Most of us hear the word histamine and think of allergies, sneezing, or antihistamines.
But histamine is something our bodies naturally make. It has roles in digestion, immune signaling, and even wakefulness.
Histamine can also be found in food. Fermented and aged foods can contain higher amounts, and levels can also change depending on how a food is processed or stored. Certain microbes can produce histamine too.
This is part of what makes histamine so interesting. It isn’t simply something we encounter during allergy season. It’s part of our food, our microbes, and our own biology.