Letzte Aktualisierung am 4. March 2025 von Dr. Michael Zechmann-Khreis
Histamine is an important messenger substance in the body that is involved in many physiological processes. It is produced in the body itself and also absorbed through food. A balanced regulation of histamine is crucial for general well-being. Histamine is a biogenic amine that plays a central role in various physiological processes in the body. It is the namesake of histamine intolerance. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about histamine and other biogenic amines: What they do in the body, why they are important for our health and how they are regulated and broken down.
Amino acids
Our body needs amino acids as building blocks for many vital compounds. There are 20 different amino acids (see table), eight of which (the essential amino acids) must be obtained from food. One of these amino acids is histidine, from which the biogenic amine histamine is formed. Histidine is particularly important for infants, as their bodies cannot produce enough of it themselves. In adults, it is unclear whether histidine is considered essential, although the body can only produce it to a limited extent itself. A dietary intake therefore remains important.
| Aminosäure | Abkürzung |
|---|---|
| Alanin | Ala |
| Arginin | Arg |
| Asparagin | Asn |
| Asparaginsäure | Asp |
| Cystein | Cys |
| Glutamin | Gln |
| Glutaminsäure | Glu |
| Glycin | Gly |
| Histidin | His |
| Isoleucin | Ile |
| Leucin | Leu |
| Lysin | Lys |
| Methionin | Met |
| Phenylalanin | Phe |
| Prolin | Pro |
| Serin | Ser |
| Threonin | Thr |
| Tryptophan | Trp |
| Tyrosin | Tyr |
| Valin | Val |
Histamine: from amino acid building block to messenger substance
The amino acid histidine is the starting material for the formation of histamine. This biogenic amine is involved in many processes in the body. It is found in our body in various tissues and cells and plays a central role in many biological reactions, such as the inflammatory response, the regulation of the sleep-wake rhythm, digestion and the immune response. Histamine receptors play an important role here.
Histamine receptors
Histamine receptors are special proteins that react to the effect of histamine and thereby regulate various physiological processes in the body. There are four main types of histamine receptors, each of which has different functions and acts in different ways in the body:
| Rezeptor | Funktionen | Beispiele für Wirkung |
|---|---|---|
| H1 | Allergie Typ I, Entzündung, Juckreiz, Übelkeit | Heuschnupfen, Asthma, Schwellungen |
| H2 | Magensäureproduktion, Herzfrequenz Steigerung | Sodbrennen |
| H3 | Neurotransmitter-Regulation | Schlaf-Wach-Rhythmus, Hungergefühl |
| H4 | Immunregulation, Entzündungen | Allergien, Asthma, Autoimmunerkrankungen |
Other biogenic amines
In addition to histamine, there are other biogenic amines, such as tyramine, which is formed from the amino acid tyrosine. Tyramine has an anti-inflammatory effect and influences the metabolism. However, it also has an activating effect on the sympathetic nervous system by releasing neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline and dopamine. These substances increase blood pressure, raise the heart rate and mobilize energy reserves, which leads to a kind of “stress response” in the body.
Putrescine and cadaverine are mainly produced by bacterial degradation and are particularly known for their unpleasant odor. Putrescine is formed from the amino acid ornithine, while cadaverine is formed from the amino acid lysine. These substances are found in higher concentrations in fermented foods such as cheese, meat or fish. However, in small quantities they are part of the normal cell metabolism in the body and can be important for the cell growth process.
If you are sensitive to histamine (including other biogenic amines), these foods can trigger symptoms of h istamine intolerance. With histamine intolerance, the body is unable to break down histamine properly, which can lead to symptoms such as headaches, reddening of the skin or digestive problems.
Sources
Jarisch R., “Histaminintoleranz – Histamin und Seekrankheit”, 3rd edition 2013, Thieme Verlag
Körner U., Schareina A., “Food allergies and intolerances”, 2010, Haug Verlag
Guideline “Procedure for suspected intolerance to orally ingested histamine”, German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology e.V. (DGAKI), 3.2017; DOI: 10.1007/s40629-017-0011-5
Comas-Basté, O., Sánchez-Pérez, S., Veciana-Nogués, M. T., Latorre-Moratalla, M., & Vidal-Carou, M. D. C. (2020). Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art. Biomolecules, 10(8), 1181. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10081181
Hakl, R., & Litzman, J. (2023). Histamine intolerance. Vnitřní lékařství, 69(1), 37-40. https://doi.org/10.36290/vnl.2023.005
Sánchez-Pérez, S., Comas-Basté, O., Rabell-González, J., Veciana-Nogués, M. T., Latorre-Moratalla, M. L., & Vidal-Carou, M. C. (2018). Biogenic Amines in Plant-Origin Foods: Are they Frequently Underestimated in Low-Histamine Diets? Foods, 7(12), 205. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods7120205
Shulpekova, Y. O., Nechaev, V. M., Popova, I. R., Deeva, T. A., Kopylov, A. T., Malsagova, K. A., Kaysheva, A. L., & Ivashkin, V. T. (2021). Food Intolerance: The Role of Histamine. Nutrients, 13(9), 3207. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093207
