Author: healing

  • Unexplained weight gain? Dr. Oz blames hidden food allergies!

    Ok here’s one I totally relate to. Dr. Mehmet Oz, on his show, recently explained how hidden food allergies can make you gain up to 30lbs (20kg) a YEAR.

    food allergies make you fat!
    food allergies make you fat!

    Here’s Dr. Oz on his show explaining how, when faced with an undiagnosed allergy whereby the good bacteria cannot process the food (I think maybe he’s referring to the histamine degrading enzymes diamine oxidase, monoamine oxdase and HNMT) the body responds with inflammation that quickly distends the bowels, stomach and surrounding areas, adding up to 30 pounds (20 kilos) of weight EVERY YEAR.

    “Gulp”. Yes, I have experienced that first hand. I finally lost 35 kilos (77 lbs) over two years ago, as a result of going on a low histamine diet. I lost the equivalent of a small person!

    I attribute some of the weight loss to stopping the anti-histamines which were making me eat like a football player. A football player who has been wandering the dessert without food for two weeks, with only a bag of ganja to sustain him. Yeah, I was obsessed with food, allergenic food that was causing inflammation thanks to a lack of histamine-degrading diamine oxidase, monoamine oxidase and others. But even before then, my friends were always as baffled as I by my weight gain. Was I eating in secret? Was I sleep eating? These were valid questions but I wasn’t.

    I can’t say I haven’t become healthier overall since going low histamine, because I definitely have, but my calories aren’t that much lower now. I even eat more dessert now than I used to, which brings me back to how to pig out without gaining weight. Can you guess?? Yup, my first dessert book is finally out! The Low Histamine Dessert Book is gluten-free, milk-free and refined sugar free. All low histamine desserts have been tested out on my non-amine challenged friends…this is the good stuff that I break out for tea, after dinner treats and kiddie birthday parties! The moist chocolate (make it with carob or cacao, there are instructions for both) is perfect for birthdays, and no one has no come back for seconds of the delicious almond butter cupcakes. Though you can frost them with anything…

    You can download the low histamine dessert book here. If you’re dealing with histamine-induced weight gain from anti-histamines, histamine intolerance, histaminosis or mastocytosis, you might want to check out my Low Histamine Diamine Oxidase Support Cookbook first!

  • The Low Histamine Dessert book is here!

    Anti-inflammatory low histamine donuts
    Anti-inflammatory donuts

    Diagnosed with histamine intolerance/histaminosis, mast cell activation or mastocytosis? Looking for a tasty treat but have no clue where to start? My first dessert book – the Low Histamine Dessert book – is gluten free, milk free, and refined sugar free, perfect for those necessary indulgences, without the histamine hangover.

    I’ve always been a healthy dessert person, mainly because sugar just makes my stomach turn inside out.

    The Low Histamine Dessert Book features a number of pages of substitutions but please feel free to contact me through the forum, or by email, if you have any questions.

    And don’t worry…this book does feature my anti-inflammatory donut recipe! You can download the Low Histamine Dessert Book here.

  • Middle Eastern & Indian spices lower histamine (and other biogenic amines) in foods!

    Middle Eastern & Indian spices lower histamine (and other biogenic amines) in foods!

    Middle Eastern & Indian spices lower histamine & other biogenic amines in foods (better than chemicals!)
    Middle Eastern & Indian spices lower histamine in foods!

    More reasons to go natural – here’s a study showing that the addition of Middle Eastern spice sumac to Turkish sausage lowers the biogenic amines tyramine and putrsecine in foods more effectively than BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene).

    The effect of sumac extract and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) addition on the quality (pH, colour, biogenic amine, TBARS values and sensory attributes) of sucuk (Turkish dry-fermented sausage) were investigated during the ripening period. Addition of BHT decreased the TBARS value by about 23.7%, whereas sumac extract decreased it by 42.0%. Sumac extract decreased (P < 0.05) putrescine formation more than BHT addition. However, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed in histamine formation for both the sumac extract and BHT-added recipe. The highest tyramine concentration was observed in a control recipe (R1) prepared without any antioxidants, and the lowest was in the sumac extract-added recipe (R3) with mean values of about 96.62 and 63.17 mg kg−1, respectively. This study demonstrated that sumac extract had more effect on the quality of sucuk during the ripening period, hence it could be easily utilised in sucuk to enhance quality. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry – Read the full study here.

    Unfortunately Sumac did not show the same effect on histamine.

    For that we have to travel half way across the world to Sri Lanka and India where people have been using Garcinia Cambogia (mangosteen family) leaves to prevent histamine contamination in fish for centuries. Whether or not they actually knew that’s why they were doing it is another story.

    Histamine consumed with food gives rise to allergic reactions. Dark muscle fish, for example skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) has been shown to contain histamine. Addition of the spice Garcinia cambogia (extracts 0.2 g ml-1) known as ‘goraka’ in Sri Lanka (sinhala) and ‘kukum’ in India (hindhi), to fresh skipjack incubates prevents histamine formation as a result of lowering pH to 3.2-3.6.Read the full study here.

    This naturally makes me wonder if Garcinia Cambogia has the same effect in the human body, at least for those of us with histamine related disorders (histaminosis/histamine intolerance/mastocytosis). Anecdotal evidence put forward by natural supplement pushers would have us believe it does. Garcinia is currently touted as a cure all for allergies, food intolerances, and hay fever. I’ll wait for the solid research to back it. Or at least till the box of garcinia tea I ordered arrives. Your intrepid reporter will keep you posted on her results.

    In the meantime, I’d love to know why we in the west haven’t adopted this natural herb for the prevention of unacceptable histamine levels in fish. After all, it’s not just those of us with histamine intolerance, histaminosis, mastocytosis and mast cell activation disorders who are adversely affected by high histamine levels in foods. Government bodies now freely admit histamine in foods is a growing concern to “healthy” people, not just those of us with histamine disorders.

  • Fox News report on histamine intolerance covers mood/depression link!

    Fox News report on histamine intolerance
    Fox News report on histamine intolerance

    Fox News is the first major player to cover histamine intolerance (histaminosis).

    Interestingly the link between histamine disorders and mood/depression are mentioned in the report.

    Check out the full story here.

  • Food additive sensitive ADHD kids may lack histamine-degrading HNMT enzyme

    Food additive sensitive ADHD kids may lack histamine-degrading HNMT enzyme

    Lack of a histamine-degrading enzyme linked to ADHD in kids

    Children lacking the HNMT gene responsible (along with Diamine Oxidase) for degrading histamine in the body, are likely to suffer an increase in adverse reactions to food additives and colorings, which may exacerbate existing ADHD [1]. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing many more studies making a stronger case for food additives and colorings being implicated in all kinds of behavioral disorders in children.

    Dr. Emily Deans on her blog Evolutionary Psychiatry had this to say about the study: “Overall, the three year-olds had significant reactions to the hyper juice (more Mix A than Mix B) if they lacked certain alleles of the histamine N-methyltransferase (HNMT) gene.  There seemed to be no differences in the reactions depending on the dopamine or other checked genotypes.   In the 8/9 year-olds, the results were quite similar.  Not too much difference when dopamine may be off, but a significant difference depending on the HNMT gene allele.”This is not only the first study I have seen definitively making a link between behavioral problems in children and food additives, but also the first one linking histamine to it. Though it wasn’t a huge sample (less than 300 kids) and was not a long term study, I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more in the near future.

    As someone who can attest to the mania inducing effects of food additives and colouring, I sincerely hope that parents around the world will pay more attention to what they put in their children’s bodies, whether influenced by histamine or not. My uncle had a very simple rule with his kids in the supermarket. You can have it if you can pronounce every word on the food label! His kids were well into their teens before getting their first taste of nasty foods. By that time their taste buds were well formed enough to know that it was poison. They’re two of the healthiest eaters I know (other than their parents!).

     I’d love to hear from you if this study correlates with your own experiences and if you’ve had success treating your child through a low histamine, low amine, or dye/preservative free diet.

    It’s finally here! Man Food – a high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient filled book geared towards guys, women who love to work out, yoga like they mean it, or just load up on healing nutrients. Features my personal shopping list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. 

    The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but feature a plethora of the high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients that have been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. The Anti-cookbook features a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods and comes in regular and Paleo. 

    The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes. 

    Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

    Take a peek at my other low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes

    ———-REFERENCES———-

    [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20551163

  • How histamine causes anxiety symptoms (or GAD)

    How histamine causes anxiety symptoms (or GAD)

    How histamine causes anxiety
    How histamine causes anxiety

    So the theme emerging the last few days has been that people are being told that the histaminosis/histamine intolerance is all in their head. The usual. Only rather than doctors, it’s friends and family telling them.

    It’s only since my recovery that people have stopped trying to convince me I’m nuts. In a way it’s understandable. I have come up with a million reasons for my illnesses over the years. Many were the fault of doctors. I collected diagnoses like dogs acquire fleas. They were just about as useful as fleas…

    Please, the next time someone tries to tell you that your palpitations are just “anxiety,” first, ask yourself if you are anxious about something.

    If not, next time you see your friend, quote this:

    Sometimes (ruling out heart conditions) the reason people with histamine issues have palpitations after foods (used to happen to me particularly with chocolate and strawberries) is that histamine is vasoactive.

    Histamine is….a hydrophilic vasoactive amine. (Wikipedia)

    A vasoactive is a pharmaceutical agent that has the effect of either increasing or decreasing blood pressure and/or heart rate. (Wikipedia)

    This means that histamine can affect your heart rate. Fluctuations in heart rate can cause feelings of anxiety and palpitations.

    I spent years thinking that my palpitations were caused by anxiety. I still get them if I eat chocolate!

  • Carrageenan causes histamine induced inflammation

    Carrageenan causes histamine induced inflammation

    Soaked irish moss

    UPDATE: I have edited this post to reflect that carrageenan is an adulterated derivative of Irish Moss.

    “Carrageenan induced inflammation-protocol” is a phrase that keeps coming up in my histamine research. Why is this relevant? Carrageenan, a derivative of Irish Moss, is a common food additive. A quick Google search turns up thousands of studies where anti-inflammatory medicines and compounds are tested on “carrageenan induced-inflammation” or “edema”  [1]- it’s actually used to cause pain and inflammation in animals (poor things).

    CLICK HERE TO CREATE YOUR OWN PERSONALISED HEALING HISTAMINE PLAN. 

    In particular one study used it to induce inflammatory arthritis [2]. In a number of studies carrageenan has been shown to cause inflammation through its activity on the histamine H1 and H2 receptors [3] and may cause gastrointestinal damage [4]. I’ve also found a number mentioning mast cell degranulation which makes a lot of sense. These are all obviously terms those of us with histamine related disorders don’t want to hear associated with our food. Ouch. I used Irish Moss for years and this explains a lot…You’ll find carrageenan/irish moss in pretty much anything tasty on the supermarket shelf including:
    • Desserts, ice cream, cream, milkshakes, sweetened condensed milks, and sauces: gel to increase viscosity
    • Beer: clarifier to remove haze-causing proteins
    • Pâtés and processed meats (ham, e.g.): substitute for fat, increase water retention and increase volume, or improve sliceability
    • Toothpaste: stabilizer to prevent constituents separating
    • Fruit Gushers: ingredient in the encapsulated gel
    • Shampoo and cosmetic creams: thickeness
    • Biotechnology: gel to immobilize cells/enzymes
    • Pharmaceuticals: used as an inactive excipient in pills/tablets
    • Soy milk: used to thicken, in an attempt to emulate the consistency of whole milk
    • Diet sodas: to enhance texture and suspend flavours
    • Personal lubricants
    • Veggie dogs
    From Wikipedia. 
    I’d like to see more studies comparing irish moss in it’s original state vs extracted and manipulated carrageenan as a food additive, but for now it’s not something I’m willing to have in my diet. Agar agar offers similar results in desserts without any of the negative associated studies (yet?).

    It’s finally here! Man Food – a high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient filled book geared towards guys, women who love to work out, yoga like they mean it, or just load up on healing nutrients. Features my personal shopping list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. 

    The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but feature a plethora of the high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients that have been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. The Anti-cookbook features a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods and comes in regular and Paleo. 

    The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes. 

    Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

    Take a peek at my other low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes

    ——– REFERENCES———

    [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21639869

    [2] http://www.tufts.edu/~ttheoh01/cam-theoharides.pdf

    [3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6852108

    [4] http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401181/Is-Carrageenan-Safe.html

  • Histamine’s role in chronic bladder inflammation (or Interstitial Cystitis)

    Histamine’s role in chronic bladder inflammation (or Interstitial Cystitis)

    Histamine and mast cell activation in interstitial cystitis

    UPDATE 2016:

    Since this post I have found that oxalic acid found in plants is quite possibly far more of an issue than histamine/mast cells in my bladder issue. Moderating oxalate combined with my histamine balanced diet has completely cleared up my life long bladder pain and frequency. Read the post here. You can buy the low oxalate cookbook here. 

    I’m busy compiling a doctor “wish-list” for exploring my histamine-related disorder.  So far, at the very top of it is Dr. Theoharides of Tufts University in Boston. I’ve been taking his high dose quercetin supplement, Neuroprotek for just over a week now and it seems to be making a big difference in my histamine intolerance/histaminosis/mast cell activation symptoms. While perusing the swathes of research (that he has conducted) on his site – one on Interstitial Cystitis caught my attention. Having been misdiagnosed with UTI, despite negative culture, I once again wondered why none of my doctors were aware of this research.

    Here’s an excerpt from a talk with doctor Theoharides. You can read the full text here.

    Moderator: Jill Osborne, M.A. President & Founder
    Interstitial Cystitis Network, Santa Rosa, CA USA
    http://www.ic-network.com 

    REDUCING INFLAMMATION AND RESTORING BLADDER MUCUS
    The Role of Quercetin, Glucosamine & Chondroitin


    “In either case, we believe that a central cell for the initiation of the inflammation, whether it’s from the bladder in, or the inside is the MAST CELL. Let’s give an example of what happens if there is an insult from the bladder.  Let’s call it… X…. will damage the GAG layer and get to the urothelial cells. The urothelial cells are not supposed to deal with any triggers. Once they feel the trigger, they send the message on to the SUBMUCOSA, the layer right behind the urothelial cell and very rich in nerves and mast cells.

    In the submucosa, mast cells will immediately be activated and will release three sets of molecules that are very important in inflammation:

     1 – Histamine will make the blood vessels leaky. This will allow circulating white blood cells to come out of the vessel and into the tissue to take care of the offending molecule. This process makes the blood vessels swell up and create openings where the white blood cells can come out and enter the bladder to take care of the trigger. When you see inside the bladder with a cystoscope in many IC patients, the urologists see what are described as glomerulations, which are microhemorrhages. In other words, the dilation of the blood vessels (and through the blood vessels) both white cells and blood emerge thus creating the petechial hemorrhages that your doctor may see.

    2 – Cytokines that make the wall of the blood vessels product “docking” areas (called vascular adhesion molecules) to which the circulating white blood cells attach and exit.

    3 – Chemoattractants that draw circulating white blood cells to bladder tissues.”

    Have you been diagnosed with IC or recurrent UTI and now suspect it could in fact be related to your histamine issues?

    It’s finally here! Man Food – a high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient filled book geared towards guys, women who love to work out, yoga like they mean it, or just load up on healing nutrients. Features my personal shopping list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. 

    The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but feature a plethora of the high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients that have been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. The Anti-cookbook features a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods and comes in regular and Paleo. 

    The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes. 

    Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

    Take a peek at my other low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes

  • Histamine induced uterine contractions a danger in pregnancy.

    Histamine & pregnancy
    Elevated histamine levels can affect pregnancy

  • Irresistible to the opposite sex? Histamine could be why!

    Estrogen causes histamine release

    Estrogen can cause major histamine release in the body. Now why would you want that? Because histamine makes you um, randy, and your biological imperative is to procreate. We shouldn’t really complain though,estrogen makes us more attractive to the opposite sex…but back to my point.

    Studies on female rats show that estrogen supplementation, or natural fluctuations in cycle near ovulation, cause libido boosting histamine release. Didn’t know that histamine affects your sex drive? You’re welcome! Please explain to your significant other that spiking your meals with cashews isn’t necessary thank you very much. It’s one of the many perks/crosses to bear with our histaminosis/histamine intolerance diagnosis.

    Estrogen is important in female precopulatory behaviors in 3 m ways: 1) estrogen increases a female’s willingness to approach a male to induce solicitatious behaviors, 2) estrogen can enhance the “attractivity” of the female: estrogen priming can induce the production of stimuli that make her more attractive to the male (odors or pheromones, vocalizations), and 3) estrogen ‘primes’ for progesterone.

    So…

    (more…)

GET STARTED HEALING HISTAMINE

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HISTAMINE DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX