Dr. Jill Carnahan on “Boost Your DAO Levels to Fight Histamine”
Jill Carnahan, M.D., wrote an article for her blog called “Boost Your DAO Levels To Fight Histamine.”
From the article:
Diamine oxidase (DAO) is an enzyme that’s responsible for breaking down histamine. Another enzyme responsible for breaking histamine down is called histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMH), but we are going to mostly focus on DAO because it’s much more effective.
DAO is mostly found in the kidneys and thymus. In pregnant women, DAO levels rise significantly and are found in the placenta. In the body, DAO breaks down histamine, which is then excreted through your kidneys and urine.
DAO is also found in the small intestine, in two sections called the jejunum and ileum. When foods high in histamine pass by this part of the small intestine, DAO breaks it down and prevents it from entering the body. When you have sufficient DAO, nearly all of the histamine that passes through your digestive tract is broken down and therefore doesn’t cause any issues.
If you don’t have enough DAO, it can cause histamine levels to rise. If this goes on long enough, it can cause histamine sensitivity, chronic inflammation or mast cell activation syndrome.
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