A reader wrote today me today on my Histamine post from July 2018

“Hi Ken, thank you for all the info you provide with this blog. In an older post, you recommended Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG and E. Coli Nissle 1917 for reducing histamine. Does this advice still hold true? Are there any other strain worth trying? “

I will revisit the two probiotics he asked about (since more data is always coming in). See the link post for more information on Histamine in general.

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus

one billion viable microencapsulated bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG in combination with fructooligosaccharides to complex therapy of premature children results in regulation of cytokine balance with the tendency to reduction of an inflammatory process and has a preventive effect concerning allergopathy formation.

INVESTIGATION OF PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF SYNBIOTICS ON ALLERGOPATHY FORMATION. 2018

Treatment with the probiotic mixture(four species of probiotics, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Lactobacillus plantarum) and sodium butyrate reduced ear thicknesses, the quantity of leaked Evans blue, and serum histamine values, while increasing serum IL-10 values.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Mixture of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Sodium Butyrate in Atopic Dermatitis Murine Model. 2018

• “The (Lactobacillus rhamnosus ) strains are neither haemolytic nor producer of biogenic amines such as histamine, putrescine, cadaverine and tyramine.  ” [2014]
• Systemic effects of ingested Lactobacillus rhamnosus: inhibition of mast cell membrane potassium (IKCa) current and degranulation. [2012]
• Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus downregulates FCER1 and HRH4 expression in human mast cells.[2011]
• Bifidobacterium breve and Lactobacillus rhamnosus treatment is as effective as budesonide at reducing inflammation in a murine model for chronic asthma. [2014]

Escherichia Coli Nissle 1917 (Mutaflor)

We do not have such clarity for Mutaflor. We do find that it reduces allergies:

• Tolerability and clinical outcome of coseasonal treatment with Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917in grass pollen-allergic subjects [2014]. NOT BETTER THAN PLACEBO
• Oral administration of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 prevents allergen-induced dermatitis in mice.[2011]
• Probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 suppresses allergen-induced Th2 responses in the airways. 2009

Other Strains

” Histamine derived from lactobacilli isolates is considered to be a potential immunomodulator able to interact with the host immune system….
 However, our findings indicated that the impact of lactobacilli histamine is strictly strain-dependent and concentration dependent.    ” [2018]

“These probiotic strains showed neither hemolytic activity nor mucin degradation activity, and they did not produce ammonia or biogenic amines (i.e., cadaverine, histamine or tyramine)

Safety Evaluations of Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4 and Bifidobacterium longum BORI. 2018

“Here, we investigated the effect of Lac-B, a mixture of freeze-dried Bifidobacterium infantis and Bifidobacterium longum, on the allergy-related histamine signaling. … Our findings indicate that oral administration of Lac-B showed significant anti-allergic effect through suppression of both H1R and HDC gene expression followed by decrease in H1R, HDC protein level, and histamine content. 

Suppression of histamine signaling by probiotic Lac-B: a possible mechanism of its anti-allergic effect. 2008

• “Use of a probiotic mixture containing Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB12 and Enterococcus faecium L3 in atopic children….
  significantly reduced the use of oral antihistamines, ” [2018]

Products Claiming…

There are some probiotic mixtures claiming not to produce histamines, for example: “ProBiota HistaminX contains only probiotic species that are considered “histamine-friendly” and excludes those known to produce histamine in the gut.* “.

Checking for responses from people who tried it

“hmm…first time I took bif inf I started with small amount , part of a capsule, and got bellyache from it ( therapist had told me nobody ever gets bellyache from it, can given safely to babies…well, lets say i know my belly better then he does) ” [Phoenix Rising]

Bottom Line

The strongest evidence is for Lactobacillus rhamnosus with caution suggested for other Lactobacillus.

Streptococcus faecium and Streptococcus faecalis produce or not produce histamine depending on strain [1990] “Forty-one (31.5%) of the S. faecium strains and 2 (1.9%) of the S. faecalis strains produced histamine. ” [1988]

“the histamine producing strain Streptococcus thermophilus PRI60” [2014]

• So Streptococcus faecalis have a low risk of producing histamines.

Bifidobacterium (keep to the cited ones) appear promising (the ProBiota HistaminX has a lot of them in it).

There are a variety of sites, that gives lists of good and bad bacteria — unfortunately, they do not cite sources (or solid sources).