Allergies, Intolerances & Desensitising
What is histamine?
Histamine is a chemical made in the body involving your immune system, digestion, and central nervous system. As a neurotransmitter, it communicates important messages from your body to your brain. It is also a component of stomach acid, which is what helps you break down food in your stomach. Histamine has a protective action in the body. One of many actions is to correct shortages of potassium, salt & water. Histamine & its 5 helpers work to maintain homeostasis, (wellbeing).
You might be most familiar with histamine as it relates to the immune system. If you’ve suffered from seasonal allergies or food allergies, you may have noticed that antihistamine medications provide quick relief of your symptoms. This is because histamine’s role in the body is to cause an immediate inflammatory response. It serves as a red flag in your immune system, notifying your body of potential trouble.
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Histamine causes your blood vessels to swell, or dilate, so that your white blood cells can quickly find and attack the infection or problem. The histamine build up is what gives you a headache and leaves you feeling flushed, itchy and miserable. This is part of the body’s natural immune response, but if you don’t break down histamine properly, you could develop what we call histamine intolerance.
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Because it travels throughout your bloodstream, histamine can affect your gut, lungs, skin, brain, and entire cardiovascular system, contributing to a wide range of problems often making it difficult to pinpoint and diagnose. Histamine raises the body temperature supporting survival processes during winter and exposed chill conditions.
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High histamine however, can also cause allergic reactions, increased production of mucous and saliva, a tendency to hyperactivity, compulsive behaviour and depression.
Symptoms of high Histamine
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Sneeze in bright sunlight
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Feels shy or over sensitive as a teenager
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hearing your pulse in head at night
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Get itches in your body when you scratch your leg
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Frequent back aches, muscle cramps, stomach aches
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More pain sensitive and tendency to nerve issues
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Think you are a light sleeper
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Burns up food rapidly
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Abnormal fears, compulsions and rituals
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Higher inner tension and occasional depression
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Lean build
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High Alcohol tolerance, alcoholics
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Workaholics
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Sugar addicts
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Adrenaline addiction
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The most effective diet is medium protein, high vegetable and fruit, increase methionine in diet. The Paleo Diet is excellent framework to structure your diet around.
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What Causes High Histamine Levels?
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Allergies (IgE reactions)
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Bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
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GI bleeding
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Fermented alcohol like wine, champagne, and beer
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Diamine Oxidase (DAO) deficiency
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Histamine-rich foods
Histamine-Rich Foods:
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In addition to the histamine produced inside your body, there are also a variety of foods that naturally contain histamine, cause the release of histamine, or block the enzyme that breaks down histamine, diamine oxidase.
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Fermented alcoholic beverages, especially wine, champagne and beer
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Fermented foods: sauerkraut, vinegar, soy sauce, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, etc.
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Vinegar-containing foods: pickles, mayonnaise, olives
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Cured meats: bacon, salami, pepperoni, luncheon meats and hot dogs
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Soured foods: sour cream, sour milk, buttermilk, soured bread, etc.
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Dried fruit: apricots, prunes, dates, figs, raisins
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Most citrus fruits
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Aged cheese including goat cheese
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Nuts: walnuts, cashews, and peanuts
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Vegetables: avocados, eggplant, spinach, and tomatoes
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Smoked fish and certain species of fish: mackerel, mahi-mahi, tuna, anchovies, sardines
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Histamine-Releasing Foods:
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Alcohol
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Bananas
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Chocolate
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Cow’s Milk
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Nuts
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Papaya
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Pineapple
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Shellfish
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Strawberries
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Tomatoes
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Wheat Germ
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Many artificial preservatives and dyes
DAO-Blocking Foods:
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Alcohol
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Energy drinks
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Black tea
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Mate tea
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Green tea
Remember that freshness is key when you have histamine intolerance!
Here's a list of low-histamine foods:
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freshly cooked meat, poultry (frozen or fresh)
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freshly caught fish
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eggs
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gluten-free grains: rice, quinoa
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pure peanut butter
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fresh fruits: mango, pear, watermelon, apple, kiwi, cantaloupe, grapes
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fresh vegetables (except tomatoes, spinach, avocado, and eggplant)
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dairy substitutes: coconut milk, rice milk, hemp milk, almond milk
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cooking oils: olive oil, coconut oil
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leafy herbs
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herbal teas
So if you are having trouble with allergies and histamines in general, please schedule an appointment with Belinda and she can talk to your body and the programs that secure the balance of histamines in your system using the TBM and Functional Restoration Techniques. Also some excellent Pure Water Homeopathic Desensitising Formulas.
