| HISTIDINE Histidine is an essential amino acid that is significant in the growth and repair of tissues. Histamine, an important immune system chemical, is derived from histidine. Histamine aids in sexual arousal. Main Functions: • Found in high concentrations in hemoglobin. Useful in treating anemia due to relationship to hemoglobin. • Has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. • Precursot to histamine. • Associated with allergic response and has been used to treat allergy. • Assists in maintaining proper blood pH. • Histidine is important for the maintenance of the myelin sheaths, which protect nerve cells • Is needed for the production of both red and white blood cells. • Histidine also protects the body from radiation damage, helps lower blood pressure, aids in removing heavy metals from the system, and may help in the prevention of AIDS. • Because histamine also stimulates the secretion of gastric juices, histidine may be helpful for people with indigestion resulting from a lack of stomach acid. Histidine Deficiency: None known, but it is reported that histidine can cause pain in the bony joints. • Rheumatoid arthritis • Anemia Rich Food Sources of Histidine Natural sources of histidine include rice, green vegetables, milk, bananas, wheat, and rye. Caution High levels of histidine may lead to stress and mental disorders such as anxiety and people with schizophrenia have been found to have high levels of histidine. Persons with manic (bipolar) depression should not take supplemental histidine unless a deficiency has been identified |