Beware the hidden gift of Christmas lunch

23^rd December 2009 - Headaches, diarrhoea, rashes and a sudden drop in blood pressure. It doesn’t sound like a great recipe for Christmas, but the charity Allergy UK says that, for some people, these can be the symptoms of having eaten too much of the wrong foods.

Unfortunately, typical Christmas fare contains a good deal of these sorts of food; and the reason they lead to uncomfortable side effects, according to Allergy UK, is histamine intolerance.

What is histamine intolerance?

Histamine intolerance (HIT) can show up as symptoms resembling an allergy. However, in allergies the immune system is involved; HIT is the lack of an enzyme called diamine oxidase (DAO). If our DAO enzyme doesn’t do its job properly then, according to Allergy UK, our histamine levels soar and we feel very ill.

What are the symptoms of histamine intolerance?

“The main symptom I have is diarrhoea,” says Genny Masterman, an associate TV producer from Cheshire.  Genny was diagnosed with HIT two years ago and says it took some time before she realised that her list of ailments were connected to food and drink.

Apart from diarrhoea, Allergy UK lists a range of other symptoms that people with HIT may experience. These include:

•         Headaches

•         Rashes

•         Itching

•         Vomiting

•         Abdominal pain

What causes the symptoms of histamine intolerance?

The symptoms of HIT are caused or triggered by food and drink with high levels of histamine. These include:

•         Matured cheeses

•         Cured meats

•         Processed and tinned foods

•         Any fermented foods

•         Tomatoes

•         Spinach

•         Aubergines

•         Chocolate

•         Nuts

•         Citrus fruits

•         Spices

•         Alcohol, especially red wine

Allergy UK says many of these ingredients are traditionally eaten at Christmas, while consumption of alcohol is usually higher at this time of year.

“The first thing I have to avoid is alcohol, for sure,” Genny Masterman tells us. “The second thing is pre-prepared foods, so I cook everything myself and make sure it’s fresh,” she adds. However, Genny says this is just the top of a long list of foods she needs to avoid if she wants to guarantee not feeling ill.

How can I find out if I have histamine intolerance?

Allergy UK says HIT is recognised as a growing problem on mainland Europe, but it’s barely known, under-diagnosed and under-publicised in the UK.

Genny Masterman was diagnosed with the condition by a doctor in Austria when she was working there on a TV history documentary. She says that, although doctors in the UK try to help, they don’t seem to have as much information about HIT as those in other parts of Europe. She says “the problem here is that there is not much knowledge going into the profession about it and a lot of people have a lot of questions, and a lot of people don’t get a diagnosis”.

Allergy UK says anyone who consults their GP should be put on a low-histamine diet for a couple of weeks to see if their symptoms clear up.

One last seasonal thought. Allergy UK says that research shows the majority of HIT sufferers are women in their 40s - just the ones who take the brunt of Christmas festivities and all the stress involved in getting ready for them.