Histidine is essential for the immune system, childhood growth phases and blood formation. But the amino acid can also trigger undesirable reactions. FITBOOK explains in which foods the amino acid is found – and how to optimally benefit from an adequate intake.
Histidine is an amino acid that is abundant in hemoglobin and has many functions in the body. Read more about their effects here, as well as the question of which foods contain histidine and whether it should be supplemented.
What is histidine?
Pschyrembel clinical dictionary 1 includes histidine in the category of semi-essential amino acids. This means that a certain proportion can be synthesized by the body itself in the liver. The body’s own histidine formation takes place via the hydrolysis of proteins (protein splitting under the influence of water). Accordingly, most of the required histidine must be ingested through food – or, if necessary, through a supplement.
Essential or semi-essential amino acid?
Due to the body’s own formation, a temporary insufficient histidine intake in adults can be bridged for a short time. Since this mechanism does not function sufficiently in infants and children, and histidine is essential during growth phases, histidine is considered essential at the beginning of life. The same applies to people with renal insufficiency (chronic kidney failure).
Since it is unclear to what extent children, adolescents and adults can synthesize the amino acid themselves, there is a nutritional debate about classifying histidine as an essential amino acid.
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Chemical classification
Due to the chemical structure – a basic imidazole ring in the side chain – histidine (molecular formula C6H9N3O2) an equally basic and aromatic amino acid with a buffering effect, i.e. it keeps the pH of the blood stable when an acid or base is added.
In addition to being semi-essential, aromatic and basic, it is a proteinogenic amino acid. This means that it is involved in the body’s own synthesis of proteins. Histidine is also a so-called “glucogenic amino acid”, since its breakdown products can be used in metabolism for gluconeogenesis (production of glucose from “non-carbohydrates”).
Incidentally, only the chemical L-configuration of the amino acid (L-histidine) is bioactive.
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Effect of Histidine
Histidine is involved in numerous bodily and metabolic functions – above all at the level of the immune system. The reason: It serves as a precursor to the synthesis of the messenger substance histamine for physical defense. This biogenic amine plays a major role in allergies, inflammatory processes and autoimmune diseases.
Although histamine is often negatively associated as an allergy trigger, the biogenic amine takes on important functions: for blood formation, the heart and circulatory system, in inflammation and for the contraction of bronchi, vessels and Co.
Useful immune defense (anti-inflammatory effect): In addition, histidine-dependent histamine, as a tissue hormone in inflammation, ensures that fluid shoots into the affected tissue (with reddening and itching) in order to ward off foreign substances – intensified by leukocytes (white blood cells).
Effect:
- structural part of enzymes
- immune defense
- essential in growth phases
- oxygen transport
- pH buffering in the blood
- cardiovascular system
- Synthesis of hemoglobin (red blood pigment)
- antioxidant effect
- Synthesis of histamine
- wound healing
- anti-inflammatory (anti-inflammatory) effect
- increases the bioactivity of zinc*
- activates white blood cells
*improved absorption and utilization of zinc
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Which foods contain histidine?
The amino acid is found in plant and animal foods. While fish, meat and soybeans are particularly rich in it, there are other plant-based protein sources that provide an extra portion of the amino acid.
Histidine Rich Foods:
- salmon and tuna
- chicken
- soybeans
- lenses
- pork and beef
- peanuts
- wheat germ
- Cheese (including Emmental)
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Should you supplement the amino acid?
As a rule, it is not necessary to supplement histidine with a dietary supplement. In the case of chronic stress, deficiency situations such as some types of anemia or zinc deficiency, as well as diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, therapeutic administration under medical supervision can be useful. The same applies to people with renal insufficiency or after injuries and operations.
Sources
- Pschyrembel: histidine (accessed on 03/22/2023)