Are you probiotics making you sick?
I love a good probiotic! I take one a few times a week to help with my acne and gut issues. However, did you know that some probiotics might actually be making your stomach issues worse? Yep, it’s true— and the reason may be due to your histamine levels.
What Even Is Histamine?
Histamine is a natural chemical in your body that helps with digestion, immune responses, and even acts as a neurotransmitter. But here’s the catch—too much histamine can lead to issues like bloating, headaches, skin flare-ups, and that dreaded "I feel like a balloon" sensation.
Your body usually breaks down histamine with the help of an enzyme called DAO (diamine oxidase), but when there is too much stress on the body (internal and external), histamine can build up and leave you feeling pretty miserable.
Some common stressors that increase histamine:
poor stomach acid
gut infections
constipation
birth control
long term use of NSAIDS
heartburn medication
low mineral intake
liver stress
busy season of life
mental stress
poor sleep
poor oral health
How Do Probiotics Play a Role?
So while probiotics can be extremely helpful, some strains actually produce histamine in the gut. This can contribute to your symptoms instead of helping them. So, if you’re taking probiotics and noticing more bloating, digestive upset, or weird skin issues, your supplement might be working against you.
High-Histamine Probiotic Strains to Watch Out For
If you’re sensitive to histamine, you might want to avoid probiotic strains that can produce it, such as:
Lactobacillus casei
Lactobacillus bulgaricus
Lactobacillus reuteri
Lactobacillus helveticus
These strains are often found in fermented foods and some probiotic supplements. While they have benefits for certain people, they might not be the best fit if you're dealing with histamine intolerance.
Signs of histamine intolerance (but not limited to):
itchy skin
itchy after eating
bloating after eating
dizziness and nausea
constipation or diarrhea
skin issues
allergies
period pain
ovulation issues
What Should You Do If Your Probiotic Is Making Things Worse?
If you suspect your probiotic is causing more harm than good, here’s what you can do:
Stop Taking It for a While – Give your gut a break and see if your symptoms improve.
Focus on Gut-Healing Foods – Bone broth, cooked veggies, and easy-to-digest proteins can be your best friends.
Support Your DAO Enzyme – Foods rich in vitamin B6, copper, and vitamin C can help your body break down histamine more efficiently.
Get to the root of it - look into testing to find out why you’re producing more histamine and why your body is having a hard time breaking it down. High histamine is an issue for a lot of my gut clients. Learn more about that here!
Xoxo Kels
