It’s hardly news to us those of us with histamine intolerance and mast cell activation that inflammation can cause symptoms of anxiety. Now though, the research has finally caught up, with scientists identifying altered pro and anti-inflammatory profiles in patients with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). One of the inflammatory agents is monitored in the study can also be released by mast cells (which can also trigger histamine).
The study published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity provides the first evidence that Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is associated with an imbalance between interferon (IFN-y), interleukin (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a), which is released by mast cells.
The authors found that patients with GAD had high levels of pro-inflammatory IFN-y and TNF-a, but low levels of the anti-inflammatory IL-10, compared to healthy control subjects. They believe that an impairment of the tryptophan degrading enzyme leads to degradation of serotonin in patients with GAD.
I’ve long researched the link between histamine, mast cells and anxiety and depression.
Her comment tickled me immensely given the number of times I was admonished for imagining my symptoms and that it was ridiculous to link what I ate, and how my body felt, to my state of mind.
It seems that us members of the “permanently inflamed tribe” have been vindicated in linking flushing, palpitations, anxiety, tunnel vision and (in my case) a sense of doom almost like an asteroid was on a collision course with my reality, to histamine and inflammation generally.
I was first diagnosed with anxiety at about fourteen years old, but really I’d been suffering from it since childhood. My brother once commented (ok, way more than once), that I was the most fearful and stressed child he’d known (he’s sixteen years older than me). While it’s true that I’ve had a very tumultuous life, growing up in a war zone, father dead at 40 or so, changing schools and moving country every six months at times, I don’t consider that I had a particularly traumatic life compared with many people. And yet I was shaking like a leaf most days, filled with a sense that something truly catastrophic was about to befall me or my loved ones. I would wake up in the morning with a sense of dread, wondering what awful thing was going to happen. It was almost a relief when something would happen, and hopefully I could go about the rest of my day just a smidge less fearful than I started it.
But things got out of hand at university. Within just a few short years I was diagnosed with GAD, bipolar and unipolar depression, borderline personality and was medicated with pretty much everything on the market, for years. Changing my diet allowed me to come off all psychiatric medications (including daily Xanax/benzodiazepines), within a matter of months, but I was still a mess histamine-wise, till I totally overhauled my life.
Nowadays it takes a major life event to properly phase me. What I’m still not great at is dealing with daily anxiety due to a situation beyond my control, like when my mother fell ill last year and I spent a year flying back and forth to a country on another continent.
But I do my best. The meditation and exercise are a huge help, as is knowing that I may be on edge simply because my histamine level might be elevated. And yes, it does still happen to me. Because like you, I’m human, and I’m constantly pushing the boundaries to see what I can get away with.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Start the new year right with these 7 histamine intolerance foods that fight inflammation, are histamine friendly and super healthy for the body overall. I guarantee that you’ll always find these foods in my fridge and cupboards because I leaned heavily on them for the last five years, before figuring out that I was able to reintroduce most of the foods I’d had to eliminate over the years. Here’s how I did it.
Arugula
Benefits
Researchers have found that arugula extract can protect us from stomach ulcers, probably through its effect on histamine and prostaglandins (both of which are released by mast cells in the body). Arugula is also high in vitamin K, which helps us fight inflammation and prevent osteoporosis. Sulforaphane found in arugula and other cruciferous veggies is being studied for its role in preventing or stopping the growth of cancer, particularly lung, breast and pancreatic. This compound is particularly concentrated in sprouts/young shoots so I’ll often use arugula shoots.
Works well in
I like to use mine in what I call juicies – which are basically just a juice that you then blend stuff into. I’m not a fan of knocking back massive quantities of raw fiber (it just can’t be good for the body to suddenly deal with that). It’s also great in salads and I sometimes quickly pop open a bag and sweat the leaves very quickly in a pan with a little olive oil. Doing so means that I can eat a lot more lightly cooked than raw.
Watercress
Benefits
Research tells us that compounds extracted from this spicy plant can prevent histamine release from cells exposed to an allergen. Watercress is also high in anti-inflammatory bone building vitamin K and can help decrease neuropathy (nerve pain) in diabetics. It has also been shown to help fight high blood pressure.
Watercress compounds are also linked to decreased cancer risk, protection from the effects of radiation and chemotherapy.
Works well in
Juicies and salads. Don’t forget that it’s a spicy plant and as such care should be taken not to pair it with other spicy ones like arugula or ginger.
According to Dr. Axe the bran hull of back rice contains one of the highest levels of the antioxidant anthocyanin found in any food. Those of you following my instagram feed will have noticed I spend a lot of time eating and talking about this antioxidant purple miracle pigment. Anthocyanins are found in blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and purple varieties of carrots, cauliflower and sweet potato. The absolute only inflammatory (pretty much nutrient devoid) potato I will eat is a blue/purple one. Anthocyanins prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer and are anti-inflammatory and can help cleanse the liver of of toxic build up. Arsenic is a concern nowadays with all rice, but the Environmental Working Group tells us that cooking rice more like pasta will decrease the arsenic content by about forty percent. Rinse the rice then boil one cup of rice in twelve cups of water.
Works well in
I love adding rice to salads and I really enjoy black rice noodles (you can buy these online or in health food stores) as a wheat pasta substitute. I’ll often just toss some noodles with sautéed veggies and onion as a meal.
Artichokes
Benefits
This tasty vegetable is rich in the mast cell stabilising bioflavonoid luteolin. We want mast cells stable so they don’t leak histamine and other inflammation into the blood stream. Other members of the artichoke family have antihistamine properties and all are highly anti-inflammatory.
Works well in
My absolute favourite dairy free creamy pasta sauce is make from boiled artichoke hearts. You’ll find the recipe here. I also adore eating chokes lightly boiled and then paired with a apple cider vinaigrette. I’ve even been known to slip a bit of organic three ingredient Dijon mustard (look for Edmond Faillot mustard at Whole Foods), which is a higher histamine ingredient but also anti-inflammatory. Your results may be different. Artichokes can also be shaved using a mandolin and eaten raw in a salad, or you could quarter them, drizzle with a little oil and lemon and roast them.
Ginger
Benefits
One of the best weapons in the antihistamine arsenal, ginger is a potent antihistamine, nausea inhibitor (histamine causes nausea and motion sickness!), and of course anti-inflammatory and cancer preventer. Also in the family, turmeric has an even more amazing profile but I can only do small amounts of it due to its very high oxalic acid, salicylic acid and MAO enzyme inhibiting properties. When a food appears on multiple lists, even if it’s classed as one of the world’s healthiest foods, I’m likely to avoid ingesting massive amounts of it.
Works well in
Smoothies, juices, soups (I add ginger and turmeric to all my soups), grated into salad dressing and onto sautéed veggies (especially great with noodles).
Lentils
Benefits
Some lists tell us that lentils are high histamine. Once I realised that excluding nutrient dense foods willy nilly wasn’t working for me, I started slowly adding back foods that had lots of benefits. Lentils were at the top of the list. Given that my father died of lung cancer in his early forties, and friends developing breast cancer around me at an alarming rate, cancer fighting foods seem like a great idea. Lentils are also a great source of potassium, calcium, zinc (needed for the manufacture of the histamine lowering DAO enzyme), folate and iron. I’ve never noticed any kind of histamine reaction from lentils, ever, so as with many of these foods, your own reaction is best to go by.
Works well in
Pressure cooking lentils can inactivate lectins and other “anti-nutrients”. I love my lentils in salads, in soups like my absolute favourite lentil chard, and I make savoury waffles and flatbreads out of lentil flour (you can buy it online or make your own in a coffee grinder or a Vitamix). There’s also a few great brands of gluten free pasta made from lentils that can also be found online or at organic supermarkets.
Chives
Benefits
Members of the allium family possess significant mast cell stabilising properties, thereby preventing histamine release. My other favourite is red onion, which is super high in quercetin, the bioflavonoid usually responsible for the antihistamine activity. Red onions are of course a double whammy thanks to the anthocyanins in the skin. A caveat, don’t remove too much of the skin – that’s where the good stuff is. Chives are also full of red blood cell building chlorophyll.
Works well in
Pretty much everything! I use a pair of scissors to chop them into salads, soups, and onto pretty much anything I eat, raw or cooked.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Alqasoumi, S. (2009). Rocket “Eruca sativa”: A salad herb with potential gastric anti-ulcer activity. World Journal of Gastroenterology,15(16), 1958. doi:10.3748/wjg.15.1958
Goda, Y., Hoshino, K., Akiyama, H., Ishikawa, T., Abe, Y., Nakamura, T., . . . Toyoda, M. (1999). Constituents in Watercress: Inhibitors of Histamine Release from RBL-2H3 Cells Induced by Antigen Stimulation. Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin,22(12), 1319-1326. doi:10.1248/bpb.22.1319
What Are the Benefits of Eating Lentils? (n.d.). Retrieved December 25, 2016, from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-eating-lentils-4547.html
Anti-allergic effects of herbal product from Allium cepa (bulb). (n.d.). Retrieved December 25, 2016, from
(n.d.). Retrieved December 25, 2016, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275009.php
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.
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.
Citations can be found at the bottom of this post.
According to an article published in the British Journal of Pharmacology in 2013, mast cell stabilising compounds inhibit the release of allergic mediators (like histamine) from mast cells (a part of the white blood cell system).
These can be pharmaceutical or natural – I use the latter.
They’re used to prevent allergic reactions, but they are also prescribed to folks like me, who have mast cell activation. Mast cell activation syndrome or disorder (MCAS/D) is a fancy way of saying that the immune system is freaking out and dumping inflammation into the body, sometimes chronically. The research of Dr. Theoharides tells us that up to 1 in 200 in the US suffer from mast cell activation, while Dr. Afrin thinks it could be 1 in 6. It might be fair to say that rather than it being rare, it is simply rarely diagnosed because few doctors are aware of symptoms.
These include a baffling combination of bowel and gastrointestinal complaints, dizziness, fatigue, nerve pain, migraines, nausea and or vomiting, allergic-like symptoms (with negative testing), brain fog, memory problems, exercise intolerance, hives, rashes, chronic runny nose and hay fever like symptoms and more (you can find a full list here).
These symptoms may be diagnosed as Histamine Intolerance (HIT) instead, which is bigger in Europe than the states. Most doctors will laugh you out of their office for suggesting you may be intolerant to a compound produced by your own body, but as Dr. Castells’ research has shown us, we can be allergic or reactive to our own hormones, so why not histamine?
It’s thought HIT is caused by a lack of the histamine degrading enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO). I was initially diagnosed with this by a nutritionist/researcher but then with MCAS by a real doctor due to severity of symptoms, and my inability to compute that seizures could be caused by an intolerance (though I no longer rule it out). Histamine is one of the inflammatory players released by mast cells, which is perhaps why I was initially diagnosed with histamine intolerance.
Thankfully, in addition to pharmaceutical medications like the commonly prescribed sodium cromolyn, there are a number of natural compounds with mast cell stabilising properties which may be useful in preventing allergic reactions, and histamine release from mast cells.
I do not however recommend trying anything without the consent of a doctor – supplements and natural foods can have significant life-threatening side effects.
As histamine release from mast cells would no doubt aggravate a body already struggling to degrade dietary histamine, those with histamine intolerance may wish to ask their doctors if mast cell stabilisers may also be of use to them.
Please note, most of the studies on these natural compounds/foods was conducted on animals or in test tubes, so may not translate to humans. Additionally, just because a food has a certain property on paper, doesn’t mean it won’t cause a bad reaction. I’ve covered some of these before and many are already in my cookbooks, but if you see something you know, just go ahead and skip to the next because there’s quite a lot here.
Khellin is a plant-derived mast cell stabiliser from the Egyptian Amni visnaga (Khella) plant, research on which “inspired” the creation of sodium cromolyn, the aforementioned mast cell stabiliser. I have found Khella in liquid form – the wonderful Herb Pharm grows their own Khella and produces a tincture from it, but have yet to try it. I have however tried many of their other products, including the holy basil.
Quercetin is a bioflavonoid found in many brightly fruits and vegetables and is more effective that sodium cromolyn in blocking mast cell cytokine release (histamine is a cytokine). Quercetin also works prophylactically, so unlike cromolyn, it doesn’t need to be taken before meals. Also in the bioflavonoid family are luteolin and apigenin, the latter of which can be found in parsley, celery, rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil, coriander and artichokes. These foods and those high in quercetin and luteolin have formed the basis of my diet for many years now and I partially credit them with my recovery. Dr Theoharides at Tufts has led most of the bioflavonoid for mast cells research and ended up creating a supplement specifically for this. This supplement,Neuroprotek is what I take now.
I’ll share the other incredibly important techniques that worked for me further down in the post.
Foods and natural supplements containing mast cell stabilising, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory compounds form the basis of all the recipes in my cookbooks: the all liquid Anti-Detox, the Anti-Cookbook (regular and paleo) and my current favourite Man Food. More than that, these books feature a nutritional breakdown of the top vitamins and minerals in each recipe, as well as helping kitchen newbies figure out how to integrate these lovely ingredients into day to day cooking. What these books are not is any kind of medical treatment, they are simply healthy recipe suggestions.
Epigallocatechin gallate: certain studies find that this green tea compound can inhibit the release of histamine from mast cells. I was told not to drink green tea initially, but eventually found that white tea, which is the same leaf but less fermented, went down really well and definitely did something good for my body. I’m not a caffeine person anymore, the days of waking up and knocking back two cans of Pepsi Zero to get by on a few hours sleep while in the field as a journalist are far behind me now, so I tend not to ingest caffeine often. I have considered decaffeinated, but studies suggest that it may have lost 15-25% of polyphenols.
Silibinin frommilk thistle prevents histamine release as well as other inflammatory cytokines from mast cells.
Ellagic acid in pomegranate and mango kernel (among others not considered low histamine foods) stops histamine and other pro-inflammatory agent release from mast cells.
Reservatrol found in grapes, pistachios, blueberries and other higher histamine foods, was found to suppress inflammatory cytokines linked to mast cell disorders, specifically tumour necrosis factor and interleukins.
Curcumin from turmeric presents with anti-allergic activity, mast cell stabilisation (thereby preventing histamine release and others),
Garcinia mangostana (mangosteen) is something I’ve taken as a supplement for years. I’m always more in favour of eating the whole food – but in this case the good stuff is found in the skin. It inhibits histamine release and also prostaglandin D2 sythesis which has been linked to hair loss.
Theanine is another win for green tea. This amino acid can prevent histamine release from cells at a “low concentration”.
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
Finn, D. F., and J. J. Walsh. “Twenty-first Century Mast Cell Stabilizers.” British Journal of Pharmacology Br J Pharmacol 170.1 (2013): 23-37. Web.
Prieto-Garcia A1, Sloane DE, Gargiulo AR, Feldweg AM, Castells M. (2011) Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis: clinical presentation and management with progesterone desensitization for successful in vitro fertilization. Epub 2010 Nov 18. Mar 1;95(3):1121.e9-13. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.10.038.
“Cinnamic Acid.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 01 May 2016.
Godman, Heidi. “Diet Rich in Resveratrol Offers No Health Boost – Harvard Health Blog.” Harvard Health Blog RSS. 2014. Web. 01 May 2016.
Weng Z, Zhang B, Asadi S, Sismanopoulos N, Butcher A, et al. (2012) Quercetin Is More Effective than Cromolyn in Blocking Human Mast Cell Cytokine Release and Inhibits Contact Dermatitis and Photosensitivity in Humans. PLoS ONE 7(3): e33805. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033805
“Getting the Most Out of Green Tea? – Ask Dr. Weil.” Getting the Most Out of Green Tea? – Ask Dr. Weil. Web. 01 May 2016.
For some time excess histamine in the heart has been known to play a role in heart failure and other less severe presentations like palpitations and arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). In particular, histamine binding to the H2 receptors found in the heart may contribute to hypotension (low blood pressure) and flushing. Histamine is naturally found in high concentrations in the heart. A few small studies find that H2 receptor blockers (meds that fight stomach acid), proton pump inhibitors (also for digestive issues and mast cell disorders) and the most commonly prescribed mast cell stabiliser sodium cromolyn, may be effective in helping prevent heart failure [1].
The histamine receptors seem created to balance each other out in the heart, with the H1 receptor causing vasoconstriction and the H2 receptor causing an increase in heart rate and vasodilation. This may explain why some of [1a] us suffer from low blood pressure and others of high pressure, or those (like me) who have swung back and forth.
Vasodilation of the heart caused by histamine binding to the H2 receptor may have been behind symptoms of anxiety I suffered since the age of 11 or so. As immunologist and histamine researcher Dr. Janice Joneja shared in my interview with her on the basics of histamine intolerance:
“Histamine has many functions in the body. One of the functions it performs is that it is a vasodilator, which means it widens blood vessels. With the widening of the blood vessel, what happens then is that there is less resistance to the heart pumping blood through the body – it’s like widening a hose and you get less resistance to the water as it’s pumped through, so the heart speeds up in order to get the same volume of blood through these widened channels. So you get a tachycardia, but first of all you get a drop in blood pressure, so that’s first in the histamine response, a drop in blood pressure, increase in heart rate, and then as the blood courses through the body, you get flushing and a rise in body heat and so on and so forth, reddening, and, of course, this triggers that panic attack feeling in a person and I’ve had people go to the emergency room thinking they are having an anaphylactic reaction, thinking they’re having a heart attack – all sorts of things. And actually, it’s excess histamine because of the widening of the blood vessels and the increase in the heart rate – and on a low histamine diet, the panic attacks have gone away,” she said.
Given that we know histamine is found in the heart, and H2 receptor blockers may help prevent heart failure, it was interesting to find some more research on second generation H1 receptor antihistamines causing a potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmia. The antihistamines terfenadine and astemizole, in patients taking other medications concurrently that impaired the liver in some way, or in an overdose scenario, caused the potentially fatal adverse effect, whereas other second generation antihistamines including loratadine, fexofenadine, cetririzine and azelastine have not been found to [2], except in an isolated suspected case published in the Medical Journal of Australia where a 43 year old woman was found to suffer a cardiac episode following a single loratadine pill [3].
All this research helps me understand why my anxiety, life long palpitations and low/high blood pressure (often swinging back and forth within minutes) cleared up within months of changing my diet. I’m not saying that a change of histamine levels in your diet is going to heal or prevent heart failure, but rather that making nutritional changes that feed the body the best fuel for preventing ill health generally, combined with an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory approach overall, may give us a leg up on excellent health.
My diet generally, as you can tell from the recipes in this blog, is naturally high in H1 and H2 histamine blockers. In any given recipe I’ll combine up to 10 antihistamine foods working on both receptors. Though much of the information we find nowadays is from studies conducted on animals (as it is in medical studies for pharmaceuticals also), I’ve definitely found that my bioflavonoid rich diet has eradicated nearly every symptom I suffered from. Sure, I still get a headache here and there, sometimes tinnitus kicks off, and other times my hour and a half of daily yoga five days weekly leaves me pretty pooped. But I’m 40! I’m choosing not to focus on the negative and just live a life not focused on the remaining things that may be a little annoying.
Instead I spend that saved time on researching more foods to add my books and diet. Great examples of what I do are in the Man Food and Anti-Cookbook, both of which are almost exclusively made up of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients.
Natural H2 blockers: holy basil and ginger, both of which are as effective as ranitidine/zantac
Natural mast cell stabilisers: quercetin and luteolin, found in most of the foods in my books (cilantro, basil, thyme, ginger, onion, mangosteen, apple, broccoli)
You’ll find recipes full of foods with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties my books Anti-Recipes and The Anti-Cookbook
[1] Francis, G., & Tang, W. (2006). Histamine, Mast Cells, and Heart Failure. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 48(7), 1385-1386.
[1a] Felix, S. B., Baumann, G., Helmus, S., Sattelberger, U. (1988) Basic Research in Cardiology, 83(5), 531-539
[2] DuBuske, L. (1999). Second-generation antihistamines: The risk of ventricular arrhythmias. Clinical Therapeutics, 21(2), 281-295.
[3] Kuchar, D.L., Walker, B.D., Thorburn, C.W., Ventricular tachycardia following ingestion of a commonly used antihistamine. Med J Aust 2002; 176 (9): 429-430.
What’s the vagus nerve and why should you care about it? Research on the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain to the stomach, has been coming fast and furious in the last few years since I’ve been reading up on it. The nerve, hereafter referred to as the VG “interfaces” (I quote wikipedia here) with parasympathetic control of the heart and digestive tract.
In short, it’s pretty freaking important because it joins the heart, brain and stomach, which really explains just so much I’ve been trying to work out over the years. I’ve been holding off on sharing all this with you guys because researchers are churning out studies at an alarming rate, each day bringing a slew of new ideas into my inbox. Basically the vagus nerve affects how our brain signals the stomach: research now shows that faulty vagal messaging to the stomach can prevent us from experiencing satiety, thereby causing us to overeat; it affects the rate at which our heart beats, it plays a role in psychiatric disorders, it may be involved in POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), it’s helping Alzheimer’s patients, reversing rheumatoid arthritis, and researchers definitely believe that it’s a mega player in epilepsy.
Very importantly to us, the VG can prevent inflammatory cytokines involved in mast cell disorders from being synthesised/released, specifically, in the stomach, one of our most common trouble areas. VG stimulation has been shown to reduce histamine-induced itching and a Tufts neuroscientist may have the explanation for why some of us have mast cell/histamine issues to begin with.
(You’ll find all references for this paragraph in the individual points below).
Most importantly, to me, this emerging body of research on the VG goes a long way towards explaining, finally, how the brain talks to the stomach and heart, and why it’s so important to control the messages sent back and forth.
Acetylcholine is the vagus nerve’s neurotransmitter, basically how it communicates with the rest of the body. This isn’t great news for many of us who have been taking Benadryl, Xanax, and various psych and stomach meds (more on that further down in the post) which all inhibit acetylcholine to some degree [1]. But forewarned is forearmed, and there are plenty of alternatives that don’t block this crucial neurotransmitter – your doctor will have more information on those, please do not stop taking any meds in the meantime as it’s dangerous and is waiting a week longer really going to make such a big difference?
Research thus far has focused on stimulating the VG using electrical devices which will go to market in coming years, once they’re approved. Right now there’s one such device in beta testing, but it’s only available if you’re epileptic (I’m sorry I can’t find the email they sent me).
But don’t worry – in a moment I’ll share how we can stimulate vagal function without any space age technology to zap ourselves silly with.
First, the research….
A neuroscientist at Tufts, Michael Van Elzakker, proposes the Vagus Nerve Infection Hypothesis (VNIH), stating that an infection of the vagus nerve, even a minor one (like herpes), triggers a “difficult to detect” immune system response which produces the fatigue in chronic fatigue. Now, maybe I’m reaching here, but by now many of us are aware that histamine/mast cell activation can be secondary to an infection/virus (if not I suggest buying Dr. Diana Driscoll’s book for an explanation), so this theory could conceivably explain the mast cell issues some of us have, especially those of us who struggle with fatigue (as I did for decades). Read more here.
Vagus nerve stimulation can reduce histamine-induced itching [2]
A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology tells us that VG stimulation can reduce histamine-induced itching.
An interesting study in the American Journal of Physiology showed that certain fats can stimulate the VG into regulating the activation of mast cells in the gut.
Stimulation of the vagus nerve fights mast cell induced inflammation [4]
The Feinstein Institute recently published the exciting news that single low magnitude electric pulses to vagus nerve fight inflammation. They found that stimulating the vagus nerve for as little as half a millisecond is enough to inhibit tumour necrosis factor (TNF). TNF is a inflammatory signalling molecule produced by mast cells and others, thereby regulating other immune cells. The Feinstein Institute recently completed a clinical trial on using VG stimulation to treat RA and it currently exploring a similar treatment for Crohn’s.
Vagus nerve stimulation fights or helps prevent depression and other neuropsychiatric conditions [5]
A study in Brain Behaviour and Immunology tells us that vagus stimulation blocks IL-6 dependent hyper excitability induced by stress, which means that VG activation may help prevent or treat neuropsychiatric disease. This ties in with Dr. Theoharides of Tufts research on the mast cell-psych link (read more about that here). This study (and others) suggest “a potential new avenue in the treatment of a large class of hyper excitable neuropsychiatric conditions, including epilepsy, schizophrenic psychoses, anxiety disorders, autism spectrum and depression.”
Vagal stimulation prevents the release of multiple mast cell inflammatory cytokines [6]
Another study published in the journal Nature shares that vagus nerve stimulation can help us fight potentially deadly inflammation that results from our system fighting bacterial infection. The study authors point out that we achieve homeostasis by balancing the activities or pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory pathways. Endotoxins, produced by all gram-negative bacteria, activates the immune system, causing them to release inflammation. Acetylcholine, the principal vagal neurotransmitter, significantly prevented the release of TNF, interleukins (IL)-1, (IL)-6 (and others), all key players in mast cell disorders.
Acetylcholine is the primary vagus nerve neurotransmitter. Older generation antihistamines like Benadryl and others including anti-anxiety meds, antidepressants, and others prescribed for gastrointestinal complaints, inhibit this neurotransmitter to some degree. You can ask your doctor for a list and for further advice.
The Journal of Affective Disorders tells us there’s evidence that increased levels of Interleukin 1 and TNF is known to play an important role in Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), because activation of inflammatory pathways is known to induce fatigue and somatic symptoms [5].
Vagus nerve stimulation and Alzheimer’s [7]
A small study had patients experiencing an improvement of symptoms through VG stimulation. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s have been linked to mast cell activation – see Dr. Theoharides site for more information.
Stimulating the vagus nerve is giving rheumatoid arthritis patients their life back [8]
It’s believed that in contrast to medications for RA, electrical vagus nerve stimulation restores the body’s natural immune function rather than disabling it. The body can then respond normally to infection rather than being more prone to it.
Great – so this all sounds exciting, but how do we apply it without getting cyborg-like implants?
Here are some ideas for you (in no particular order):
1. ACUPUNCTURE
A study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary medicine showed that traditional acupuncture points may offer vagus nerve stimulation [9].
A study published in the Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine journal proposes that acupuncture to the ear stimulates the vagus nerve [10].
2. MEDITATION
In a Time Magazine article “The Biology of Kindness” author Maia Szalavitz shared the results of a study published in Psychological Science showing that links being kind and compassionate with enhanced vagus nerve function. Study participants embarked on a six-week course focusing on loving kindness meditations [11].
3. CHANTING
Yes, I mean like OMMMMmmmmmmm. A study by the Department of Psychiatry and the Advanced Center for Yoga and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in India published in The International Journal of Yoga, found that chanting OM (many youtube videos on this) led to an increase in vagal activation. In short, it was also great for the heart! Ujaii breath, used in yoga practice (again on youtube), offered similar results, but it’s unknown if it was due to vagal stimulation. The long and short of it, whether through vagal stimulation or not, the study showed the same positive outcome to the body as if the vagus nerve was stimulated [12 + 13].
4. PRANAYAMA (yoga breath)
This study in the Journal of Alternative Medicine shared that as “Vagal cardiac and pulmonary mechanisms are linked, and improvement in one vagal limb might spill over into the other. Baroreceptor sensitivity can be enhanced significantly by slow breathing (supported by a small reduction in the heart rate observed during slow breathing and by reduction in both systolic and diastolic pressure). Slow pace bhastrika pranayama (respiratory rate 6/min) exercise thus shows a strong tendency to improving the autonomic nervous system through enhanced activation of the parasympathetic system.” [14] There are many great books and youtube videos on this amazing practice.
5. EAT HEALTHY
Eating a diet that supports proper vagus nerve function…
a. Vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid are needed [15]. I eat a lot of duck eggs, salmon and now am able to take a B12 supplement for the first time in years.
b. Dopamine is needed. Meditate, do yoga, be happy, eat (super duper fresh) fish if you are able to [16].
Finally…
I also asked Joseph Cohen over at SelfHacked for any research he has come across on VG stimulation. He’s heavily invested in researching his genetics and offers paid consultations to read your genetic test results. I’m planning a whole separate post on this but Joseph’s reading of my results led to a complete re-think of my approach to the mast cell (and brain fog) issues I had been dealing with. Basically, stress is my biggest issue and I needed to learn how to control that. You can contact Joseph here.
Joseph’s DIY vagus nerve stimulation tips
ICES/PEMF (R, R2) – use on your gut and brain…I notice my gut flow increases and inflammation is reduced everywhere when I put this on my gut and brain. I believe this is from vagal nerve stimulation, given that we know the vagus nerve is stimulated by magnets. The referenced studies show that as well.
Breathing out as hard as possible or holding your breath for a few seconds (R),
Please remember, even antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods can hurt us, please always exercise caution and consult a medical practitioner before adding new foods.
As I outline in my first book, a diet rich in vitamin B6, magnesium, copper and other nutrients is necessary in order for our body to produce the histamine-lowering enzyme DAO (diamine oxidase).
But, I neglected to mention another (delicious) source of natural DAO – mainly because I’m not a freaking scientist and I wasn’t sure what I’d found…
I digress.
Many of you write to me (oh so many) asking me if I take DAO supplements. I do not. Then I’m asked if I endorse them. I do not. I did, for a couple of years, take a natural DAO supplement made from a vegetarian source (many of the supps on the market use pork glands). Sadly that DAO supplement never made it to market.
I’m not saying I wouldn’t have continued taking them if they had hit the health food store shelves, but honestly, at that point I had become militantly anti-supplement and took absolutely nothing. I was determined not to mess with my body. I just wanted to give it some time to breathe, to remember how to heal itself:
“Our body is a machine for living. It is organised for that, it is its nature. Let life go on in it unhindered and let it defend itself, it will do more for you than if you paralyse it by encumbering it with rememdies.” – Leo Tolstoy.
I’m a huge fan of this quote, but honestly, there came a time where I wondered if I could speed up the healing process by just adding one or two. And so I did…you’ll find a video on the best supplements I tried here and you can find all of those items in my amazon store.
“I have a number of patients who cannot take these (DAO) supplements because they are allergic to pork, or cannot consume them for religious or cultural reasons. The commercial sources of DAO are derived from pig kidney and those allergic to pork tend to develop quite severe allergic reactions to the products.
In my research, I have identified a plant source of DAO: pea seedlings. A number of years ago I tried to interest several agencies, including University departments, in conducting research into extracting DAO from pea seedlings and concentrating it into a pill or powder as an alternative to the pork-based products. Unfortunately, none of these considered the project to be worthwhile because they had to weigh the cost of the research against the projected profits from such a product. Yesterday I had a long conversation with a patient who is allergic to pork and had a strong reaction to a DAO supplement. We discussed the possibility of sprouting green peas and consuming the sprouts regularly to determine whether this might help with her histamine intolerance symptoms. I had the intention of cultivating the sprouts from fresh peas myself. Rather fortuitously, I was shopping at my local market this morning and came across pea shoots. I had never seen the product previously. It is sold under the FarmFresh brand. This is a Canadian product made by Nankia Sprouts Corp. In practical terms, of course, it would be much cheaper for a person to sprout the peas themselves, using the same method as used for sprouting mung beans or alfalfa. However, this product could be an alternative for those not interested in going to the extent of cultivating the seedlings themselves.
As you have a large number of histamine-sensitive people who follow your management strategies, I was wondering whether we could enlist their help in determining whether pea seedlings could aid in reducing their symptoms by increasing their DAO from this source. It would be relatively inexpensive, would increase their dietary sources of many nutrients, and be safe as far as adverse reactions are concerned. In addition, this would be the first time that a method of increasing DAO other than the commercial brands of supplements has been attempted.”
I don’t know about you, but eating my medicine has always been my top choice, so this email actually made me squeal with excitement (those of you who have met me know this is a literal description – I have the girliest squeal).
So, hista-sistas and mistas, what do you think? Should we guinea pig ourselves in the name of science?
You know my answer – I’ve been doing it for years!
Be well friends, don’t forget to sign up to my newsletter to be the first to know about upcoming histamine wellness retreats and workshops in Europe and the United States, to get great freebies like antihistamine and anti-inflammatory recipes and lifestyle tips.
The Anti-cookbook, while it doesn’t treat any conditions, due to its high nutrient, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients, has been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. It features a six page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods. It comes in regular and Paleo.
The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes.
Don’t miss theLow 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.
If you’ve found this information useful I’d appreciate your support (at no extra cost to you!) – please check out my online store for your health foods, supplements, kitchen items and beauty product purchases. Affiliate sales through my online store go towards maintaining the website, funding travel to interviews and purchasing all the lovely foods for my free online recipes. You’ll find these items in the “Shop with us” drop down menu onmy homepage.
Please don’t forget antihistamine, pain killing foods can still hurt us, so please always check with your doctor before adding new foods to your diet.
It hasn’t been too long since my initial oxalate post but my oh my word, low oxalate has rocked my world.
Basketball stomach is now a thing of the past, as is razor blade in urethra fun time and, most importantly, cry in pain sexy time. You may want to look into oxalates if you have one of these conditions: Autism, asthma, cystic fibrosis, kidney stones and vulvodynia (to name just a few) or if you’re suffering from urinary tract problems, pain during intercourse, migraines and dizziness [1].
To be honest though, I’m not fanatical about being low oxalate. I’ve found that rotating my foods and how I prepare them means that I don’t need to get obsessive about it. I think that in my case the problem was that I was juicing most of my high oxalate foods (kale, chard, fennel). Having now had time to do some more research I’ve come across a number of studies by Indian researchers that offer some insight into how best to prepare higher oxalate foods.
I’ve been hoping to interview Susan Owens on the subject – it was through her that I first became aware of cooking as a method of lowering oxalates.
How to have your kale and eat it too…
Here are my top tips for lowering oxalic acid (and for all you paleo’s out there – phytic acid) in foods, according to the studies I found. These have all worked for me…I’m now able to enjoy more of the high nutrient medium/high oxalate foods I just had to find a way to keep in my diet!
#1 oxalic and phytic acid lowering cooking method for greens
Blanch baby blanch!
Blanching for 10 minutes at 95Cs/200F lowered oxalic acid by 40-115% across various green vegetables [2]. That pushes many veggies back into the low oxalate/safe zone!
Pressure cooking for 15 minutes was a close second.
#1 oxalic and phytic acid lowering cooking method for pulses
This study showed an average 25% drop in oxalic and phytic acid in pulses that were soaked overnight and sprouted for 48 hours before being boiled [3]. I had a lovely idea of making my own chickpea flour from soaked and sprouted pulses, but sadly it seems that drying the pulses again raises oxalic acid content once more [4] – so watch out!
Here’s a list of low/medium oxalate and low histamine foods that I compiled using various lists on the internet. It’s the list I’m working from, please do not take it as gospel, it’s just there because I was so overwhelmed at first and I thought others might appreciate a little inspiration to get started. Please see Susan Owens’ site for a full list of low oxalate foods.
PLEASE NOTE: various low oxalate sites warn that you shouldn’t jump into an extremely low oxalate diet as it can kick the body into a sudden detox, causing it to suddenly dump its oxalate stores which can cause an intensification of symptoms.
LOW HISTAMINE & LOW TO MEDIUM OXALATE FOODS
FRUITS
Very low – low oxalate foods
CRANBERRY (low histamine on some lists)
CHERRY (low histamine on some lists)
APPLE FUJI
APPLE GALA
APPLE GOLDEN
APPLE BRAMLEYS
APPLE GRANNY SMITH
APPLE RED
BLUEBERRIES
CRANBERRIES DRIED
DATES MEDJOOL
LEMON
MANGO
CASABA
HONEYDEW
WATERMELON
PASSION FRUIT
PEACH
PEAR BARTLETT
Medium oxalate foods
APPLE BRAEBURN
APPLE MACINTOSH
BANANA
DRIED CHERRIES
BLACKCURRANTS
DATES MEDJOOL
LIME
CANTALOUPE
VEGETABLES
V. low – low oxalate foods
CORN
BOK CHOY
BROCCOLI RAW AND BOILED
CABBAGE GREEN RAW
NAPA CABBAGE
CABBAGE PURPLE
CARROTS BOILED
CAULIFLOWER BOILED/STEAMED/RAW
CUCUMBERS
GARLIC
TURNIP GREENS
ARUGULA
RAAB BROCCOLI
KALE (not curly!)
KHOLRABI
KOHLRABI LEAVES
MOST LETTUCE IS VERY LOW
MUSHROOMS (I still eat some)
ONION, WHITE
ONION, YELLOW
RED PEPPER
RADISH, DAIKON
RADISH, RED
RADISH, WHITE
RUTABAGA
SEAWEED, HIJIKI
SEAWEED, KOMBU
SEAWEED, NORI
SEAWEED, WAKAME
SHALLOTS
SPROUTS, ALFALFA
SQUASH, ACORN
SQUASH, BUTTERNUT
SQUASH, KABOCHA
SQUASH, SPAGHETTI
SQUASH, YELLOW
SQUASH, ZUCCHINI
TURNIP
WATERCRESS
Medium oxalate foods
ARTICHOKE
ASPARAGUS
GREEN BEANS
BRUSSEL SPROUTS
BROCCOLI STEAMED
CARROTS RAW
CELERY
ENDIVE
FENNEL
GRAPE LEAVES
RAAB BROCCOLI STEAMES
COLLARED BOILED
LEEKS RAW
JICAMA
RED ONION
PARSNIPS
BELL PEPPER, YELLOW
BELL PEPPER, GREEN
SEAWEED, DULSE
HERBS/SPICES/CONDIMENTS
Low oxalate foods
BASIL
CIDER VINEGAR (the lowest histamine of all the vinegars)
CHILI
CHIVES
CORIANDER
CRESS
GINGER
LEMON BALM
MUSTARD
WHITE PEPPER GROUND
PEPPERMINT
ROSEMARY
SAVORY
CAYENNE PEPPERS
HABANERO PEPPERS
Medium oxalate foods
DILL
PARSLEY
BLACK PEPPER GROUND
TAHINI DRY ROASTED
LEGMES/NUTS/SEEDS
Low oxalate foods
CANNED CHICKPEAS (but dry/boiled are medium!)
LIMA
MUNG
RED LENTILS BOILED
BROWN LENTILS
GREEN PEAS
SPLIT GREEN PEAS
SPLIT YELLOW PEAS
SUNFLOWER BUTTER (small amount)
Medium oxalate foods
CHICKPEAS BOILED
PISTACHIOS
ALFALFA SEEDS
BROC SEEDS
MUNG BEAN
MEAT/POULTRY/FISH
Low oxalate foods
ANCHOVIES (fresh)
FLOUNDER
HADDOCK
PLAICE
SALMON
FRESH TUNA
BEEF
LAMB
LIVER
EGGS
OTHER
Lowoxalate foods
WHITE CHOCOLATE (I can eat homemade raw white chocolate – you might not be able to)
GRAINS/FLOURS
Low/Medium oxalate foods
WHITE RICE
WILD RICE
CORN
COCONUT FLOUR
BLACK EYED PEA FLOUR
FLAX SEED FLOUR
CELLOPHANE NOODLES
BROWN RICE PASTA COOKED
WHITE RICE
THAI JASMIN RICE
Soaking rice and grains for 12 hours lowers oxalates.
As you all know by now (’cause I’m fond of reminding you), I’m not a doctor. What I am is an avid student of nutrition,) and a mast cell activation/histamine intolerance survivor and thriver. The pictures I post of myself traveling the world aren’t a vanity project. When I made the decision to bare my soul to the world, anonymously, everything I said was taken with a pinch of salt. When I decided to go public it was so that you could all see me putting my money where my mouth is.
Now I’ve said before that labels don’t matter. A histamine condition, food allergies, food intolerance, mast cell activation, mastocytosis, or any of the other histamine related conditions, call it what you will, they all respond to nutrition. I’m not saying nutrition can cure them, in some cases it might, but it can certainly improve prognosis, quality of life and mood.
You’re no doubt aware at this point that what happens is that histamine is naturally in our bodies, sitting in our mast cells. The histamine is then released, as needed, by the mast cells. Problem is, some of us release more than we’re supposed to. Stress, allergic reactions, digestion and histamine containing foods all contribute. Thing is, mast cells don’t just splurge histamine. They also release a number of other inflammatory substances that wreak havoc in the body. Given that we know inflammation causes/is involved in many illnesses and conditions (heart disease, cancer, autism, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s), I’ve been thinking that a low histamine, or even better, antihistamine diet could benefit them too. The upshot of explaining this is that I find lowering histamine is only part of it. Getting my inflammation down asap brings almost immediate relief.
So as promised, here’s how I use nutrition to shut down a histamine reaction (or allergy).
Please remember we are all different and that one man’s cure is another’s poison (always check with your doc before trying new foods) and always be safe – any reaction can turn deadly in a heartbeat, so please don’t convince yourself that a shot of juice will do an epi pen’s job.
You’ll find less hardcore recipes versions of the recipes that helped me regain my health here.
UPDATE: you’ll find my emergency histamine meditation here
Ginger: as potent an H2 receptor antagonist as Zantac/ranitidine.
Side order:
Shot of thyme juice.
Thyme: has been shown to inhibit anaphylaxis in mice, as well as displaying anti-inflammatory and anti bacterial properties. It is a key ingredient in many modern medicines.
Pre lunch: 15 minutes meditation and visualisation, with top ups throughout the day. On the bus, on the tube, while walking. You can practice mindfulness meditation anywhere.
Lunch juice:
Apple
Fennel
Watercress
Parsley
Broccoli
Ginger
Side order:
Shot of thyme juice
Dinner:
Green soup
Broccoli
Fennel
Cauliflower
Parsley
Thyme
Rosemary
Turmeric: inhibits anaphylactic shock, stabilises mast cells and prevents histamine release. It’s also anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour.
Side order:
Shot of thyme juice
Nightcap:
I dilute 2 caps powdered quercetin in 1 tbsp nigella sativa oil
Lie back and indulge in another 15 mins (usually more) meditation.
