Amines in Food
You may be quick to blame things like gluten or dairy if you react to certain foods. But what if what you’re reacting to is something different?
It could be because of amines in food.
Many people believe amines are part of what makes some foods taste good! In some cases, they are correct. That’s because animes commonly occur when foods undergo processes typically done to enhance their flavor.
What are amines in food?
Biogenic amines (amines in food) are naturally occurring chemicals caused by the bacteria that break down amino acids. They’re particularly high in foods that are overly ripe, overcooked, grilled/chard, processed, fermented or decomposing.
In what foods are Amines most commonly found?
The majority of amino acids (Biogenic Amines) are present in meat products, but can be found in other food sources, including dairy products, eggs, fish, vegetables and grains. The highest levels of free amino acid have been reported from milk, followed by egg white, cheese, beef, liver and chicken breast muscle.
For example, as avocados and bananas ripen, there will be much higher amounts of Biogenic Amine Formation. Aged and processed meats such as salami, smoked fish, bacon, ham, aged beef, prawns, meat pies and any foods that are browned, charter overcooked will have very high amine levels.
They are also found in fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, pickles and vinegar. Other major culprit foods are cheeses, tomato (including tomato products like sauces and canned), wine, coconut products, berries, all dried fruits, olives, mushroom stocks, olive/avocado oil and apple cider vinegar.
Some common amines found in foods include:
- Tyramine – high in aged and fermented foods, such as aged cheeses, cured/smoked meats and fish.
- Histamine – watch out for fermented foods and beverages (like wine, beer, sauerkraut), cured meats and foods that contain vinegar.
- Phenylethylamine – found in chocolate, nuts, legumes, meat, seafood and poultry.
- Polyamines – high in wheat germ, rice bran, intestine, liver and some nuts.
Are Amines Toxic?
From the list above, you can appreciate that Biogenic Amines are not in unhealthy foods, or particularly bad for you by themselves. They’re spread among many healthy plant based foods, oils and meats.
Some amines have been shown to be toxic when consumed in large amounts and cause disease. The toxicity is due to their ability to bind to proteins and form complexes called protein-amine adducts. These ‘adducts’ may lead to cell damage and in extreme cases death. This happens because the compounds interfere with normal cellular metabolism.
For example, histamines (one of the five biogenic amine neurotransmitters) have been linked to severe asthma attacks. Histamines are released during an allergy attack, causing inflammation and swelling.
How can you develop an amine intolerance?
Amines in food are usually broken down by monoamine oxidase-A (MOA) enzymes found in the gut, intestine and liver. But, they can build up in the body if these enzymes are depleted, blocked or sluggish, sparking amine intolerance.
Intolerance vs allergy
At this point, it’s important to stress that we are medically speaking about intolerance vs allergic reactions or food allergies. This is not an immune system reaction. Rather, when someone is intolerant, the nerve endings are being irritated in different parts of the body; particularly in the gut. These nerve endings instead of food allergies are the main causes of any adverse reaction that people may feel.
The digestive system is partly the reason why people experience many amine symptoms when they react to these naturally occurring chemicals. The range of symptoms are due to a person having trouble breaking down and eliminating these chemicals from the body.
The emphasis again is that they’re not harmful chemicals, and the body should typically handle them. They are normally harmless, but due to various factors, people start to become intolerant to them and experience an adverse reaction.
Excess amines can induce effects similar to those of histamine, such as adrenaline release, an increase in cardiac output and constriction of blood vessels in the head, which is the mechanism responsible for amine-induced migraines in particular.
Saying an intolerance, on a base level, means someone’s body can’t process excessive amounts of a substance consumed in the diet. And the amount someone can handle at any time will vary between individuals, and there can be a cumulative effect in the body. Every individual will have a different threshold, so the symptoms can present as random flare-ups.
An individual may have something for breakfast and be fine, but after lunch they may start to get symptoms. Typically in these circumstances, they cross a threshold and react sometime afterwards.
What are the symptoms of amine intolerance?
Symptoms of amine sensitivity vary from person to person – depending on the amount you eat and your tolerance. Watch out for:
- Migraines and headaches
- Skin conditions, such as eczema and hives
- Sinus trouble
- Gastro intestinal disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Behavioural issues
- Behavioural problems in children · Inability to focus / bed wetting
Remember that symptoms of food intolerance can appear up to 48 hours after consumption, and many people find they only experience symptoms when they consume over their tolerance “threshold”. This can make flare-ups appear random, making it difficult to pinpoint the trigger.
Behavioural Problems in Children
Children with behavioural issues, such as ADHD, are more likely to develop allergies and intolerances.
This could be due to the fact that children eat more processed foods than adults, but the reason why this happens is not yet fully understood. Another theory suggests children consume higher amounts of protein and fat per kilogram of weight compared to adults. Another possible explanation is that children have immature digestive systems and therefore absorb nutrients differently.
One common way behavioural problems show up in children is aggression. Whereas other children may have food intolerances, which lead to hyperactivity and silliness. This may have to do with the children having too much dopamine in their system and not clearing it well, and noting that excess dopamine can actually drive a lot of aggression.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Another major factor is the state of someone’s digestive function and gut microbiome health, which can cause gastrointestinal symptoms.
If someone has IBS, it simply means someone has an microbial imbalance from not breaking down food properly.
It can eventually lead to increased intestinal hyper permeability, where the gut wall should selectively allow minute particles to pass through the lining of the gut. However, now the gut digests and absorbs all the vitamins and minerals, including these larger food molecules that should not pass through the gut lining.
This drives a lot of inflammation in the body. And when there’s all this systemic inflammation, and especially the lining of the gut wall, people don’t break food down properly, and it becomes a huge burden on our detoxification organs.
Amines and Migraines
A study has shown that amines in food can cause headaches. The gut is where the majority of the immune system is located. When a sensitive person eats a food or chemical, the immune system releases mediators such as cytokines, leukotrienes, or prostaglandins, which cause a host of chronic inflammatory conditions. Common symptoms include migraines.
Animes, Eczema and Skin Issues
With eczema, foods that aren’t usually a problem can worsen an eczema flare-up. It seems the immune system has already been triggered during an eczema attack, and so many foods can cause the condition to worsen. It can be hard to find problems foods because of the time it takes to react to them. The foods can be reintroduced with no problems once the eczema is under control.
Amines Link to Depression and Schizophrenia
There are five biogenic amine neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) – dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), epinephrine (adrenaline), histamine and serotonin. Nerve impulses and messages aren’t effectively transmitted in the brain when there is an imbalance of these neurotransmitters.
Dopamine
The brain uses dopamine to signal other nerve cells. Dopamine is implicated for addiction because of its involvement in reward, motivation, memory and attention. Dopamine is important for both physical and mental wellbeing, as it controls body movement.
Serotonin
Serotonin impacts moods, anxiety and happiness. Serotonin can be released in people using recreational drugs. Serotonin is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. Seroton can only be produced in the brain.
Both serotonin and dopamine can be affected by amines.
The Relationship Between Histamine and Amines
Many foods have histamine, a type of biogenic amine. When we consume food that contains histamine, our gut uses its special enzymes to destroy the histamine before it’s absorbed into the bloodstream.
Symptoms of histamine intolerance
High Histamine levels can also cause symptoms like nausea, lower blood pressure which causes an irregular heartbeat, which can also be a principal driver of migrate headaches. So the list of histamine containing foods can shock people, because they’re in so many foods. Again, we want to stress they’re not bad!
Many people are surprised to find that it’s not only naturally occurring in foods. It’s also something produced in the body.
Some prime culprits of foods that can increase levels of histamine amine include fermented foods, alcohol, citrus fruits, avocado, eggplant, spinach, tomato, walnuts and aged cheeses. Again, cured meats, shellfish, chocolate, vinegar, black and green tea. It’s an extensive list, so an elimination diet is hard.
Managing amine intolerance
You cannot remove amines in food by boiling or any other cooking method. So, how do you get on top of them?
- Keep a food diary – if you suspect sensitivity to amines, keep a log of what you eat and drink. Watch for a pattern of foods that may spark your symptoms.
- Try an elimination diet – a method of eliminating amines from your diet to see if it resolves your symptoms, but is not suitable for long-term management of symptoms. To obtain a full list of foods containing amines, fill out the request form below. Of the 77% who started an elimination diet, 91% reported improved symptoms, according by an Australian study. How Can You Tell If Your Body Is Dealing With High Levels of Amines?
Try our Natural Allergy Treatment – At Health & Wellness Australia & Auckland (HWA), our Naturopaths use a form of muscle testing (kinesiology) to pinpoint the substances triggering your allergy symptoms. Following this, we perform a natural allergy treatment called Positive Association Technique (PAT), which aims to reduce your reactions and symptoms.
PAT is a non-invasive holistic therapy, which:
- draws on acupressure and kinesiology techniques
- aims to re-train your body
- may reduce your reactions to food (like amines) and environmental substances that may cause or exacerbating your symptoms.
Some cases can be complex, so our Naturopaths may also recommend supplements and herbs, and provide lifestyle advice to help you achieve the best long-term results.
The treatments we do at our clinics are extremely useful especially for people with very severe sensitivities.
One of the reasons people become intolerant is they’re not breaking it down properly. So not only will one of our practitioners perform tests to gauge what culprit foods are causing the sensitivities we can provide extra liver and digestive support here to help.
PAT treatments are prompt in diagnosing the root causes. What we are doing is desensitising someone’s immune system to not react to a substance anymore, or at least increase the threshold of tolerance. So while the digestive supported healing can take time, the treatments offer speedy relief to increase someone’s thresholds.
To request a full list of foods containing amines, please fill out and submit the form below:
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Please note this blog contains general information only. Always consult your health care professional before making any diet or lifestyle changes.
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