Wizard of Vitamins

Histidine Vitamin

What is Histidine?

Histidine is called a semi-essential amino acid (protein building block) because adults generally produce adequate amounts but children may not. Histidine is also a precursor of histamine, a compound released by immune system cells during an allergic reaction.

Histidine in Diets

Dairy, meat and poultry, and fish are good sources of histidine.

Histidine Medicinal Treatments

Known Consequences of Histidine Deficiency

According to limited research, many people with rheumatoid arthritis have low levels of histidine. Taking histidine supplements might improve arthritis symptoms in some people.

Histidine Recommended Dosages

Most people do not need to supplement histidine. Optimal levels for others remain unknown. Human research has used between 1 gram and 8 grams per day.

Histidine Side Effects

No side effects have been reported with histidine. However, people with kidney or liver disease should not consume large amounts of amino acids without consulting a healthcare professional. At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with histidine.