I hope you are all reading this coming off of a wonderful long weekend that included some deep rest for you! Last Friday in office hours we chatted about histamine intolerance, and specifically how this translates into symptoms of seasonal allergies. Histamine intolerance is a vast topic that runs much deeper than just seasonal sniffles, but for today, that is what we are sticking to.
The Right Timing for Allergy Support
The timing for this talk felt just right, as several clients have reached out over the past 2 weeks about supporting allergies, and I myself have had a few sniffles here and there this week. I will also tell you that before I began this work on my own body, my seasonal allergies were more like a year- round affair, with pollen in the spring, leaves falling in the fall, and even dust from indoors over the winter months causing allergies for me..
Understanding Histamine Symptoms
My point in sharing this is that these symptoms are a message from our body telling us that we need support to come back into balance, and doing the work to heal these upstream root causes for your unique body can help you be able to handle the season without all of the symptoms.
What is Histamine?
Histamine is an inflammatory mediator. When a release of histamine is triggered, it helps the immune system respond to threats (e.g. infections, allergies). This is actually quite helpful when it’s needed, assuming the process is well-managed within the body.
When Histamine Becomes a Problem
As with many things in the body (e.g. cholesterol, estrogen, cortisol), too much of a good, normal, natural thing can become debilitating or even life-threatening. Histamine intolerance is about the body becoming overloaded, where the amount of histamine present outweighs our ability to break it down (detoxify it).
Sources of Histamine
Histamine comes from many sources. Externally, we primarily get it from our foods. Internally, we produce it in response to immune threats, and some of the microbes in our gut also produce it as part of their normal metabolism.
The Role of DAO and HNMT Enzymes
In a healthy, balanced body, the enzyme DAO (diamine oxidase) is produced in the brush border of the intestines (and also in the kidneys) and handles extracellular histamine (e.g. from food, microbes). Oxidative wear’n’tear on the gut lining can impair our DAO capability, yet another way that dis-ease begins in the gut! Another enzyme system handles intracellular histamine: histamine N-methyltransferase or HNMT. Of course, nutrition is key here too, as both of these enzyme systems require B vitamins and minerals as cofactors. Methylation is also required to reduce intracellular histamine (we can talk more about methylation another time, but for now, know that it is imperative in supporting our own detoxification processes).
Causes of High Histamine Levels
Histamine levels can be high (creating the intolerance) due to strong sensitivity (high release inside the body), poor detoxification ability (where it builds up over time), and/or excessive intake from external sources, like high histamine foods. Suboptimal Vitamin D and zinc (ideally measured through RBC Zinc) can also contribute to immune system dysregulation.
Immediate Relief Strategies
So what can you do about it right now? Try diffusing a combination of equal parts lemon, lavender and peppermint in your home. Organic stinging nettle tea can be brewed by the bag, or even purchased as loose leaf tea , and brewed in large batches to store in the fridge (You know I do this !:)).
Herbal Supplements for Relief
There are also several different herbal supplements that I recommend in my practice based on that individuals need for some rapid relief. We often use these while we are chipping away at resolving their unique upstream root causes.
These supplements include:
- Quercetin
- Stinging Nettles
- Butterbur
- Pycnogenol (only if the client is not sensitive to pine)
We also consider taking supplemental DAO with meals when the gut is an upstream root cause, as well as making sure their probiotic is of histamine degrading strains, and not histamine producing strains. There are several great supplements on the market that include a combination of these herbs, but/and I always recommend working with a trusted provider in choosing the right combination of supplements for your body.
Dietary Adjustments
You may also consider reducing foods high in histamine, even if it is just for a 2 week trial, to see how you feel. These include:
- Dairy foods (especially cheese!)
- Processed lunch meats
- Beer and wine (especially red wine)
- Foods made with yeast (e.g. bread)
- All fermented/cultured foods
- Vinegars
- Anchovies
- Avocado
- Canned fish (e.g. sardines)
But you might be surprised to learn that there are foods which promote histamine release without having high levels themselves e.g. chocolate, eggs, bananas. Diets very high in protein can also be part of the problem, as the amino acid histidine is converted to histamine in the body. A low-histamine diet can be a challenge, but remember that you don’t have to implement it 100.0% in order to have a valid elimination trial and learn how your unique body responds. Also, remember that this is just a short term solution, and that doing the work on your unique upstream root causes, will help bring your body into balance, so that it CAN tolerate these foods in the future!
There are some excellent resources available online as a guide at mind body green.
