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Histidine is a semi essential amino acid, most adults can manufacture histidine within their bodies. However , it is considered an essential amino acid because cannot be produced in children, who must consume it through either diet or supplementation.

What Does in the Body?

Histidine is needed to help grow and repair body tissues, and to maintain the myelin sheaths that protect nerve cells. It also helps manufacture red and white blood cells, and helps to protect the body from heavy metal toxicity. Histidine plays a significant role in the growth and repair of tissues, ulcers, hyperacidity, digestion, and gastric juices.

Histamine stimulates the secretion of the digestive enzyme gastrin. Without adequate histamine production healthy digestion can become impaired. Histidine also acts to lower blood pressure and relax blood vessels, and is used to treat various cardiac and circulatory problems. 

Histidine is an essential component of zinc binding proteins and has an important role in the absorption and transport of zinc. Histidine in conjunction with zinc can increase zinc absorption from the gut.

Where is it found?

Histidine can be obtained in a variety of foods, dairy products, eggs, fish, legumes, meat. Dairy, meat and poultry, and fish are good sources of histidine.

Symptoms of Deficiency/Side Effects

According to limited research, many people with rheumatoid arthritis have low levels of histidine. Histidine deficiency in babies causes eczema. Histidine deficiency can result in cataracts.

Large doses of histidine can cause premature ejaculation, reduces levels of zinc and possibly trigger an allergic or asthmatic reaction (due to increases in histamine).