Histamine,

can’t live with it, can’t live without it!

Over the last week or so, I’ve come into contact with a couple of lovely people who for various reasons have kids with itching or allergies. Hay-fever and allergies are a common problem in the late springtime and early summer when the pollens are flying about, but it can happen at any time of the year and for a number of reasons. One of the things we can do in this instance is reach for an antihistamine which will certainly alleviate the itching, scratching and sneezing but they may turn you into Sleepy and quite possibly Dopey. These lovely people were looking for a more natural option for their families.

So what’s histamine?

What exactly are we are anti?

Histamine is a chemical compound made in your body which is involved in your body’s immune response. This is what we know it most for but it’s also involved in keeping your gut functioning as it should and it’s also a neurotransmitter. So it’s pretty important and we do need a certain amount of it to function properly. The problem starts to occur when we produce too much histamine for our individual system. It’s then that things go wrong. Leaky, sneezy noses, headaches, stuffy eyes and of course itching and scratching are some of the symptoms that we may suffer. Histamine reaction in this case, is an inflammatory response by your body to something that is irritating it. If you want to know more about inflammation and how it can affect our bodies in the short and long term, have a look at this post.

How to alleviate the symptoms of over production of histamine:

Increase water uptake.

Water acts to dampen the bodies need to make histamine so make sure you are well hydrated particularly at the times you seem to be affected.

Herbs

including parsley, ginger, fennel, anise, chamomile and Echinacea can be useful in decreasing the effects of histamine. Try some herbal tea which includes some or all of these. Children often enjoy the sweet taste of fennel and anise which have a gentle liquorice taste.

Raw unfiltered LOCAL honey

if it’s local, it will be more likely to be able to fight the local allergens you are fighting

Dairy and gluten containing foods

often increase histamine. You might want to see what happens when you take gluten and dairy out for a couple of weeks and then add one back at a time (only do it one at a time – either gluten or dairy) and watch for a reaction over the next few days. (I’m assuming you don’t already have them on a gluten or dairy free diet)

Reduce Histamine inducing foods

Here’s a list of known histamine inducing foods that you might want to try to eliminate from the diet for a while. You may find you are fine with some of these foods and not so much with others. Everyone is different remember! Try removing them all to start with and then add them back slowly one at time with at least a one week break between (it can take even longer for a reaction to occur) but most reactions to a food will happen within the week.

• Most yoghurt (because it contains the Lactobacillus strain of pro-biotic which often induces histamine) and other foods produced with yeast or bacteria including mature and mould cheeses, kefir and buttermilk
• Fermented foods like sauerkraut, pickles, soy sauce, fish sauce.
• Processed meats – lunch meats, “cheap quality” bacon, sausages, salami etc
• Yeasty foods – especially bread and brewed drinks
• Some Fruits, Vegies and Nuts including:
• Nightshade vegies – tomatoes (including tomato sauce, paste and ketchup), potatoes (except red skinned ones – they are lower in histamine causing substances), eggplant, capsicums and chillies
• Canned vegies,
• Strawberries, kiwi fruit, pineapple
• Cashews, walnuts
• Citrus fruits
• Dried fruits
• Spices such as chilli, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and anise.
• Beverages including: Tea, Alcohol, Cocoa & Cola
• Just a note on eggs: some of the literature suggests that eggs are low in histamine producing substances and others say they are high. I prefer to err on the side of caution and take them out of the diet initially and then do a test. Eggs are one of those foods that you will know fairly quickly if you are able to tolerate. And please do test for them, even if you think you are ok. If they are a problem, you’ll soon work it out.

Foods that may reduce the amount of histamine your body produces:

Everyone is different but here’s a list of foods that may help to reduce histamine production:

• Grass fed meat and pastured free range poultry (because it contains omega 3’s which reduce inflammation which histamine is a product of) – grain fed meat and poultry contains omega 6 fatty acids which cause inflammation and may cause more histamine issues.
• Wild caught fresh fish
• Jerusalem artichoke, avocados (Don’t eat the black part of an over ripe avocado as that contains histamine inducing substances but you can eat around it.), sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, turnips and onions.
• Rice and quinoa
• Pears, apples, watermelon and cantaloupe, mangoes
• Coconut oil
• Herbal Teas

Let me know if you have any natural remedies for histamine induced problems. I’d love to hear what sets you off and what helps.

Love

Ros