Histame Available in United States

March 11, 2009

Histame™ now available in United States
Naturally Vitamins Unveils Breakthrough Formula for Food Intolerance.

PHOENIX – Thanks to Naturally Vitamins, Americans now have access to HISTAME™, a breakthrough formula offering hope to the millions of Americans who suffer from food intolerance. Europeans have used this formula for years with rave reviews. Now acknowledged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a new dietary ingredient (NDI), for the first time, the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) is available in the United States.

It is estimated that up to 25% of the population suffers from food intolerance. Food intolerance, or histamine intolerance, is an adverse reaction to foods rich in histamine due to a deficiency of the body’s digestive enzyme DAO.  Effects can range from common digestive problems including abdominal pain and spasms, diarrhea, constipation and flatulence, to facial flushing, headaches, nasal congestion, skin rash and itching.

Histame™ is the first product in the United States that is clinically shown to regulate exogenous histamine levels, elevated by food intake, which can cause food intolerance.

"Too many people live for years with the broad ranging discomforts associated with food intolerance without realizing what is causing their symptoms and that mystify their health care providers," said Dr. Marcus Laux, N.D., renowned naturopathic physician and leading authority on science-based natural medicines. "Clinical studies show that DAO allows regulation of exogenous histamine, unlike antihistamines which simply block it. This specific enzyme technology is a significant milestone in natural health advancement."

Histamine levels are naturally high in certain foods. Plus, the fresher the food, the lower the level of histamine, as histamine levels can increase with food storage. Bananas, pizza, tomatoes, chocolate, select cheese, processed and smoked meats, sausages, even coffee, wine and beer contain increased amounts of histamine.  The higher the histamine levels in food, the greater the chances of triggering a reaction in those who are intolerant. In addition, common prescription and OTC drugs actually block the body’s intestinal DAO enzymes from functioning properly.

It is important to recognize the difference between food intolerance and food allergy.  Many food intolerances are confused with food allergies. They are not the same. A food allergy is an abnormal response to food, triggered by the body's immune system. A true allergic reaction can cause serious illness and in some cases even death. In contrast,  non-allergenic histamine food intolerance is mostly brought on by foods not processed properly in the intestinal tract.  If you have a food allergy, it is extremely important that you work with your health care provider to find out what food(s) cause your allergic reactions.

The DAO formula, developed by an Austrian biochemist, catalyzes processes critical to overall health – the breakdown of exogenous histamine elevated by food intake. "We feel privileged to be able to make this valuable contribution to the health of Americans," said Meli Jelinic, President of Naturally Vitamins.

Histame™ was unveiled at Natural Products Expo West, March 5-8, 2009 in Anaheim, California, the world’s largest natural products industry gathering. It can be purchased online at www.histame.com and will soon be available in health food stores nationwide. To learn more about Histame or to request a free sample, call 1-800-899-4499.


Naturally Vitamins

For more than 35 years, Naturally Vitamins has been the industry leader in the use of nutritional enzymes enzyme preparations to help balance deficiencies connected to aging. In 1988, Naturally Vitamins introduced systemic enzymes to the United States, a class of enzymes widely distributed among living organisms. Every Naturally Vitamins product is produced in the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility using green technology, energy-saving equipment and recyclable/biodegradable materials. The manufacturing facility exceeds the current Good Manufacturing Practices guidelines.

Naturally Vitamins has worked aggressively to make Histame™ available to U.S. consumers after partnering with the creator’s development company Sciotec Diagnostic Technologies GmbH. The DAO enzyme was acknowledged in 2008 by the Food and Drug Administration as a New Dietary Ingredient (NDI).