Histamine by Viatrexx

Histamine is an amino acid acting as a neurotransmitter which influences the brain and the ANS. It is stored in the mast and baso cells, throughout the body. It is a potent vasodilator found in normal tissues and blood. It is produced from the essential growth amino acid histidine. Histamine occurs widely in nature by the putrefactive (aging) process. Hence, all aged food products will contain small amounts of histamine (1). When histamine levels in food get very high, it leads to food poisoning. Hence, food investigators constantly monitor food for maximum allowable histamine content as shown in a dry sausage study where content from random samples was 41.23 ug/g mean (2). Smoked foods keep the levels of histamine down, since smoke contains formaldehyde which prevents histamine from forming. Highest concentrations are found in oil producing fish. The level of histamine release will increase once the fish is dead. It stimulates the secretion of pepsin and acid by the stomach. Eating and vagal stimulation cause the release of histamine from gastric mucosa. Some studies have mentioned that histamine is a fast reacting chemical mediator; decreases the firing rate of cerebral, cortical, and brainstorm neurons; increases the firing rate of hypothalamic neurons; is released by mast cells in all epithelial tissue in response to injury, inflammation, and allergic reactions; may cause increased vascular permeability and increases blood flow to injured areas; can stimulate the secretion of pepsin and hydrochloric acid in the stomach; is important for sexual climax; can cause massive vasodilation and lower blood pressure; may affect peripheral nervous tissue; may cause broncho-constriction to produce asphyxia; may inhibit cytolytic activity of T-lymphocytes.