A Comprehensive Guide: What Supplement Decreases Histamine?

October 5, 2025 •

5 min read

While antihistamine medications offer relief, an estimated 1% to 3% of the population may suffer from histamine intolerance, and many seek natural alternatives. Understanding what supplement decreases histamine and supports your body's natural processes can be a crucial step in managing discomfort.

Quick Summary

This guide explores several key nutrients and natural compounds that can help manage histamine levels in the body. It covers how supplements like the DAO enzyme, quercetin, and vitamin C work, along with the importance of supportive vitamins, minerals, and strain-specific probiotics for overall histamine regulation.

Key Points

DAO Enzyme: DAO supplements can help break down histamine ingested from food, providing relief for those with a deficiency in this key enzyme.
Vitamin C: This potent antioxidant and natural antihistamine assists in the breakdown of histamine and helps stabilize mast cells, reducing allergic responses.
Quercetin: As a powerful flavonoid, quercetin stabilizes mast cells and prevents them from releasing histamine, making it a valuable tool for managing histamine-related symptoms.
Supportive Nutrients: Essential vitamins (B6, B12, C) and minerals (zinc, copper, magnesium) act as cofactors for histamine-degrading enzymes and help stabilize mast cells.
Strain-Specific Probiotics: Certain probiotic strains, like Bifidobacterium infantis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, are histamine-lowering and can be beneficial, while others can be histamine-producing and should be avoided.
Lifestyle Management: Optimal results are achieved by combining supplements with a low-histamine diet, stress reduction, and avoiding known DAO inhibitors like alcohol.
Consult a Professional: Due to individual variability and potential root causes, it is crucial to consult a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen.

Understanding Histamine and Intolerance

Histamine is a biogenic amine that serves several important functions in the body, including acting as a neurotransmitter and being a key component of the immune response. When the immune system detects a threat, immune cells called mast cells and basophils release histamine, triggering an inflammatory reaction.

For most people, the body’s enzymes, primarily diamine oxidase (DAO) in the gut and histamine-N-methyltransferase (HNMT), effectively break down excess histamine. However, in individuals with histamine intolerance or a condition like Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), this breakdown process is impaired. An imbalance can result from a DAO deficiency, often due to genetic factors, intestinal disorders, or nutrient deficiencies. This leads to an accumulation of histamine, causing a wide range of allergy-like symptoms, including headaches, digestive issues, skin rashes, flushing, and nasal congestion.

In addition to the body's own production, histamine can enter the system through diet, particularly from aged, fermented, or cured foods. The goal of a nutritional approach is not to eliminate all histamine, but to help manage its levels by supporting the body's natural degradation pathways and stabilizing mast cells.

Key Supplements for Histamine Management

Diamine Oxidase (DAO) Enzyme

For those with low DAO enzyme activity, supplementation with an exogenous DAO enzyme can directly aid in breaking down histamine from food.

Mechanism: DAO supplements work in the digestive tract to break down ingested histamine before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. This can help prevent the histamine overload that triggers symptoms after eating certain foods.
Source: Most commercially available DAO supplements are derived from animal kidneys, such as porcine (pig) kidney extract. Plant-based alternatives exist, but their efficacy requires more research.
Usage: DAO supplements are typically taken immediately before meals containing histamine.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine and is known for its ability to lower histamine levels in the body.

Mechanism: Vitamin C can help break down histamine and reduce its overall production by stabilizing mast cells. It also has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can mitigate oxidative stress related to histamine reactions.
Source: While found in many fruits and vegetables, supplementation provides a more concentrated, therapeutic dose. A buffered vitamin C is often recommended for sensitive stomachs.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a flavonoid, a plant compound with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Mechanism: It works by stabilizing mast cells, inhibiting them from releasing histamine in the first place. This makes it particularly effective for managing allergic-type reactions.
Source: Quercetin is naturally present in foods like apples, onions, and berries, but higher levels for therapeutic use are found in supplements. It is often combined with bromelain to enhance absorption and effectiveness.

Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle has a long history of traditional use as a natural antihistamine.

Mechanism: Studies suggest that stinging nettle leaf can inhibit the body's histamine production and related inflammation, offering relief from symptoms like allergic rhinitis.
Usage: It is commonly available in supplement or tea form.

Bromelain

Derived from pineapple stems, bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Mechanism: It can enhance the effects of quercetin and may help alleviate respiratory symptoms and inflammation associated with allergies. Taking it as a supplement is more effective than consuming pineapple, as the concentration is higher.

Supportive Nutrients for Histamine Metabolism

B Vitamins

Several B vitamins act as critical cofactors for the enzymes that break down histamine.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is essential for the function of the DAO enzyme.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) and Vitamin B12 support the methylation pathways involved in histamine degradation.

Minerals: Zinc, Copper, and Magnesium

Certain minerals are vital for proper histamine metabolism.

Zinc: Acts as a cofactor for Vitamin B6, which in turn supports DAO. It also possesses anti-inflammatory properties and can help regulate mast cell function.
Copper: This mineral is a crucial component of the DAO enzyme, and adequate levels are necessary for its production and activity.
Magnesium: Can help stabilize mast cells and support a healthy nervous system, potentially alleviating some histamine-related symptoms.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Found in fatty fish and certain seeds, omega-3s are renowned for their anti-inflammatory effects. Reducing systemic inflammation can indirectly help manage histamine-related symptoms and stabilize mast cells.

Probiotics: Selecting the Right Strains

Probiotics are not a one-size-fits-all solution for histamine issues. Some strains can produce histamine, while others can help degrade it, so careful selection is essential.

Histamine-Friendly Strains

Bifidobacterium infantis
Bifidobacterium longum
Lactobacillus plantarum
Lactobacillus rhamnosus (especially LGG)

Strains to Potentially Avoid

Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Streptococcus thermophilus

Lifestyle and Diet as Foundational Therapy

While supplements are valuable, they are most effective when combined with a low-histamine diet and other lifestyle changes. The freshness of food, for instance, is paramount, as histamine levels increase with age. Stress management is also key, as stress can trigger histamine release. Alcohol and certain medications are known DAO inhibitors and should be avoided where possible.

Comparing Histamine-Reducing Supplements


Supplement	Primary Mechanism	Best For	Typical Dosage	Primary Source(s)
DAO Enzyme	Directly breaks down ingested histamine in the gut.	Managing symptoms triggered by histamine-rich foods.	Taken before meals.	Porcine (pig) kidney extract.
Quercetin	Stabilizes mast cells, inhibiting histamine release.	Reducing allergic-type reactions from various triggers.	500-1000 mg/day.	Sophora Japonica flower or diet.
Vitamin C	Direct degradation of histamine and anti-inflammatory action.	General immune support and managing allergic symptoms.	500-2000 mg/day.	Supplements, citrus, broccoli.
Stinging Nettle	Inhibits histamine production and inflammation.	Alleviating seasonal allergy and rhinitis symptoms.	Varies by form (capsule, tea).	Plant extract (Urtica dioica).
Probiotics	Restore gut microbiome balance and degrade histamine.	Long-term gut health to support endogenous DAO.	Strain and brand dependent.	Targeted supplements.

Conclusion

For those seeking to understand what supplement decreases histamine, it is clear that a multi-faceted approach is most beneficial. While DAO enzyme supplements offer a direct way to process dietary histamine, natural mast cell stabilizers like quercetin and stinging nettle can prevent its release. Complementing these with essential cofactors like vitamin C, B vitamins, zinc, and copper ensures the body's endogenous systems function optimally. Lastly, carefully selected probiotics can address underlying gut imbalances that contribute to histamine issues, while a low-histamine diet provides a foundational strategy. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen, especially if managing a condition like histamine intolerance or MCAS. By combining targeted supplementation with informed dietary choices and lifestyle management, many can find significant relief.

For more detailed information on histamine and its effects, consult the research available from the National Institutes of Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no single 'most effective' supplement, as effectiveness depends on the underlying cause of histamine issues. DAO enzyme can be very effective for dietary histamine, while quercetin is a powerful mast cell stabilizer, and vitamin C directly helps degrade histamine. Many people find a combination approach most helpful.

DAO enzyme supplements contain the diamine oxidase enzyme, which helps break down histamine in the digestive tract. This prevents excess histamine from being absorbed from food into the bloodstream and causing symptoms.

No, not all probiotics are suitable. Some common strains, like certain Lactobacillus casei and bulgaricus, can produce histamine and may worsen symptoms. It is important to choose specific, low-histamine strains like Bifidobacterium infantis or Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

Yes. Key vitamins like B6 and C, and minerals like copper and zinc, are crucial cofactors for the DAO enzyme and other histamine metabolism pathways. Deficiencies can impair the body's ability to break down histamine effectively.

Quercetin is a mast cell stabilizer. It helps prevent mast cells from releasing their stored histamine in response to triggers, thereby reducing allergic and inflammatory reactions.

A low-histamine diet is often the foundational step, and for many, it can significantly reduce symptoms by limiting dietary histamine intake. However, supplements address different parts of the histamine imbalance. The most comprehensive approach typically involves a combination of dietary adjustments and targeted supplementation.

Several factors can inhibit DAO enzyme activity, including alcohol, fermented foods, certain medications (like some NSAIDs and antidepressants), and nutrient deficiencies (especially B6 and copper).