Interesting Reads

To do its job, HNMT relies on a methyl donor called SAMe. Converting dietary folate into that active 5-MTHF form is exactly what the MTHFR enzyme does. If you carry a common MTHFR variant, that conversion runs slower than it should. Less active folate available means the methionine cycle can't recycle homocysteine as efficiently. Less efficient recycling means less SAMe gets produced. And less SAMe means HNMT can't keep up with histamine clearance, even if your DAO is fine an

Iron and thyroid function are connected in a loop with gut health, and if you only address one without understanding what's driving both, you might keep spinning your wheels. Stomach acid is a huge driver.

As I'm working through some courses on MCAS, I keep stumbling upon people saying that tea blocks DAO, so drinking it with food can be risky. DAO is the enzyme that breaks down histamine in the gut, so anything that interferes with it would matter. Yet some of the compounds in tea seem to be mast cell stabilizing. So off to PubMed I go! What DAO Actually Does

The holidays can be fun, but they can also hit hard when you’re dealing with Hashimoto’s. Between sugar, late nights, stress, travel, and leftovers that sit in the fridge a little too long, symptoms tend to pick up at the worst possible moment. There are ways to lessen the possibility of a flare, though!

If you’ve looked into histamine intolerance before, you’ve probably heard all about DAO. DAO is the enzyme that breaks down histamine in your gut. It’s the star of the show when it comes to reactions after meals, like hives, bloating, or heart palpitations. If your symptoms go beyond digestion, it could be time to look at a different enzyme: HNMT, or Histamine-N-Methyltransferase. Symptoms of low HNMT...

Air hunger can be a hidden symptom of histamine overload, hormone shifts, and nutrient depletion, especially if you're already low in iron.

If you're dealing with symptoms like bloating, skin issues, anxiety, or irregular periods and suspect histamine might be involved, gut health is one of the first places to look. Most people think of histamine as a food intolerance or allergy issue, but it’s also deeply tied to what’s happening inside your digestive system. A disrupted gut barrier, bacteria balance, or infections can increase histamine levels, block your ability to break it down, and set off a cascade that af