Type: Essential Amino Acid
Name: Histidine (His), Chemical Formula C6H9N302
RDA: Doses that are therapeutic of histidine range from .5 to 20 grams per day, although 30 grams of histidine in supplemental form has shown no adverse side effects.
Importance- to body:
Develops and maintains healthy tissues and is essential in maintaining the myelin sheath that coat nervous cells and send messages from the brain to other organs in the body. Histidine is also being further researched on its effects of preventing radiation damage (histidine can detox the body naturally and produce white and red blood cells).
Distribution- in body: Brain.
Excess effects:
Stress, Anxiety. Those with schizophrenia are found having higher levels of histidine.
Deficiency effects:
Eczema, stress, anxiety, disorientation, fatigue.
Food Sources:
Fish, Meats, Eggs, Dairy products.
Environmental/Geographic Sources:
Supplemental information: May be able to treat mental disorders and sexual dysfunction. Available in both supplemental and powder form, Histidine is recommended for those with arthritis or those who are chronically ill. Histidinemia is a very rare disorder where there are high levels of histidine in urine and blood because of the insufficient amount of the enzyme (histidase) that’s needed to break down histidine. Histidine is used as a medicine!
Works Cited:
1. C.D.N., Erica Wickham M.S. R.D. “What Foods Contain Histidine?” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group, 3 Oct. 2017, www.livestrong.com/article/517676-what-foods-contain-histidine/.