It is estimated that 15% of the world population, no less than 1 in 6 people, has DAO deficiency, and he doesn’t know it. It is a very underdiagnosed.
It is estimated that only 0.5% of these patients have been evaluated by a doctor since some of the most common symptoms are associated with chronic pathologies such as:
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and headache
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Gastrointestinal disorders
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Dermatological conditions such as dermatitis, dry and atopic skin
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Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue.
What is histamine and where is it?
The acronym DAO refers to the diamine oxidase enzymewhich is in charge of metabolizing , an endogenous enzyme that is distributed in different tissues (liver, lungs, intestine, heart, pancreas and others) and has multiple vital functions:
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neurotransmitter.
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Vasodilator.
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Immune response against allergens.
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Mediator of the sleep-wake cycle.
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Activates the secretions of gastric juice.
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Neuroendocrine regulation.
The histamine It is present in an endless number of foods:
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Fruits and vegetables (aubergines, chard, avocado, spinach…)
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Dairy derivatives (yogurt, cheese, milk…)
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meats
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Fish
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Legumes
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Flours.
As explained to this portal Adriana Duelo, nutritionist and director of:
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“It is the lack of this enzyme that all mammals have in the small intestine, but in some people it works in a weakened way.”
When this deficit appears, a deficiency of DAO enzyme activity and prevents a molecule that is ingested through food, histamine, which our body does not need, from being metabolized and accumulates.
Because of that, histamine is not broken downpasses into the bloodstream and produces different symptoms.
87% of patients diagnosed with migraine have DAO deficiency
Why is this happening?
As the specialist explains, DAO deficiency has an important genetic factor.
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“A series of mutations that can be inherited, from a very specific gene (AOC1) and which is believed to be present in 10% of people. Thus, from a young age symptoms can develop due to the accumulation of histamine ”.
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The origin can also be in a “imbalance in the intestinal microbiotawhich generates inflammation in the intestine”.
Duelo also points out that the consumption of commonly used drugs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can cause a blockage of this enzyme. And he explains it with this example:
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“A person who, naturally, does not have a DAO deficiency, but who, occasionally, one day has had a paella with seafood and tomato sauce (with histamine), accompanied by a glass of wine (with ethanol, which blocks DAO), and has taken an ibuprofen pill (another cause of this deficiency)… as a result, one day he may suffer a migraine or hives”.
Symptoms of DAO deficiency
Migraine affects approximately 12% of the population, and it is a disabling pathology that affects the quality of life of those who suffer from it.
87% of patients diagnosed with migraine have a DAO deficiency, so a low histamine diet could improve their symptoms.
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.
He musculoskeletal pain common in all people who suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, it is because of the dilation of blood vessels produced by some vasodilator substances, mainly histamine in the body, as well as by their accumulation.
That is to say, histamine has a direct effect in different manifestations of pain.
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.
It is a disorder that affects between 5 and 10% of the child and adolescent population and it is three times more frequent in men.
Currently, it is investigating the relationship of ADHD and deficiency of the enzyme Diamine Oxidase (DAO)since most of the drugs that are prescribed in the treatment of ADHD are inhibitors of DAO activity.
consumption of alcohol decreases the ability to break down histamine and produces harmful symptoms as a consequence of the hangover: abdominal pain, headache and/or migraine, urticaria, tachycardia, hypotension, muscle pain and respiratory obstruction.
DAO deficiency: what is the treatment?
The main treatment for DAO deficiency and to mitigate its most common symptoms, which are related to migraine episodes and severe headaches, skin rashes and intestinal disorders, is a low histamine diet.
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However, this can be a real headache for patients, since most foods contain this molecule, it can be supplemented with exogenous supplementation of the DAO enzyme.
It is very similar to the medications used by lactose intolerant people. A pill called Lactase, which is taken just before consuming any dairy product to avoid the discomfort it produces.
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“The lifestyle changes radically, since you have to do without many…