause a severe headache.
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