Learn Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride’s recommendations for GAPS diet histamine intolerance.
Understanding histamine reactions on the gaps diet
Histamine reactions sometimes come up for people on the GAPS diet. Not everyone will experience GAPS diet histamine intolerance, but a good number of people do. It can be confusing when it happens, and you may have questions about what to do.
Histamine intolerance can happen on the full GAPS diet or the introductory stages. I’m sharing Dr. Natasha’s recommendations on managing histamine intolerance and some things I’ve learned since starting my journey on GAPS.
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How to manage mild and severe histamine intolerance
Dr. Natasha advises that most people avoid over-focusing on minor elements, like specific food reactions or potential sensitivities, and stick to the GAPS diet protocol. This is because GAPS is what ultimately solves those issues! While deeper adjustments might be necessary in rare, long-term cases where progress stalls, most people benefit more by pushing through.
If you have histamine reaction symptoms, ask yourself how severe the reaction is. Are you uncomfortable but pretty much ok, or are you miserable and can’t cope? If your symptoms are milder, Dr. Natasha urges no changes. For people with miserable histamine intolerance symptoms who just can’t function, Dr. Natasha recommends taking out all fermented foods for a while, taking a high-quality, clean probiotic supplement instead, and focusing on lots of meat stock.
Effective strategies for handling histamine reactions on the GAPS diet
You want to target the root cause of your histamine reactions. Dr. Natasha says meat stock seals the gut lining, and histamine intolerance happens when there a leaky gut, and an overwhelmed liver. So, to stop the reactions, you have to seal that leaky gut. She says to focus on high amounts of meat stock for a concentrated period to seal the gut, and then it’s over and we don’t have to deal with it anymore.
Here are some strategies and tips to keep in mind.
- Meat stock is a must! Dr. Natasha says that adults should consume 4-6 cups daily, children 2-3 cups daily, and infants about 1 cup daily.
- Dr. Natasha says focusing on meat stock for 21-31 days usually resolves leaky gut.
- You can make meat stock from beef, lamb, game, bison, or pork. Some people who are really sensitive find that they do better with a certain type of meat.
- It’s ok to stick to one kind of meat if that works for now, but as you continue sealing your leaky gut, you’ll want to widen the variety of the meats you’re using eventually.
- Adjust fermented foods based on symptoms. They might have to be removed temporarily. When they are added, she says to start with small amounts, like a teaspoon or a drop diluted in soup, and slowly increase over time.
- Opt for long-fermented vegetables like sauerkraut aged for 6 months or longer because they contain lower histamine levels.
Why is meat stock essential for progress
I want to quickly discuss meat stock vs. bone broth and why we use meat stock to seal leaky guts and manage histamine reactions naturally. One of the main reasons Dr. Natasha recommends meat stock instead of bone broth is that meat stock is low in histamine or doesn’t have histamines when made properly. Bone broth is high in histamines.
When making meat stock, you want to use raw cuts with bones, preferably with joints and connective tissue. This will give you a nice gelatinous meat stock with all those great nutrients for sealing a leaky gut. Cook your stock for 1.5–3 hours for poultry or 4–6 hours for pork and red meat. Here’s how I make my meat stock recipe.
Have you experienced histamine reactions on the gaps diet?
GAPS diet histamine reactions can be frustrating but are often signs that you are doing the right thing be following GAPS. I like to follow Dr. Natasha’s GAPS diet recommendations and prioritize gut and liver support.
What are the best probiotic supplements for the GAPS diet?
You want to get a good-quality probiotic supplement without fillers. I really like this one.
What are low-histamine foods I can eat on GAPS?
I like to make freshly cooked meats with peeled and cooked low-histamine vegetables like onion and carrots.
Can I meal prep meat stock?
Very sensitive people need to eat only what is fresh cooked, but some can store it for longer. Meat stock can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen right away for longer storage. Keeping the fridge at 38ºF can help slow or prevent histamine growth in leftovers.
Common symptoms and solutions for histamine intolerance on the GAPS diet
The most common histamine intolerance symptoms include symptoms that feel like a cold, such as runny nose, as well as swelling and skin reactions (source). Dr. Natasha says reducing histamine intolerance involves focusing on gut support, as well as liver support. Dr. Natasha describes livers supports in her blue GAPS book, Gut and Physiology Syndrome.
Fermented foods and histamine intolerance on the GAPS diet
GAPS diet fermented foods are important because they help populate the body with friendly probtioics. Histamine intolerance symptoms from fermented foods often subside as the gut lining seals and histamine breakdown improves. Most people don’t need to avoid fermented foods. Dr. Natasha says just start small. You only want to add one fermented food at a time so you can identify what’s giving you a hard time. Fermented vegetables like sauerkraut that have been aged for a year have lower histamine levels.
GAPS diet histamine intolerance video
Other GAPS diet related blog posts
Sauerkraut Recipe for the GAPS Diet
Have you ever dealt with histamine symptoms?
I’d love to hear about your experiences with the GAPS diet. Do you have any GAPS diet tips for histamine reactions that worked for you? Have you noticed any changes since starting the diet? Let me know in the comments!
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GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.
The information in this blog post is my personal experience and opinion. It is for general information purposes only, may not apply to you as an individual, and is not a substitute for your own physician’s medical care or advice. Always seek advice from your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding nutrition, medical conditions, and advice. Never disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical care because of something you have read on this blog.