Do you suffer from Histamine Intolerance?

This can look like brain fog, headaches, nasal congestion, nausea, sneezing and tearing up after certain foods. Histamine Intolerance is when the body either produces too much histamine or is unable to break down histamine effectively when it is no longer needed. A range of symptoms can be experienced with Histamine Intolerance from sneezing to digestive issues to heart palpitations. Histamine Intolerance is often overlooked as a cause of symptoms and thus not adequately addressed. This can lead to further health concerns and conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome. Histamine in the body plays a more far reaching role than most of us realise, even down to regulating various hormones and controlling body temperature. Often, people with autoimmune conditions can randomly exhibit symptoms of Histamine Intolerance (such as hives or welting skin), this is likely due to their immune system being compromised and already on high alert. This article explores Histamine Intolerance and how we can reduce histamine in our bodies.

What is histamine?

Most of us understand histamine to be the allergic reaction we experience when we are stung by a bee, or the hay fever we experience when we come into contact with pollen in the air. However, there is so much more going on with our bodies when it comes to histamine levels. Histamine is a naturally occurring chemical in our bodies which is released when the body is triggered to elicit an immune response. Histamine actually works as a neurotransmitter and is involved in the sleep / wake cycle. In short, histamine promotes wakefulness. Ever wonder why we get drowsy when we take an antihistamine?!

Histamine is released in the body by mast cells which are a type of white blood cell and this essentially triggers an immune response to boost blood flow in the area of the body where an allergen has been detected.

Histamine is important for our metabolism as it aids digestive function by triggering the release of stomach acid. Additionally, it has a role in appetite control and satiety. On the other side, digestive issues such as leaky gut and dysbiosis can cause your body to produce excess histamine.

How can a Histamine problem arise?

When you either have too much or too little histamine in the body. This could be because your body is not producing enough, or producing too much, you may be consuming too much or your body is not breaking it down effectively.

It is most commonly understood that hay fever is a result of histamine and that sneezing and congestion are the symptoms experienced. Less obvious however, is that histamine intolerance can develop when you have never had an issue with hay fever or pollen previously. Histamine can be consumed through foods and beverages in our diet.

Histidine is an amino acid and when you consume it in high levels in the food you eat (eg meat), your body will actually break it down into histamine and normally the body can process that but when you have a problem with too much histamine (through consumption or production or inability to effectively break it down) then you have a problem with histamine intolerance.

Common symptoms that indicate a potential problem:

Hives

Peanut allergy

Dermatographia - skin condition of welting skin.

Some people don’t get these obvious symptoms but have a range of other symptoms which are impacting them. These include sinus discomfort or pain, highly food reactive-more and more foods aggravate them, food allergies, brain fog, headaches, nasal congestion, menstrual problems, nausea, migraines, sneezing/ tearing up after certain foods and as mentioned before, digestive issues.

In really severe cases people can develop heart palpitations, vomiting, fluid retention, anxiety and Anaphylaxis.

Foods that are high in histamine:

• alcohol and other fermented beverages

• fermented foods and dairy products, such as yogurt and sauerkraut

• dried fruits

• avocados

• eggplant

• spinach

• processed or smoked meats

• shellfish

• aged cheese

There are also a number of foods that trigger histamine release in the body, such as:

• Black and green tea

• bananas

• tomatoes

• wheat germ

• beans

• papaya

• chocolate

• citrus fruits

• nuts, specifically walnuts, cashews and peanuts

• food additives

Histamine levels in food actually increase as the food ages. This is why aged cheeses, alcohol, kimchi and sauerkraut can cause a stronger reaction in some people.

Foods to eat on a low histamine diet:

It may not be possible to have a completely histamine free diet, however a low histamine diet can be tremendously helpful if you suffer from Histamine Intolerance. It is advised that you speak to your Integrative practitioner or doctor before eliminating foods from your diet.

Some foods low in histamine include:

• fresh organic meat

• non-citrus fruits

• Organic eggs (if you are not following an anti inflammatory diet)

• gluten-free grains, such as quinoa and rice (if you are not following a paleo or autoimmune protocol)

• dairy substitutes, such as coconut milk and almond milk (ensure they are good quality and not ladened with chemicals and added sugars)

• fresh vegetables except tomatoes, avocados, spinach, and eggplant

• Healthy cooking oils, such as avocado oil and even ghee.

Interesting to note:

Mast Cell Activation- new medical diagnosis which is really common now.

EMF impacts mass cells-white cells. Joe Hunsom from Sweden researched this. EMF can cause some people's bodies to create more histamine and cause an allergic inflammatory response. Ever feel off after being on your phone or devices for too long? Just something to ponder.

Sources:

Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience article ‘Histamine in the brain’ by

M. Beatrice Passani, Pertti Panula and Jian-Sheng Lin. 28 April 2014 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2014.00064

The Doctors Farmacy Podcast episode 41, Is Histamine Intolerance The Cause Of Your Mysterious Symptoms? Dr Mark Hyman and Dr Todd Le Pine https://drhyman.com/blog/2021/02/01/podcast-hc41/