CONSUMER TRIAL APRIL 2011
Introduction Histamine is a chemical which occurs naturally in certain foods. This is also one of the chemicals that is released in the body as part of an allergic reaction, causing the typical itching, sneezing, wheezing, swelling allergy symptoms. We all have an enzyme (Diamine oxidase) which breaks down any histamine that we absorb from a histamine-containing food, so when we eat a food which contains histamine it does not affect us. However some people have a low level of this enzyme, and when they eat too many histamine-rich foods, they may suffer allergy-like symptoms such as headaches, rashes, itching, diarrhoea and vomiting or abdominal pain. This is called histamine intolerance. Some studies have also suggested links between histamine intolerance and urticaria, asthma, eczema and anxiety and panic attacks. Foods that are particularly high in histamine are:- Red wine and beer Cheese, especially fermented cheeses such as Camembert, Brie, Gruyere, Cheddar, Roquefort and Parmesan. Brewer's yeast Shellfish Most fish, including canned fish Tomato (especially tinned tomato, tomato puree and ketchup) Spinach Chicken Pork sausage and beef sausage and ham, especially dried (cured) versions. Chocolate Fermented soy products (soy sauce) All fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut. It is known that some foods can cause the body to release its own histamine from the cells in the body that contain it. In certain people, eating these foods will also trigger allergy-like symptoms
Allergy UK undertook an anecdotal trial to see if people found Daosin effective in enabling them to eat high histamine foods. We had 70 people that took part in our trial. These people were given 30 capsules of the product, information, and a questionnaire to fill in after completing the trial. The results were as follows:- We asked:- 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 How long have you suffered from your symptoms? Less than 4 weeks 4 weeks - 6 months 6 months - 1 year 1-5 years 5 + years We asked:- What gender are you? Male 33% Female 67%
To help the diagnosis of histamine intolerance, Allergy UK would recommend a person to log their intake of food and drink and their symptoms over a period of three weeks. This can be documented by using a food symptoms diary. We asked:- Do you keep a dietary log? No 51% Yes 49% We asked the participants what symptoms they suffered from and if they saw improvements after taking Daosin:- List of Symptoms Yes Symptoms improved with Daosin Stomach ache/cramps 63 48 Flatulence/Rumbling 48 30 Diarrhoea 39 33 Skin Rash/Wheals 24 21 Itching 33 21 Rhinitis/Sneeze 21 12 Sickness/Nausea 24 15 Fatigue 30 9 Headache/Migraine 60 33
Treatment for histamine intolerance would consist of avoiding histamine rich foods, taking a regular antihistamine is often helpful. We asked the participants did they know of any of the following products? 65 people know of Piriton 36 people recognised Benadryl 27 people know of Beconase 12 people have heard of Flixonase 5 people have not heard of any of the above The majority of the participants have not heard of any histamine intolerance remedies that would give a positive effect. We then asked the participants to list what kind of foods they think may give them a histamine intolerance reaction:- chocolate, eggs, tomatoes, shell fish, oranges, pineapple, cheese, red wine, chicken, fish, pork, spices, corn nuts and seeds, carrots, strawberries, wheat, diary, apples, bananas, soya, peanuts, peppermint, vanilla, These following foods were ranked 1-5 showing the worst intolerance reaction - 1 being the worst 1 - Cheese 2 - Alcohol 3 - Chicken 4 - Chocolate 5 - Fish
The participants said that the top three histamine rich food and drink that they missed the most were; cheese, chocolate and alcohol. We asked:- When you first saw the packaging what did you think of the name? Irritating 0% Non describing 5% No Effect 43% Is the copy on the packaging easy to understand? 54 Yes 16 No Appealing 26% Self describing 26% 16 people that mentioned packaging instructions were not too clear, the main concern was that they said that they were not too sure how soon they could eat after taking a capsule. There were no negative comments submitted regarding the taste having tried the product. Out of the 70 participants, there were only 3 people that had presented after effects, some of these being; increased headaches, constipation, flushed face, nausea and tachycardia. Having tried the product:- 57 people would recommend it to others because of the effect, and would purchase it themselves providing the price was affordable. 3 people wanted further trials. 7 people would not recommend the product as there were no effects. These respondents were not pre-screened and therefore may not be actually suffering from histamine related food intolerance. 3 people would not recommend the product as they had experienced after effects.
Allergy UK is a national medical charity established to increase understanding and awareness of allergy and intolerances, to help people manage their allergies and to provide training in allergy for healthcare professionals including Doctors, Nurses, Dieticians and Pharmacists. For further copies of this report contact Allergy UK on 01322 619898 Allergy UK Helpline Number (9am-5pm Monday - Friday) 01322 619898 Allergy UK Website: www.allergyuk.org Allergy UK is the operational name of the British Allergy Foundation a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales Company No: 4509293 Charity No: 1094231 Registered in Scotland - Charity No: SCO39257