What Happens If You Take a DAO Supplement Too Late?
One of the most common questions we get asked here at Tolerance is "what happens if I forget to take my DAO supplement before my meal?" So, we thought we'd answer that here for you.
The guidance to take your DAO supplement 15 to 20 minutes before a meal isn’t an arbitrary rule. It’s based on the simple mechanics of your digestive system, and making sure that the DAO is in the place it needs to be at the time it needs to be there. We'll dive into the science behind that guidance, as well as look at some simple habit forming techniques to help you get the most out of your DAO.
What Does a DAO Supplement Actually Do?
For those that are new here, let’s quickly revisit the role of a DAO supplement. DAO stands for diamine oxidase, and it's the primary enzyme for breaking down histamine from your diet. There are a variety of reasons why someone might either lack this enzyme, or lack functionality of this enzyme, and that is known as DAO deficiency. DAO deficiency can be a key factor in histamine intolerance. You can read our deep dive into DAO here.
A DAO supplement works locally in your gut to bolster your body’s own supply of this enzyme. Its specific job is to help break down external histamine, which is the histamine you consume from food and drink. This is very different from an antihistamine, which works throughout your body to block the effects of internal histamine released by your own cells. By helping to process histamine in your gut, a DAO supplement can help manage the amount of external histamine that contributes to your personal Histamine Bucket.
Why Timing is Everything
The effectiveness of a DAO supplement comes down to whether it is in the right place (your small intestine) at the right time (when histamine-rich food arrives).
In this it can help to think of the DAO enzyme as a gatekeeper or as crowd control. For the gatekeeper to manage the crowd (the histamine in your food), they need to be at the gate before the crowd arrives. If they show up late then the crowd has already pushed through.
Here’s what happens when you take a capsule:
- The capsule travels to your stomach where the acidic environment dissolves the outer shell. This takes a few minutes
- Inside the capsule are tiny pellets containing the DAO enzyme. The coating protects the enzyme from being destroyed by stomach acid
- These pellets then travel from your stomach into your small intestine where the enzyme is released and becomes active
This entire process takes on average 15 to 20 minutes, which is is why the guidance found on our packaging is so specific. Taking the supplement ahead of your meal gives the enzyme time to complete its journey and be ready and waiting for the food to arrive from your stomach.
What Happens If You Take It Too Late?
It's human nature that we all forget things sometimes, especially if we're busy, stressed, or simply if it's something new that we aren't used to doing. Forgetting to take your supplement at the ideal time isn’t harmful in itself, but it does mean the enzyme won’t be able to do its job as intended. Let’s look at two common scenarios.
Scenario 1: Taking it with your meal
If you take your DAO supplement at the same time you start eating then the enzyme is essentially playing catch-up. Your food and the enzyme capsule begin their journey down your digestive tract at roughly the same time. By the time the enzyme is released and active in the small intestine some of the histamine from your meal may have already been absorbed by your body. It is likely to be less effective because the enzyme and the histamine do not have enough time together in the small intestine.
If you forget to take your supplement before your meal but remember right as you start, you can still take it but bear in mind that it will likely be less effective.
Scenario 2: Taking it after your meal
This is where the gatekeeper analogy is most helpful. If you take your supplement after you’ve finished eating, the histamine-rich food has already passed through the gate. As we explore in our guide on how a DAO supplement works, the enzyme acts locally in your gut. It cannot go back and neutralise histamine that has already been absorbed from your small intestine into your bloodstream.
When the DAO enzyme arrives late, it finds an empty room. The histamine has moved on. The enzyme, which is a protein, is then simply broken down and digested by your body like any other protein, without having had a chance to perform its specific function.
If you get to the end of your meal and realise that you haven't taken your DAO, then it likely isn't worth taking it afterwards. By the time the DAO reaches your intestines, the histamine will already be in your bloodstream.
How To Form Effective Habits
There is a lot of behavioural science research that has gone into how people can start and form effective habits. As you continue to do something regularly, your body forms muscle memory so you are more likely to keep doing it, but do you start a new habit in the first place?
A common trick that people use is called anchoring, which means doing something alongside something that you already do (anchoring the two things together). When it comes to taking your DAO supplement, try to think of something that you already do 15-20 minutes ahead of when you'll be eating. This will depend on your personal routine, but common anchors that people use are:
- While Preparing Your Meal: if you're cooking at home, then thinking of your DAO supplement as part of your meal preparation, rather than the meal itself, can help you make sure that you take it at the right time
- While Feeding Your Kids: this is common among busy parents. When dealing with the stress of young children it's easy to forget about your own wellbeing. Try anchoring your DAO supplement to your kids meal time, if you regularly feed them before yourself
- While Ordering Your Meal: An easy trick while you're in a restaurant, anchor your DAO supplement to the act of ordering your meal. In most restaurants this should mean that the DAO is arriving where it needs to be right as your food is arriving at your table
Finding Your Personal Rhythm
Understanding the science of DAO timing isn’t about striving for perfection, but about understanding the science behind the product guidance. Life is busy, and it’s perfectly normal to forget now and then. The goal is to build a habit that works for you.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for advice specific to your situation.