Vitamin D acts as a fat soluble hormone that facilitates intestinal absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. The latter two are essential components needed by the body to manufacture the histamine degrading enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO), so we definitely want to max out our ability to retain them. One of vitamin D’s most important roles however may be its regulation of the immune system, specifically histamine containing mast cells. In this capacity it has been shown to decrease production of histamine and leukotrienes.
Research tells us that immune cells have vitamin D receptors and that it plays an important role in protecting us from autoimmune disorders. Vitamin D specifically regulates the action of COX, an enzyme that produces prostaglandins, which are one of many inflammatory molecules released (along with histamine) by mast cells when they’re activated. Mast cells can be triggered into releasing these inflammatory elements into the blood stream by stress, high histamine foods, allergies, extremes in temperature and more.
I’ve experienced them all in spades and watched first hand as my mast cells spiralled out of control. Thankfully I learned to control my triggers and train my mast cells into not releasing too much histamine and other inflammation when not needed.
Vitamin D generally disrupts the release and production of inflammatory cytokines from mast cells, specifically interleukins and TNF. It can also promote the production of anti-inflammatory mediators that may help us heal. There’s also evidence that vitamin D may help regulate the allergic response and cause mast cells to die off. Lower than average levels of vitamin D have been found in those with autoimmune disorders like lupus, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and others.
While we can manufacture our own vitamin D with adequate sunlight if our liver and kidney function is optimal, increased cancer risk doesn’t make this an unattractive option as a first line treatment for low levels.
Vitamin D was one of the first supplements I got into after initially shunning them all, mostly due to horrible reactions, but also because I wanted to see how far I could get with just letting the body heal itself. It was after trying it that I learned that oil based supplements agreed with me far better. I have a few ideas on why, primarily because oil, especially olive, has been shown to increase the production of the histamine lowering enzyme DAO (diamine oxidase). As a bonus it’s also highly anti-inflammatory and may help prevent osteoporosis.
These may be foods many of us aren’t eating so testing vitamin D levels and then perhaps supplementing might be necessary (with your doctor’s blessing).
Please don’t forget to always check with your doctor before adding supplements. Taking a vitamin or mineral with purported properties if you don’t have a lack of it is probably not beneficial.
Yip KH, et al. Mechanisms of vitamin D3 metabolite repression of IgE-dependent mast cell activation. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2014: 13395), 1356-1364.e14
Interviewing Dr. Valter Longo, director of the University of Southern California’s Longevity Institute, has been one of the highlights of writing this blog. Read the full interview here. Our discussion centred on his findings that a diet that mimics the effects of water fasting, without the extreme mental anguish, muscle wastage, mega loss of nutrients, and intense discomfort of water fasting (take it from someone who has done quite a bit of it). But most importantly, how it regenerates up to forty percent of the immune system. As histamine containing mast cells are a a part of this system I was naturally intrigued to speak with him directly about it.
References always at the bottom of post.
This new fasting approach, dubbed the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), was created by Dr. Longo. Research on this diet shows that it can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cancer treatment, regenerate not only stem cells, but up to forty percent of immune system cells. This would include mast cells, which contain within them inflammatory agents like histamine, leukotrienes, prostaglandins, interleukins, and others involved in healing and allergy.
The idea that a fourty percent regeneration is possible excited me beyond measure. I remember a conversation with a mast cell specialist who told me that avoiding mast cell triggers is necessary so that faulty ones die off. But what if we can encourage nearly half of them, especially the faulty ones (because the body is pretty great at getting rid of stuff that serves little purpose) to regenerate in just a few days rather than by avoiding all that we love forever. How insanely exciting is that!
And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Dr. Longo’s research on the weight loss, insulin regulating, CRP lowering, stem cell regeneration, anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory effects of the fasting mimicking diet has been covered every step of the way by the Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, CNN, the BBC and 60 Minutes Australia, among others.
I’ve been following his research and other fasting news for some time now. It was interesting to read reports that fasting can prevent mast cell degranulation (the process that releases histamine into the blood stream from mast cells) in animal studies. Water fasting has certainly been a big help to me in the past. I used it when my system was totally overloaded and in distress. What I eventually came to realise is that this kind of fasting is very stressful on the body and mind. Vitamin B in particular is used up in times of stress and that’s something we can ill afford given that so many of us react to supplements.
So recreating the effects of water fasting while still eating, still being able to function well enough to drive, write, think, and even do moderate exercise was something I was definitely interested in.
In a nutshell, the FMD is essentially one which recreates the anti-inflammatory, cardiac, cancer and neurodegenerative protective effects of water fasting in a less extreme way, by allowing the consumption of 750-1100 calories for a five day period. The effects of which last for months, even though subjects went back to eating a normal diet afterwards. USC created a projected called ProLon, the five day program (the one I’ve just used), to make all this easier. The research and development, pre-clinical and clinical trials were conduced at USC’s aforementioned Longevity Institute and the Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute, and sponsored by the National Cancer Institutes, National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Health (NIH). You can check find more info on all this on ProLon’s website.
A recent study by Dr. Longo and his team at USC revealed that the fasting mimicking diet may reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis. According to Dr. Longo the release of cortisone during the FMD triggers the killing of autoimmune cells. Cortisone is of course a medication many of us with mast cell disorders have been treated with at some time or another (perhaps before we were diagnosed even). The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, included mice and human patients with multiple sclerosis.
Other recent research by Dr. Longo found that the fasting mimicking diet, when paired with cancer treatment, protects normal cells while weakening cancerous ones. Plus, that it can cut belly fat (more on that in a minute) and reduce ageing markers in mice and humans.
In the autoimmune study, mice with autoimmune disease were placed on a fasting mimicking diet. The FMD reduced symptoms in all the mice and “caused a complete recovery in 20 percent of the animals”. A reduction in inflammatory cytokines (like those that mast cells contain) was also found. The study found that the fasting mimicking diet also promoted regeneration of the myelin, the sheet of proteins and fats that “insulate nerve fibres in the spine and brain” whose destruction is one of the hallmarks of multiple sclerosis.
So, enough of the science for a moment. I know most are wondering how this works. So, this diet is really freaking complicated. It’s not easy to convince the body it’s not eating anything and the FMD is very different to ketogenic diets and even intermittent fasting. Neither have the same effect on the immune system. So Dr. Longo came up with a five day plan to package the right breakdown of macro and micronutrients needed to convince the body we’re starving. It’s called ProLon and it’s available for sale now through their website. You’ll need a doctor’s approval but, just in case your doctor scratches his head when you ask him to approve it, thankfully the company has promised to connect us with doctors who are schooled in the benefits of this type of fasting.
FYI – I paid for my own pack and this is not a sponsored post.
I think I’ve adequately explained why I was willing to submit to five days of eating not so much, even if some of the ingredients are higher histamine than I would normally indulge in. When discussing with a hista-sista why I would ingest said products, my argument was simple:
1. Even with all the nutritional information of the foods laid out in front of me, there’s no way I can recreate this on my own. Believe me I tried. Dr. Longo and his team have spent years fine tuning this program, so messing around with it is not something I feel is prudent.
2. I’m looking at this as medicine. The day may come where I have no choice but to take some really nasty medicine. So why not a few higher histamine foods now to try and stop that day from coming? It’s only five days after all.
3. The ingredients have been very carefully personally chosen by Dr. Longo – who is very concerned with nutrition (I would say a bit of a health food freak like us really). Everything in the packs has been sourced incredibly well. I’ve always been willing to consume higher histamine foods as long as the quality was excellent. Having spoken with Dr. Longo at length about this, I’m satisfied that he’s on the same page nutritionally and has the best of intentions to produce the highest quality product possible.
How did it turn out?
DAY ONE
I must say, this was the hardest day, which was surprising because it’s the one with the most food. There was just so very much of it that I had a hard time dealing with it all. So many teas, snacks, meals. Fine, they were small, lilliputian servings, but I’m not used to eating so frequently. I tend to eat two meals a day with a small snack. That doesn’t mean I under eat, just that I limit my meals in order not to trigger histamine release and inflammation throughout the day. But I’m sure ProLon’s approach makes sense in terms of preventing blood sugar crashes while fasting and this is of course a really good thing.
DAY TWO
What on earth possessed me to think I could hike for forty five minutes at steep incline? Ah, the copious energy I felt at around 2pm. So up we went. There was no dizziness, no blood sugar crashes, just a bit of struggling to find the right word at times. That may have been more to do with the sun beating down on me and the exercise though. I have so much energy that I don’t want to sleep. Not in a manic histamine overload kind of way but rather that I have more energy than usual and want to enjoy it. So I mellow out with a cup of hibiscus tea and read a book till falling asleep.
DAY THREE
I finally weigh myself. Living in the south of France and sitting on my butt for 16 hours a day writing a 45,000 page book “helped” me gain 10 lbs that I’ve been meaning to attend to. I’ve lost nearly three pounds. I’m delighted to note that nearly all the weight appears to have disappeared from my belly. While I no longer have a basketball tummy nowadays (the result of leaky gut/SIBO/oxalates/whatever) I do seem to have a genetic tendency (like my mom) to easily gain fat in that area.
Any weirdness that I felt after eating the foods on day one and two (tired/foggy) has now passed. My system is quiet, energised, and giving me a big thumbs up. I’ve been meditating a lot on the idea of the meals being medicine….
DAY FOUR
Yikes. Today was pretty tough. The problem is I have so much time on my hands! So much of my time is spent acquiring food and cooking it normally that I don’t quite know what to do with myself. I keep making the mistake of eating too little in the daytime and then leaving it all till evening. Eating late has always kept me up at night. I spend the saved time meditating. Feeling balanced, happy, but like the hike the other day might have used up too many calories and now I’m feeling it.
DAY FIVE
I’ve just realised that I’ve been absolutely taking for granted the fact that I have managed to stay with it enough throughout this time to continue writing, drawing and generally behaving like a human being with a brain these last few days. I go to the supermarket in preparation of breaking the fast and find myself not terribly excited by the foods there but certainly resisting the urge to wrestle a banana from a toddler’s chubby fist. Mmmmm, banana (yes, another technically high histamine food that I eat).
I didn’t stop taking my Neuroprotek mast cell stabilising supplement throughout this – I should have asked if that was ok. I really wanted to have blood tests before and after so I could share some concrete statistics with you. I will do it next time. I just couldn’t believe how much they wanted for them. Really astonishing. It’s so sad how so many of us have been bankrupted (myself included) just trying to stay alive.
What I can tell is that something profound has been happening in my body. I’ve noticed it before during water fasting, but that became too much of a stress and I know it robbed me of nutrients I desperately needed to heal. The ProLon fasting pack addresses both issues well, and I have no doubt that it’s a powerful healing tool, if you can deal with some of the ingredients you may not have eaten in a while.
I’m now five days post fast and I’m still bouncing around, super happy, incredibly productive, my skin looks better than ever. I’ve managed to keep off the five pound weight loss so far and I’m generally just excited with how my body and mind feel. At peace and running smoothly.REFERENCES
“Diet That Mimics Fasting May Also Reduce Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms.” USC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.
Did you know that something as simple as a vitamin or mineral deficiency can trigger histamine induced inflammation? While many deficiencies can be responsible for confusing symptoms when we’re doing everything else right, today I’m going to focus on one of the most likely contenders: magnesium.
A study published in the Drug-Nutrient Reactions journalfound that dietary restriction of magnesium in an animal study caused histamine levels to rise considerably after just four days of restriction, with histamine levels reaching a high after eight. But levels then quickly dropped after just two days of adding magnesium back to their diet.
Another study in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology (yes, that’s a word apparently) tells us that magnesium deficiency has been linked to increased mast cells in the small intestine, kidney and bone marrow, and now in the liver.
In case you’re new to my website, mast cells are a part of the white blood cell system. They’re where histamine and other inflammatory molecules like prostaglandins, leukotrienes and interleukins live. Mast cells are triggered into dumping this inflammation into the blood stream when we need to fight an infection, or experience massive stress hormone release, general female hormone fluctuations, or are faced with an allergen. In some cases they’re just confused and keep firing even when there’s no reason for them to. The presence of mast cells generally indicates that inflammation is underway and I found even more studies showing that magnesium deficiency just generally contributes to inflammation. I don’t know about you, but I’d really rather not have inflammation in my liver (or anywhere else for that matter), so magnesium seems like something we should keep an eye on.
One of my core concerns with the extreme prolonged elimination “phases” I see people entering in to is the potential for vitamin/mineral deficiency and very real fear of starving the body.
A friend with histamine intolerance was recently hospitalised for this very issue. It took them several months of IV treatment with nutrients to recover from the extreme deprivation.
The University of Maryland website tells us that magnesium is needed by the heart, muscles, and kidneys. It activates enzymes – the boy requires magnesium to product the histamine degrading diamine oxidase (DAO) for example – and it regulates calcium, copper, zinc, potassium and vitamin D levels in the body.
A lack of magnesium manifests as: anxiety, problems sleeping, irritability, nausea/vomiting, heart palpitations, low blood pressure, confusion, cramps, insomnia, and more.
Studies show that inhaled magnesium can help treat asthma attacks, treat depression and diabetes 2, among others.
About 400mg of magnesium is recommended daily for adults. You can get it from food, supplements or transdermal application (sprays and bath salts).
Low histamine magnesium rich foods: oatmeal, beans, chard, flax seeds, almonds, salmon (fish isn’t high histamine if it’s very fresh), cilantro, agar agar seaweed, basil, fennel seed, and cumin.
Not necessarily low histamine but not high histamine: sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Seeking Health makes a relatively clean product Optimal Magnesium – 100 Vegetarian Capsules with the added bonus of ascorbyl palmitate, a type of corn-free vitamin C that I have chosen to use these last few years. As with all supplements there are contraindications and side effects so please do some research before trying anything new.
I’ve used pure liquid magnesium in the bath as a histamine soother for years (though I didn’t tolerate it at the start). Please remember that heat is a major histamine trigger (as per mast cell experts Dr. Theoharides, Dr. Luis Escribano and others) so a lukewarm bath may be more appropriate (but we’re all different, so go with whatever works for you).
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Nishio A, Ishiguro S, Miyao N. “Specific change of histamine metabolism in acute magnesium-deficient young rats.” Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. 1987;5(2):89-96.
“Magnesium.” University of Maryland Medical Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.
Takemoto, Satoshi, Akane Yamamoto, Shozo Tomonaga, Masayuki Funaba, and Tohru Matsui. “Magnesium Deficiency Induces the Emergence of Mast Cells in the Liver of Rats.” J Nutr Sci Vitaminol JNSV Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology 59.6 (2013): 560-63. Web.
Ishiguro, Shigeru, Akira Nisio, Noboru Miyao, Yoshio Morikawa, Kazu Takeno, and Iwao Yanagiya. “Studies on Histamine Containing Cells in the Spleen of the Magnesium-deficient Rats.” Folia Pharmacologica Japonica 90.3 (1987): 141-46. Web.
Did you know that histamine causes hangovers? I used to tell people that living with histamine intolerance is like having a permanent hangover, one I actually dubbed the “histamine hangover”, because eating histamine foods left me feeling like I’d been run over by a truck. Thankfully some wineries have come up with ways to not only reduce or eliminate sulphites, sugars, and the awful additives you wouldn’t believe are the norm, but also to lower histamine to a negligible level.
Best of all, how could you not convince friends to enjoy your choice of wine when you can pretty much guarantee they won’t get a hang over from indulging? I mean, if there’s anything that’d convince folks your diet really ain’t so bad, it’s this.
Don’t get me wrong – there’s no place for alcohol when we’re horribly sick; not unless we want to get worse. I gave it up for nearly two years when at my worst, but sorely missed the social aspect of hanging out with friends and having a glass of red and was annoyed at missing out on an enjoyable way to ingest some beneficial nutrients.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Yes, these and other lies we tell ourselves to justify diving into something that truly makes us happy.
Low, or no, histamine wines aren’t new. What is new however is finding one that doesn’t make me feel horribly unhappy and unsatisfied in the way that carob chip cookies or alcohol free beer do. Try tempting your pals with a “mockulate” fudge cake.
Yeah, good luck with that one.
Thankfully I’ve only suffered the horror of Bud Zero (or whatever the heck it was) on assignment in Libya for CNN. It’s an indignity that won’t be tolerated nor repeated, histamine issues or not.
My assignments nowadays are a lot more fun. Like meeting people who want me to spread the word about some great new product. Sometimes they’re great, others not so much. I’ve been sampling low histamine wines for the last few years but haven’t been inspired to share my findings on the blog till now.
Dry Farm Wines are by far the best tasting, low/no histamine, sulphite, preservative free, GMO yeast and sugar free product I’ve enjoyed. Yes, I said enjoyed. Because a glass of wine is meant to be savoured without fear of flushing, throbbing head (in my case a pre-hangover hangover), acid indigestion and all the rest we’ve learned to hate.
I had never looked into what goes into modern wines till a bunch of information was made available to me by Todd over at Dry Farm and also as reported by Abel James over at Fat Burning Man.
Here’s a little taste:
Sulphur dioxide: a preservative used in wine making. It can cause dermatitis, hives, flushing, GI issues and more. It has been shown to cause symptoms of asthma by causing mast cells to freak out and dump inflammation (including histamine) into the blood stream.
Ammonium sulphates: a preservative that causes nausea, vomiting and GI issues. It also causes histamine release in the body.
Commercial yeasts: a known histamine trigger.
Abel also points out that industrial farming practices mean wine often contains fungicides, mycotoxins and phthalates.
These are all known mast cell triggers.
Toss in that wine makers are allowed to use purple food colour and genetically modified yeasts and we’re getting to the heart of why red wine is such a mega trigger for most of us. Removing all of these isn’t a perfect solution however as all alcohol can impact the production of the histamine degrading diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme, once that’s already potentially low in people with histamine intolerance and mast cell activation.
I recently enjoyed a glass of Dry Farm’s light red wine (beaujolais) with a large green salad of (anti-inflammatory) mesclun greens, (antihistamine) fresh thyme and (antihistamine) oregano with shaved (anti-inflammatory and antihistamine) cucumber, and (antihistamine and anti-inflammatory) garlic, (anti-inflammatory) apple cider vinegar, (antihistamine and anti-inflammatory) coriander and (highly anti-inflammatory) olive oil dressing. And a nice juicy grass fed (anti-inflammatory) steak with (antihistamine and anti-inflammatory) butternut squash mash with (antihistamine and anti-inflammatory) ginger and (antihistamine and anti-inflammatory) turmeric.
My point in pointing out the properties of these foods is that even in having a glass of wine, which I can now have without being consumed with guilt over doing something awful to my body, I take care to use my balanced plate approach. Not familiar with it? It’s the idea that higher histamine foods can be consumed as long as they’re counterbalanced with lower histamine, but more importantly, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods.
If DAO is a worry, I know some reply on supplements to make up for any shortfall.
Dry Farm wines haven’t yet started lab testing their products for histamine content so I asked Dry Farm Wines founder Todd Whit what makes their wines low(er) histamine, and here’s his reply:
“Histamine in wine is caused by yeasts and bacteria in the winemaking process, which begins with maceration and follows through the fermentation.
Maceration is the process of skin contact with the juice of red grapes to produce the color and natural tannins from skin contact. The juice from a white grape and a red grape are both clear. Red wines get their color from juice contact (soaking) with the skins of the grape.
Most people who suffer histamine responses experience it from red wines. While white wines also contain histamine, it’s usually in trace amounts. Red wines have 10-200% more histamine than whites.
It is believed that the higher amount of histamine in modern commercial wines is due to two primary problems that our wines do not have:
1. Longer macerations. This makes wine darker and more tannic. This is a winemaking style that is currently in fashion. Americans perceive that the darker a red wine is the better it is. This is of course not true, but it does sell wine! As a result, winemakers have been using extended soaking on the skins to drive darker color. This also drives higher histamine levels. Dry Farm Wines are naturally made and have short natural maceration periods.
2. The use of genetically modified commercial yeasts. All commercial wines use commercial yeasts. We don’t really understand the impact of these commercial factory yeasts, as there aren’t many studies on them. But we, along with other natural food and wine leaders, believe they are inferior, unnatural, and may be dangerous to health. They are used in virtually all wines made in the world, as they are easier for the winemaker to work with. All Dry Farm Wines are made with natural native yeast that grew wild in the vineyard with the grapes. Our wines use no commercial yeasts.
Many people with histamine sensitivities have experienced our wines and we have NEVER had a complaint, as well as many positive emails from people who previously could not drink standard wines with histamine sensitivities. We have a very simple 100% happiness guarantee: If you don’t like any wine we send you or you can not tolerate our wines for any reason, we will issue you a 100% refund and you keep the wine! No questions asked.”
My view is that any wine that doesn’t use commercial yeast, that’s free of preservatives, dyes and all the rest of the nasty crud that goes into the average bottle, gets my vote and is something I’d personally go for. Having tried a number of these wines myself in Austin a few months ago, I can tell you that they certainly didn’t affect me the way wine (even the super expensive stuff) has in the past.
Indulge responsibly, but hey, I enjoy living in the world and sometimes that involves a glass of red with dinner.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Research confirms the traditional memory enhancing, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory activity of bacopa monnieri, known as Brahmi in Ayurveda. Studies find it’s as effective as sodium cromolyn, the most commonly prescribed pharmaceutical mast cell stabiliser, which stops mast cells from leaking histamine and other inflammation into the blood stream.. Bacopa also prevents the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which carries messages between the vagus nerve, brain and stomach. It’s also an anti-oxidant that offers significant neuroprotection and may be useful for those suffering from alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairment.
Bacopa’s other benefits include the prevention of ulcers (histamine plays a role in these), protecting the heart, potentially helping with anxiety (by affecting GABA), and may help with pain, mental fatigue, asthma, and treat diarrhoea. It also shows promise in treating certain cancers (in test tube studies, not on humans).
I’ve written quite a bit about the role of mast cell/histamine driven inflammation causing wear and tear on the brain, which may explain why so many of us with histamine intolerance and mast cell activation suffer from the dreaded brain fog (or wet blanket around brain syndrome as I’ve called it). You can read more about that here.
And I’ve also recently shared research showing the ageing affect of inflammation on the brain (dubbed inflammaging). A recent study of Japanese people over 100 years old found that, contrary to what we’ve been told in recent years, the best predictor of a long and healthy life is not telomere length, but levels of inflammation in the body. Scientists running the study found that lower levels of inflammatory agents released by mast cells in the blood meant longer life. The more mast cell activated inflammation in the body, the more age related disease and and shorter life expectancy.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
I can speak from personal experience in relation to inflammaging: just a few years ago I looked at least five years older than I do now (you’ll hear that number vary depending on how I’m feeling about my looks on any given day…). Changing my diet to a nutrient dense anti-inflammatory one (more on that here) and also adopting a healthier lifestyle overall with regular yoga and meditation, have really wound back the clock, at least from what I can see externally.
I’m sure you’ve noticed it – how do you look the morning after a histamine binge? Puffy faced maybe? Dark circles under the eyes? Some broken red veins? General ruddiness all over? Unable to zip up your jeans? I went through all of those…
So I’m always searching for natural ways to help my immune system control the histamine release from mast cells. And bacopa is my latest addition.
Most of the literature tells us this herb needs to be taken with food otherwise we risk a stomach upset, but animal studies (none human so far) tell us there’s little fear of toxicity even at massive doses. But as with all supplements it’s imperative to find a trustworthy source and to acknowledge that just like medications, they can have a significant impact on health, potentially causing side effects and interactions with medications and supplements.
I recently picked up a bottle at Whole Foods in Los Angeles and found a large sticker affixed to the side warning me that the product contains lead! God bless California. Warning labels regularly convey the danger lurking in pretty much everything I see in the store nowadays. Needless to say, I did not add it to my shopping basket.
Web MD tells us that bacopa is possibly safe for adults when taken short term for up to twelve weeks and that common side effects include increased bowel movements, stomach cramps, nausea, dry mouth, fatigue and it may cause an increase in thyroid hormones.
Bottom line – do not take any supplements without checking with a doctor and be sure to have regular blood tests to make sure everything is where it should be. All foods and supplements whether antihistamine or mast cell stabilising, have the potential to cause allergy or serious adverse effects.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Inflammaging is the ageing effect of inflammation on the body and brain. We have modern medicine to thank for life span increases, but scientists believe part of the reason inflammation takes such a toll on us is because the immune system must nowadays stay active for longer than ever. This very long activity may lead to chronic inflammation that begins damaging internal organs. As a key component of the immune system, excess histamine is also implicated in ageing and damage to internal organs. Below you’ll find a list of natural anti-inflammatory foods and anti-ageing (all low histamine) oils for topical application.
Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cancer all have an inflammatory component, but science tells us that genetics plays an important role in their development. Those with genes linked to inflammatory changes are “related to unsuccessful ageing”.
Inflammatory responses are believed to be the driving force behind tissue damage associated with age related diseases, which is why the term “inflammaging” was coined.
Chronic inflammation is considered to be involved in all age-related diseases.
Cancer rates spike dramatically in those 65 and over. Researchers are finding that previous infections in youth, which have triggered inflammation when fought, is a key measure of later inflammaging and cancer rates.
Lower rates of alzheimer’s disease in those with a history of long term use of NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen, is another indicator of just how strongly inflammation impacts the ageing process.
A recent study of Japanese people over 100 years old found that, contrary to what we’ve been told in recent years, the best predictor of a long and healthy life is not telomere length, but levels of inflammation in the body. Scientists running the study found that lower levels of inflammatory agents released by mast cells in the blood meant longer life. The more mast cell activated inflammation in the body, the more age related disease and and shorter life expectancy.
In terms of skin, inflammation can accelerate fine lines, wrinkles, as well as causing enlarged pores, puffiness, sagging, blotchiness and reddening of the skin.
One of the keys to fighting inflammation is avoiding unhealthy fats like partially hydrogenated ones found in processed foods, cottonseed, palm, soy and corn oils, which can now even be found in “healthy” foods found on organic supermarket shelves. Eating anti-inflammatory foods, particularly ones rich in omega 3 fatty acids meanwhile has a significant anti-ageing effect on the body and brain.
One of the most terrifying symptoms of histamine/mast cell activated inflammation has to be its effect on the brain, otherwise known as brain fog. In my case this manifested in the inability to understand or remember what was being said in classrooms. I relied heavily on my notes, when I wasn’t too exhausted or disinterested to write them (motivation takes a plunge into the toilet bowl when you’re too tired to walk to class), but even a hint of stress would send said information scurrying into the furthest recess of my memory. A leftover from those years, which has sadly persisted to this day, is that I may question something I know – something I have read or studied, simply because accessing memories formed in those troubled years is like trying to scoop up a catfish from a slimy green pond using freshly vaseline-d hands. The harder I try to extract said nugget of information from that murky green pond, the more it writhes and wriggles free, till I lose it, unsure it was ever there.
Thank goodness for iphones, wikipedia and google.
Luckily, memories formed in recent years have proven far easier to access (now that my brain fog has resolved) and so today I’m sharing some of the causes of brain fog in histamine disorders and the research on how to alleviate it. There is of course far more than just one cause and more than one approach to treating it.
According to a paper by Dr. Theoharides at Tufts, published in Neuropharmacology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, brain fog is a constellation of symptoms that include reduced cognition, inability to concentrate and multitask, as well as a loss of short and long term memory. The paper goes on to share that brain fog is common to those with celiac, chronic fatigue, autism spectrum disorders, fibromyalgia, mastocytosis, postural tachycardia syndrome, as well as in early clinical presentations of alzheimer’s. Dr. Theoharides believes that brain fog may be due to inflammatory molecules and histamine released from mast cells, causing brain inflammation.
The paper sums up the findings I spoke about earlier regarding histamine’s opposing roles in memory: “It appears that some histamine is necessary for alertness, learning and motivation, but too much histamine shuts the system down, in mast cells and histaminergic neurons, by activating H3 auto inhibitory receptors leading to brain “fog”.
The paper concludes with a review of recent research, including that of Dr. Theoharides, showing that flavonoids occurring in nature, like luteolin (though quercetin is also one), can prevent and treat neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases (including alzheimer’s). In a similar vein, researchers at the University of Illinois recently published research on how luteolin could help alleviate or prevent symptoms of alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis, based on its brain protecting activity.
Now while we’re told that eating our medicine is unlikely to be enough for us, I still believe that eating a diet solely comprised of said healing foods is still an awesome healing approach, whether or not we choose to use supplements. I actually only came up with my diet after doing some hardcore research into mast cell stablising and histamine lowering nutrients available in the supermarket.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Inflammatory diet (high histamine diet, a diet low in omega 3 fatty acids, a diet high in processed foods)
Why take NSAIDs for inflammation when you can eat your medicine?
Studies show that NSAIDs delay muscle regeneration (like after you exercise), reduce cartilage healing, and others find that they work no better than placebos in reducing pain and soft-tissue swelling. This class of medications is also known to cause kidney damage and heart attack in older patients.
Please do not add any supplements to your diet without consulting your doctor. Some of these supplements may be very high in salicylic acid and are not suitable for those with salicylate intolerance.
Fish/omega 3 oils
Now recommended by the American Heart Association, fish oil is an important component of an anti-inflammatory diet. From a histamine perspective, it’s not so clear. The best choice would be an unfermented fish oil. Studies have found that DHA, a type of vegan omega 3 rich oil, is particularly effective at preventing histamine release from cells in animals.
One of the oldest inflammation remedies known to man, this tree bark is high in salicylic acid, the stuff aspirin is made of. It blocks the COX enzymes and prostaglandins. Studies show it can be as effective as NSAIDs and aspirin, with fewer side effects.
Curcumin
The active constituent of turmeric has been shown to be a potent anti-inflammatory with potential to treat colitis, neurodegenerative diseases, arthritis and cancer. It is also an antihistamine and mast cell stabiliser. It can however negatively impact the histamine-degrading enzyme DAO in some. I use turmeric daily in cooking.
Green tea
Anti-inflammatory, antihistamine and mast cell stabilising. As with all teas however, it may negatively impact the DAO enzyme. I drink green tea infrequently because of the caffeine.
Pycnogenol
Another bark product, this extract is comparable in efficacy to sodium cromolyn, the most commonly prescribed pharmaceutical for preventing histamine release from mast cells. It’s considered useful in promoting wound and ulcer healing in particular but also for other inflammatory conditions. Anti-inflammatory and antihistamine beauty/ageing prevention (to be applied topically)
Pomegranate seed oil
Baobab oil
Moringa oil
Oat masks
Coconut oil
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Bost, Jeffreyw, Adara Maroon, and Josephc Maroon. “Natural Anti-inflammatory Agents for Pain Relief.” Surgical Neurology International Surg Neurol Int 1.1 (2010): 80. Web.
Yamada, Koji, Mitsuo Mori, Noritaka Matsuo, Kentaro Shoji, Takashi Ueyama, and Michihiro Sugano. “Effects of Fatty Acids on Accumulation and Secretion of Histamine in RBL-2H3 Cells and Leukotriene Release from Peritoneal Exudate Cells Isolated from Wistar Rats.” Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, J Nutr Sci Vitaminol Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology 42.4 (1996): 301-11. Web.
Franceschi, C., and J. Campisi. “Chronic Inflammation (Inflammaging) and Its Potential Contribution to Age-Associated Diseases.” The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 69.Suppl 1 (2014): n. pag. Web.
“Brain Fog – the Histamine Connection and beyond.” THE LOW HISTAMINE CHEF. N.p., 2015. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.
The next time that annoying friend (or family member) snarkily comments on how your “gluten intolerance” isn’t a thing, go ahead and point them to a new study released by the Colombia University Medical Centre. Researchers there discovered that people with non-celiac wheat sensitivity have a weak intestinal barrier (I know, d’oh) and that eating gluten containing wheats and related cereals triggers a “body-wide inflammatory response”.
The Science Daily website quotes study authors Peter H. Green, MD, the Phyllis and Ivan Seidenberg as saying: “Our study shows that the symptoms reported by individuals with this condition are not imagined, as some people have suggested. It demonstrates that there is a biological basis for these symptoms in a significant number of these patients.”
Right now there’s no blood test protocol to diagnose this, so it’s hard to estimate how many suffer from non-celiac gluten or wheat sensitivity (NCWS), but it’s believed to affect about one percent of the population. Those suffering from NCWS have celiac-like gastrointestinal symptoms and also fatigue, cognitive issues like brain fog or memory loss, and mood disturbances.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
I say this: not too long ago doctors believed mast cell activation (whereby too much inflammatory histamine is released by white blood cells) was very rare. Now specialists like Dr. Afrin tell us it’s closer to one in six Americans.
Authors of the aforementioned study found elevated markers of acute systemic immune activation, which they believe is caused by microbes and food components leaked from the gut into general circulation in the body.
The researchers found that NCWS patients on a wheat and gluten cereals free diet for six months “were able to normalise their levels of immune activation and intestinal cell damage markers.”
This all goes a long way to explaining why simply eliminating gluten containing grains made such a big difference to my recovery. I really only fully embraced the gluten free thing a couple of years ago. Interestingly I was really confused initially because I continued to have grain reactions. Rather than eliminating all grains at the time, I did some more digging and found all about oxalic acid.
But I’m not an extremist anymore. While I do believe that modern baked products contain far too much gluten for some of us, and that grains are inflammatory, I will eat a few pieces of beautifully crusty bread while in France.
I try to live by the 10% rule. That as long as 90% of my diet is amazingly nutrient dense and full of healing antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods like those my cookbooks are made up of, then I can go nuts with the rest. Sometimes that means a creamy raw chocolate avocado cake, or a plate of wild mushrooms with garlic and herbed olive oil mopped up with a chunk of perfectly baked baguette. It’s more often a few avocados, tomatoes, spoons of mustard or cacao a week.
But it’s most definitely never, ever, a KFC or Mc Donald’s.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
“Biological Explanation for Wheat Sensitivity Found.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 31 July 2016.
Afrin, Lawrence B. M.D., Kendra Neilsen Myles, Carol Schaengold, Kristi Posival, and Ingram Spark. Never Bet against Occam: Mast Cell Activation Disease and the Modern Epidemics of Chronic Illness and Medical Complexity. Bethesda, MD: Sisters Media , LLC, 2016. Print.
Armin Alaedini et al. Intestinal cell damage and systemic immune activation in individuals reporting sensitivity to wheat in the absence of coeliac disease. Gut, July 2016 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2016-311964
Mast cells are a key player in the immune system response. They release histamine and other inflammatory agents into the bloodstream to fight viruses and bacteria, parasites, and promote wound healing. Pretty much any invader can cause this mast cell activation, or a perceived intrusion, by food and beauty products for example, when the immune system is on a rampage. There’ll be a root cause for many dealing with mast cell/histamine related symptoms and inflammation, and resolving it will hopefully lead to recovery once the immune system is able to rest easy knowing its work is done. All references are found at the end of the post.
Parasites.
Nowadays nothing sets off my quack-ometer more violently than parasite “zapping”.
Well, that biofeedback machine where you hold the copper balls in your hands to diagnose/treat allergies and a few other choice pseudoscientific delights with a real potential to kill, or at least totally fleece people, maybe. In the years before become a (somewhat) sceptical journalist for CNN and the BBC I flushed a tremendous amount of money down the loo submitting to many of these questionable treatments. Nowadays I write about healing naturally, but using scientifically backed research, much of it conducted on poor little animals or in test tubes; but we work with what we have.
Sadly, parasites are a real thing, and medical diagnosis and treatment is possible, if only more practitioners were open to the idea, rather than driving us desperate folk into the arms of quacks.
Mast cells are a kind of army barracks that house histamine and other inflammatory soldiers till they’re called into battle for our survival. These cells release inflammation like histamine into the bloodstream as a first line of defence against parasites. Mast cells can control parasites in a number of ways, one of which is by regulating gut permeability (causing or fixing what some may know as leaky gut).
Histamine released by mast cells can also happen via IgE immune system response (like in allergies). There are many causes of a high overall IgE level, but parasite infection is definitely one of them. Interestingly, you may have heard in the last few years that people have been trying to cure allergies by knowingly infecting themselves with helminths. I know a number of cases where this has backfired, so please be very careful if you choose to investigate this.
Signs and symptoms
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, gas or bloating, rash or itching of the posterior, stomach pain or tenderness, tiredness, weight loss.
Testing
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) your doctor should consider:
A fecal (stool) test/ova and parasite test (O&P)
The CDC recommends that three or more stool samples be collected on separate days to find parasite eggs. They must be refrigerated but not frozen.
Endoscopy
This test is recommended when parasite infection is suspected but not found using stool samples. It’s a fairly unpleasant procedure that allows the doc to examine the intestine to look for the little buggers or evidence they’ve been there.
Blood tests
Serology
This looks for antibodies produced by the immune system in response to the parasite.
Blood smear(not a live blood analysis)
This helps doctors spot any blood borne parasites.
X-ray/MRI/CAT
These are used to spot any lesions caused by some types of parasite infections.
The University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMD) details something called the “Scotch Tape Test” that is so stomach charmingly gross that I can’t quite bring myself to repeat it. Do ask your doc about it though because it seems an inexpensive, pain-free, if insanely embarrassing, approach. That said, women regularly undergo some undeniably barbaric and humiliating procedures, so what’s one more, right?
Dietary approaches
Last week I shared a wonderful Indian spice that easily replaces onions and garlic in flavour, which is handy for those allergic to the allium family or low FODMAPs. It also happens to kill some types of parasites. Read the post here.
May stop parasites from growing…
Avoiding sugars.
Eating raw garlic, pumpkin seeds, pomegranates, beets and carrots (all low histamine), which have been traditionally used to kill parasites.
Eating more fiber to poop them out.
Zinc to support the immune system .
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Saluja, R., M. Metz, and Marcus Maurer. “Role and Relevance of Mast Cells in Fungal Infections.” Front. Immun. Frontiers in Immunology 3 (2012): n. pag. Web.
“Intestinal Parasites.” University of Maryland Medical Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 July 2016.
The Indian herb Asafoetida (Ferula Asafoetida) possesses anti-inflammatory and antihistamine activity, in addition to fighting viruses and intestinal parasites. For those unable to tolerate garlic and onion, or those eating a low FODMAPs diet, this member of the carrot family makes a pleasing substitute when added to cooking. References for every statement in this post are found at the bottom of the page.
I realised years ago that the traditional low histamine diet was hurting me. This approach eliminates as many higher histamine foods as possible, with little regard for their nutritional status. Changing my focus to eating foods with antihistamine properties, while including nutrient dense higher histamine foods with beneficial properties, made an incredible difference. You can read more about that here or check out the recording of my online workshop on getting started with my approach here.
This epiphany led to an honest re-appraisal of my health state, giving me the courage to once again experiment with foods.
I was no longer going into anaphylaxis by this point – please do not ever add new foods without the involvement of your doctor if you have a history of moderate to severe reactions please. And remember that foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties can still hurt us. Most studies are conducted on animals, not humans, or in test tubes.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
One of my first “gains” was ferula asafoetida. This Indian spice has a really pungent smell, so much so that I was terrified of using it when recommended by an Ayurvedic practitioner. I eventually worked up the courage once it was revealed to be a member of the carrot family – because in those days I practiced my personal nutrition in a highly irrational way, full of superstition and guesswork – and was pleasantly surprised by its affect on my body and taste buds.
You may choose not to use asafoetida once you open the packet. This would be a mistake, because once sautéed in a little oil to release the flavour, and then added to veggies or meats, it smells and tastes pretty much like garlic or onions, only less aggressive.
Kind of like leeks…
More importantly than possibly resolving an issue for FODMAPs allium deprived folks, and those sensitive to foods in this family, asafoetida has been shown to relax histamine induced contractions of the intestines (in animal studies). It has been used traditionally in this way in the West and in India, and scientists are finding new properties, including fighting Avian Flu and lowering viral loads in Herpes Simlex 1 infections.
Researchers testing the anti-parasitic properties of asafoetida extracts on earthworms (because they resemble intestinal roundworm in humans) have found it to be as effective as the pharmaceutical Piperizine.
Please note: the extracts used in studies will be far stronger than the spice and it is not my intention to give you a “how to” with any of my research. I believe that self medicating, be it in supplement or medication, is unwise. This is why I do not include dosages used in studies. I’m not a doctor, so please don’t ask me to play one!
More importantly, to those dealing with mast cell activated inflammation and histamine release, is that compounds isolated from asafoetida have activity against the COX-1 enzyme, which plays a role in creating inflammation from mast cells (relating specifically to prostaglandin). So, this means may mean that if we can get COX-1 to play ball with us, we may experience less mast cell related inflammation.
Explainer: histamine is found in foods, but also in the body, where it is contained within mast cells – which are a component of the white blood cell system. When mast cells are triggered, by a virus/bacteria, stress, allergens, chemicals, altitude, vibration etc, they release inflammatory agents like histamine, prostaglandin, leukotrienes and others into the bloodstream, where they cause inflammation. If this inflammation is not needed, or is not eliminated when no longer needed, we experience inflammatory symptoms (like those of excess histamine). This is why I believe it’s important to eat a diet that’s anti-inflammatory overall, rather than just low histamine. Because histamine is only a piece of the puzzle.
Unsure how to use asafoetida? Try adding it to your cooking: by shrinking onto sweet potatoes or minced beef, adding it to lamb before roasting it, or using a pinch in a soup. I particularly love using it to spice up my lentil dahl (basically Indian lentil stew) and also a add a touch to my olive oil before cooking eggs in it.
You can find asafoetida online on Amazon or Indian food suppliers, and also in all Indian stores.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
“Ferula.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 July 2016.
“Asafoetida.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 July 2016.
Ghannadi, Alireza, and Khadijeh Fattahian. “Anti-Viral Evaluation of Sesquiterpene Coumarins from …” Iranian Journal of Pharmacological Research, n.d. Web. 8 July 2016.
Mahendra, Poonam, and Shradha Bisht. “Ferula Asafoetida : Traditional Uses and Pharmacological Activity.” Pharmacognosy Reviews Phcog Rev 6.12 (2012): 141. Web.
Recent Updates in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders Using Natural Compounds
Rasool, Mahmood, Arif Malik, Muhammad Saeed Qureshi, Abdul Manan, Peter Natesan Pushparaj, Muhammad Asif, Mahmood Husain Qazi, Aamer Mahmood Qazi, Mohammad Amjad Kamal, Siew Hua Gan, and Ishfaq Ahmed Sheikh. “Recent Updates in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders Using Natural Compounds.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2014 (2014): 1-7. Web.
Kumar, Pradeep, and D.k. Singh. “Molluscicidal Activity of Ferula Asafoetida, Syzygium Aromaticum and Carum Carvi and Their Active Components against the Snail Lymnaea Acuminata.” Chemosphere 63.9 (2006): 1568-574. Web.
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