Histidine: what it is, what it is for and rich foods

Histidine is a fundamental amino acid for growth and development, for the production of blood cells and for the maintenance of nervous system cells.

Furthermore, histidine also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-secretory actions, helping to maintain gastric health, avoid heart disease and prevent premature aging.

As it is an essential amino acid, histidine must be obtained through eating foods rich in protein, such as beef, chicken, soy and nuts. Furthermore, histidine can also be found, in the form of L-histidine, in dietary supplements. Discover other essential amino acids and where to find them.

What is it for

The main functions of histidine in the body are:

1. Maintain gastric health

Histidine helps maintain gastric health, as the metabolism of this amino acid generates histamine, which is a chemical compound that plays a key role in the secretion and regulation of gastric acid from the stomach.

2. Avoid anemia

Because it is important for the production of hemoglobin, which is a component of red blood cells whose function is to transport oxygen to tissues, histidine prevents anemia.

3. Prevent premature aging

Histidine metabolism produces urocanic acid, which is a component that prevents ultraviolet rays from entering the skin, preventing blemishes, wrinkles, sagging and premature aging.

4. Maintain brain health

Histidine maintains brain health because it is essential for the maintenance of the myelin sheath, which is the structure responsible for the protection and communication of neurons.

5. Avoid heart disease

As it is a powerful antioxidant that protects fat cells against oxidation, histidine helps regulate cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, preventing heart diseases such as heart attack, stroke and atherosclerosis.

Furthermore, histamine, which is a component produced from histidine, has a vasodilatory action, improving blood circulation and helping to prevent high blood pressure.

6. Fight infections

Histidine gives rise to histamine, a substance that increases the dilation of blood vessels, favoring the arrival of immune system cells at the site where there are injuries, fighting infections.

Foods rich in histidine

The following table indicates the amount of histidine in 100g of each food:

Histidine can also be found in smaller quantities in vegetables, such as carrots, beets, eggplant, turnips, cassava, potatoes.

Recommended daily amount

The recommended daily amount of histidine varies depending on age:

• Children up to 6 months: 22 mg/kg of body weight;
• Children aged 1 to 2 years: 12 mg/kg of body weight;
• Children aged 3 to 14: 12 mg/kg of body weight;
• Children aged 15 to 18: 11 mg/kg body weight

The histidine recommendation for adults is 10 mg/kg of body weight per day. A person weighing 70 kg needs to consume 700 mg of histidine per day, for example.

When to take a histidine supplement

The use of a histidine supplement, in the form of L-histidine, may be recommended by a doctor or nutritionist to help treat atopic dermatitis, gastric acidity or rheumatoid arthritis, for example.

The generally recommended dosage of L-histidine is between 0.8 mg and 4.5 g per day for up to 7 months. However, the dose of the supplement varies depending on age and the objective being treated and, therefore, should only be used under the guidance of a doctor or nutritionist.

Possible side effects

Taking up to 4.5g of L-histidine supplement per day does not appear to cause side effects. Doses above 4.5 g per day of this supplement can cause reduced taste and smell, headache, sleepiness, nausea, eye pain, weakness, changes in vision and memory, and depression.

Who cannot use

The L-histidine supplement is not recommended for people with histidinemia, a metabolic disorder in which the lack of the histidase enzyme in the body causes high levels of histidine in the blood and urine, which can cause neurological changes and speech delays.

Furthermore, the L-histidine supplement is also not recommended for children, pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding, as there are still no studies that prove the safety of using this supplement at these stages.