Bioiberica study uncovers Daogest’s potential in the digestive health market

Bioiberica has unveiled the results of its latest observational study in the digestive health field showcasing evidence supporting the efficacy of its diamine oxidase enzyme ingredient – DAOgest – as a premium solution for histamine intolerance¹.

Presented for the first time at the ESPEN Congress on Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (11-14 September), the global life science company said its research is set to inspire a new wave of digestive health supplements.

The observational study, conducted on a cohort of 82 individuals with histamine intolerance, aimed to investigate the effects of four weeks’ DAO intake on allergy-like effects.

The supplement – containing Histamine Digest (4.2 mg DAOgest) plus vitamin C and catalase – was taken daily before the main meal of the day. The impact of histamine intolerance was evaluated using a standardised questionnaire at baseline, and then every week for the duration of the study.

Remarkable improvements from the baseline assessment were observed across all effect subcategories as early as the first week of supplementation – more than 90% in gastrointestinal and skin effects, more than 80% in nervous and respiratory and up to 38% in circulatory. These improvements were maintained throughout the study period.

“Histamine intolerance continues to be a prevalent yet largely unaddressed digestive health issue – and we’re committed to advancing research in the field for this very reason. The decision to conduct an observational study was driven by the complex nature of identifying individuals with the condition and the scarcity of robust studies examining the real-world effects of histamine intolerance solutions,” noted Andrea Terradillos, R&D project manager at Bioiberica.

Terradillos added: “We concluded that DAOgest supplementation at a low dose of 4.2 mg/serving daily helps to reduce the effects of histamine intolerance in just one week. Our advice for formulators in the space is to pair DAOgest with vitamin C as it boosts the histamine degrading capacity of DAO and consequent histamine breakdown. In a separate investigation², we’ve provided evidence that this combination exhibits higher enzymatic activity compared to other commercially available DAO products.”

The new study follows the recent news that DAOgest has been granted Novel Food Status by the European Commission (EC). This pivotal development means that the ingredient is now available for commercial use in Europe – paving the way for European formulators to craft innovative food supplement solutions targeting histamine intolerance.

1 O’Connor ME et al. Observational study to assess the efficacy and safety of diamine oxidase (DAO) supplementation in patients with histamine intolerance. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 2023;58:741

2 Gálvez-Martín P et al. In vitro characterization, evaluation of enzymatic activity and capacity of intestinal absorption of daogest (Dao extract from pig kidney). Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 2023;58: 512.

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