What Is IBS - Beyond the Label??
It all begins with an idea.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional gut–brain disorder characterized by recurring abdominal discomfort and altered bowel habits, without any structural or biochemical abnormalities detectable on standard tests.
It reflects dysregulation in the way the gut, microbiome, immune system, and nervous system communicate, rather than visible inflammation or tissue damage.
Modern research views IBS not as a single disease, but as a spectrum of gut–brain interaction disorders, where different mechanisms can dominate in different people, such as:
Visceral hypersensitivity (the gut’s nerves are overly sensitive to normal activity)
Altered motility (changes in how food moves through the intestines)
Microbiota imbalance or low-grade inflammation
Immune or histamine dysregulation, which often overlaps with conditions like Histamine Intolerance (HIT)
IBS is now classified into subtypes based on stool patterns:
IBS-D – Diarrhoea-predominant
IBS-C – Constipation-predominant
IBS-M – Mixed type
Because many IBS symptoms - bloating, cramping, gas, urgency, fatigue, “brain fog” - also occur in HIT, food sensitivities, and mild gut inflammation, diagnosis is typically symptom-based and exclusionary. That means IBS is often identified only after other causes (such as coeliac disease, IBD, or enzyme deficiencies) are ruled out.
Rather than a single cause, IBS represents a multifactorial response of the gut–brain axis, shaped by diet, stress, hormones, microbiota, and immune signals - including histamine activity in many patients.
What is Histamine Intolerance - Beyond the Label?
It all begins with an idea.
Histamine Intolerance (HIT) is a gut–immune regulation disorder in which the body struggles to maintain balance between histamine production, release, and breakdown. Histamine itself is vital — it supports digestion, immune defence, and acts as a neurotransmitter — but when this balance is disrupted, histamine can build up and cause widespread symptoms that often resemble allergy, IBS, or anxiety.
The body’s main enzyme for clearing histamine, diamine oxidase (DAO), may be too low, inhibited, or even overproduced but functionally ineffective. This imbalance can result from genetic variations, gut inflammation, microbiome shifts, nutrient deficiencies, or medication effects. In some people, histamine load simply exceeds the body’s capacity to process it, regardless of DAO levels.
Common symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or constipation, headaches, flushing, dizziness, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, or sleep disturbance. Because these overlap heavily with IBS, many people are misdiagnosed or experience both conditions together.
Emerging research suggests that histamine sensitivity can drive IBS-like patterns, especially when symptoms worsen after high-histamine or histamine-releasing foods (like wine, fermented foods, or leftovers).
Managing HIT focuses on restoring equilibrium, reducing histamine load, calming the gut, supporting DAO function, and balancing the microbiome. It’s less about strict avoidance and more about understanding your personal threshold and helping your gut regain control.