Histamine intolerance and HP-EVOO - Blog # 56

Histamine intolerance and HP-EVOO - Blog # 56

Hello Everyone! Welcome back to another Friday blog. Do you have weird symptoms or allergies, headaches or migraines, brain fog, fluid retention, stuffy sinuses or just feel like crap? It could be due to an imbalance in histamine - maybe your body is producing too much histamine or you are ingesting too many histamines in your food without being able to break down histamine and detox it from the body appropriately. When we hear the word histamine, most of us think of an anti-histamine, like Benadryl. So, what the heck is histamine?

Histamine is a chemical messenger released by Mast Cells (MC), a type of white blood cell, during an immune response to a virus, bacteria, foreign substance, injury, or potential allergen, such as a pollen, mold or food. MC are the first responders to interactions with our environment, and hence are the leaders in inflammation in the body. In fact, MC Histamine  has been “implicated in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 as a regulator of proinflammatory, fibrotic, and thrombogenic processes.” This means inflammation goes up - calcium (the body’s bandaid) can form over the inflamed area - our arteries become hardened and blood clots begin to form. MC activate an algic (pain) response in the body increasing inflammation and pain. Histamine actually acts as a hormone and neurotransmitter in the body. It wakes us up and makes us more alert. An anti-histamine, like Benadryl, makes us sleepy. So, if you have a problem getting rid of histamine, you probably have sleep issues as well. 

Histamine intolerance, (HI) histaminosis or “mast cell activation syndrome”, is the gradual accumulation of histamine in the extracellular space. Histamines released from MC build up when the enzymes required for removal aren’t able to keep up, resulting in an imbalance. As levels of histamine rise, chronic low-level inflammation results. This can lead to chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and other syndromes that are often ambiguous and hard to define. 

The most common causes of HI include leaky gut, gut dysbiosis (imbalance in your gut microbes), Lyme disease (tick bite), altered genetic or production of DAO. Diamine oxidase (DAO) is the enzyme responsible for breaking down histamine in the body. HI is also common in individuals with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which is a connective-tissue disorder with hyper-mobile joints and loose, velvety skin. So, HI occurs when MC are producing too much histamine, you are ingesting too many foods high in histamine, and/or your enzymes involved in detoxifying histamine are insufficient. It is also important to note that as food degrades and sits in our fridge, bacteria in the food convert the amino acid histadine to histamine. Eating the freshest foods - no left-overs - is best for these individuals!!! Even fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi - that are typically good for our guts - are high in histamine due to bacterial fermentation. This can cause inflammation when you can’t detoxify histamine and it builds up. Fluid can then build up in the interstitial space causing a puffiness in the body. This chronic low-grade inflammatory condition can vary from mild to miserable. The resulting symptoms can include a spectrum of the following:

  • Skin rash, hives, eczema, itching
  • Headache, flushing, migraine, dizziness
  • Narrowed or runny nose, difficulty breathing, bronchial asthma, sore throat
  • Bloating, diarrhea, constipation, nausea / vomiting, abdominal pain, stomach sticking, heartburn
  • High blood pressure (hypertension), tachycardia, cardiac arrhythmias, low blood pressure (hypotension)
  • Menstrual disorders (dysmenorrhea), cystitis, urethritis and mucosal irritation of female genitalia
  • Water retention (edema), bone marrow edema (BME), joint pain
  • Fatigue, seasickness, tiredness, sleep disorders
  • Confusion, nervousness, depressive moods

How do you know if you have HI? You can get some specific blood work from your MD, but you can also test yourself for free by drawing or writing on your skin with your fingernail. If it leaves a red raised pattern where you scratched, that is a positive test. It’s called dermatographic uticaria. This test tells you your mast cells are releasing histamine in the interstitial space, causing swelling. You also can do a temporary elimination diet, where you eliminate all the foods high in histamine for a period of time - see if you feel better and demonstrate a negative dermatographia test. Then, slowly add foods back into your diet and see what you react to. Foods play an extremely important role in this situation. Some foods that don’t even contain histamine (like citrus) can stimulate the liberation of stored histamine in the body. Other foods are histamine-rich and should be avoided - at least temporarily. Once you heal your gut, it’s possible to tolerate them.

When you have HI in the digestive tract, it is typically due to gut dysbiosis or leaky gut. In this situation, certain bacteria can actually cause your body to produce excessive amounts of histamine and even convert the amino acid histidine to histamine in the gut. Foods that increase levels of histamine in the body:

High in histamine:                          Liberate histamine:         Compete for DAO:

  • some types of fish.               Milk.                                Citrus fruits
  • aged cheeses.                      Shellfish.                         Mushrooms
  • processed meats.                 Eggs.                              Soybeans
  • wine and beer.                       Kiwi.                               Bananas
  • sauerkraut.                            Strawberry.                     Nuts
  • fermented products.              Pineapple
  • spinach.                                 Plum
  • eggplant
  • tomato
  • avocado

Okay, so many of these foods are actually good for us. But, if you have HI it’s like throwing gasoline on a fire to the body. So, what can we do other than eliminate these foods? First, heal your gut. Understand that the lining of your gut is only one cell layer thick!! When it is inflamed, the tight junctions are unable to close tightly, allowing microbes, protein molecules, and even sewage to escape the intestine and migrate into the body. When we eat gluten (particularly the high-gluten wheat in the US) and even some non-gluten grains, it triggers a chemical called zonulin to be released. Zonulin triggers the tight-junctions to open, making this situation worse. Even if you have no symptoms of gluten intolerance, you can be causing a lot of damage to your gut without realizing it. This is commonly the beginning of autoimmune diseases.

Not only is the gluten extremely high in our wheat - due to the varietal - but it is sprayed prior to harvest with glyphosate (Roundup) to desiccate the wheat. Then, it is typically sprayed with calcium propionate to preserve it. These chemicals cause massive damage to not only us, but our microbiome and our mitochondria. Did you know there are 400 pesticides used on agriculture crops in the US? Glyphosate is used 3x more than any others as well as used on >70 crops in the U.S., including fruits, vegetables, nuts, wheat, soy, corn and more. The FDA has approved >3,000 food additives that also wreak havoc on our gut. To make matters worse, our enterocytes (intestinal cells) that rely on SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids) like butyrate are deprived of their food - we don’t have the gut microbes to make butyrate and we are not eating enough good fats. The enterocytes get weak and can’t keep the gut lining closed tight - exacerbating the leaky gut situation. So, how do we heal the gut? Since there is inflammation in the gut and in the interstitial tissue, it is crucial to counteract with anti-inflammatory and healing foods. Eating foods with a wide range of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and powerful anti-inflammatory phenols is best, but you may need to supplement some as well. Always check with your MD before starting any regimen. Here’s what the research shows:

  • Remove problem foods - eliminate GMO foods, grains, gluten, dairy (especially A1 casein), highly processed foods, sugar and fructose, as well as fermented foods (temporarily).
  • Add antioxidant-rich foods, healthy fats and omega 3-rich fish and seafood.
  • Intermittent Fasting: get into autophagy - the body’s clean up and recycling function. This starts after ~ 17 hours of overnight fasting. A recent study demonstrated that a 24 hour fast suppresses the hypersensitivity reaction and stabilizes mast cells. Doing a 17-18 hour daily intermittent fasting, combined with a periodic 24-72 hour fast can tremendously help heal your gut, reset the microbiome, hormonal and immune systems and calm inflammation.
  • Turmeric - anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antioxidant. “Curcumin prevents disruption of the organization of tight junction proteins.” Curcumin also inhibits the release of histamine from mast cells. A 2016 study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, showed improved nasal airflow and immune response in patients with allergic rhinitis. Consume with black pepper (piperine) increases absorption 2,000%. Curcumin + EVOO = endothelial (lining of blood vessels) and intestinal epithelium healing. A 2021 study reported the “epigenetic properties of curcumin may suppress MC activation.” Oral supplementation of curcumin helps to repair and restore intestinal barrier function.
  • Omega 3s - (Vitamin F), anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-hypertensive. Helps by blocking release of histamine from mast cells. Also combats inflammation by negating the effects of interleukins and other inflammatory molecules. (Fish oil, Cod liver oil, krill oil) Omega 3s also heal the intestinal epithelium.
  • Quercetin - Anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic. “Quercetin is a naturally occurring polyphenol flavonoid which is rich in antioxidants. It has anti-allergic functions that are known for inhibiting histamine production and pro-inflammatory mediators.” (Capers, red onions, garlic, kale, radish leaves, etc) "Quercetin can regulate the Th1/Th2 stability, and decrease the antigen-specific IgE antibody releasing by B cells." Okay, this is powerful! Quercetin calms the immune system, decreasing the histamine producer IgE as well as decreasing inflammation and stabilizing the activity of T helper cells. Recommendation is 500mg/day.
  • Vitamin C - anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic due to its ability to breakdown histamine in the body. (Red and other bell peppers). Sauerkraut is the highest vitamin C source, but it is also fermented, so high in histamines.
  • Vitamin D3 - Majority of people are deficient in vit D3. It is difficult, particularly in winter to get enough sun to synthesize the level of VitD necessary. “The data demonstrate that VitD is required to maintain the stability of mast cells. The deficiency of VitD results in mast cell activation.” Ideally, you want your level to be 70-90 on bloodwork.
  • Zinc - This trace mineral is deficient in >2 Billion people. It is a regulator and modulator of MC activation and histamine release. Our body can’t store zinc. We need ~ 50mg/day.
  • Probiotics - Good microbes - restores microbiome balance. You want to look for third-party tested probiotics. Most on the shelves are already dead.
  • Prebiotics - The fiber/food for gut microbes - both digestible and indigestible fiber are their food. Eat the rainbow of fresh vegetables and cruciferous for detoxification.
  • B Vitamins - Methylation donors (B12, folate, riboflavin) known to have epigenetic influence on our DNA, helping determine expression.
  • HP-EVOO - High Polyphenol Extra Virgin Olive Oil - polyphenols in EVOO are powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-allergic, anti-atherosclerotic and more. Counteracts oxidative and inflammatory damage to enterocytes, preventing IBD (irritable bowel disease), ulcerative colitis, decreases mortality 50%, inhibits oncogenic factors including mutations. GUT:  EVOO reduces the abundance of pathogenic bacteria, stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria, and increases the production of microbially produced short-chain fatty acids, which exert a wide range of anti-inflammatory effects and can modulate the expression of a variety of genes via epigenetic mechanisms. EVOO supports the health of the intestinal mucosa and gut microbiota homeostasis by encouraging intestinal immunoglobulin A (IgA) production, dampening down inflammatory cytokine production, supporting production and expression of cytokines and transcription factors involved in reducing inflammation and promoting immune tolerance in the intestine and protecting against intestinal oxidative injury. I take a 4T shot of HP-EVOO every morning and it has healed my gut and changed my life. Check out my journey blog #22.
Your body has the power to heal and regenerate if you give it the raw materials and rest it requires, as well as eliminate the foods and triggers promoting disease.  

    So, until next time my friends…Drink, Drizzle, Digest HP-EVOO 2-4T raw daily, - use more for cooking and drizzling onto your food - eat the rainbow of organic or wild-sourced veggies (7-9 C) and low-glycemic fruits (to get the rainbow of gut microbes!) Eat wild-caughtpasture-raised, grass-fed, get plenty of sunshine + supplement magnesiumzincvitamin D3 + K2, get your trace minerals and electrolytes with good sea salt *Himalayan was formed before plastics, eat foods high in lutein, drink your body weight in oz of water, get a good pre/probiotic (if you have wiped out your gut microbes with antibiotics), consume digestible and indigestible fiber for your gut microbes, fermented foods for the post-biotics, adaptogens (such as mushrooms) and methylation donors (kale, beets, spinach, cruciferous, lion’s mane…), marjoram, rosemary, oregano, parsley and other herbs to detox, enhance overall health and reverse aging and disease, exercise your body and mind, add a few minutes of mindful meditation to your day to combat stress, take a hot epsom salt bath and follow with a cold shower/ice plunge, remove EMF (electromagnetic frequency) devices and blue light, use IR (infrared) from incandescent lighting, non-toxic ca or light a fire to enhance sleep and...turn off the light!!   #HP-EVOO

       


        Tags: 

        Comments (2)

        Gwen - Dec 20, 2021

        I know this comment will never see the light of day, but I cannot just let this go.

        I would like to enjoy articles like this, but in light if the glaring inaccuracy about spraying Roundup (glyphosate) on wheat prior to harvesting, it calls to question the accuracy of the entire post.

        As a former wheat farmer, I can assure you the unnecessary expense alone would hinder this practice so close to harvest, and further from the harvest, the product would kill the plants essentially committing farming suicide. Never mind that by the time the wheat is ready to harvest, the plant is already dead, therefore the Roundup would have absolutely no effect.

        The spread of misinformation like this on the web is horrific! Please, for the love of truth, rather than fear mongering, spend some time researching instead of simply regurgitating “facts” you find on non-scientific, starlight-airy-fairy do-gooder websites.

        Julie Brochu - Dec 20, 2021

        Hi Gwen,
        I thank you for reading my blog and welcome your comment. I also understand your passion as a previous farmer and thank you for your efforts. I am happy to post your question directly on my blog. It is a GOOD question/comment. Unfortunately, things have changed. Glyphosate is used on 70% of our crops. According to the National Agriculture Statistics Service, you can access here:
        https://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Chemical_Use/2017_Cotton_Soybeans_Wheat_Highlight/ChemUseHighlights_Wheat_2017.pdf

        “Most glyphosate is sprayed on “Roundup ready” corn and soybeans genetically engineered to withstand the herbicide. Increasingly, glyphosate is also sprayed just before harvest on wheat, barley, oats and beans that are not genetically engineered. Glyphosate kills the crop, drying it out so it can be harvested sooner than if the plant were allowed to die naturally.”
        Glyphosate destroys our microbiome and mitochondria, which is causing many of the metabolic diseases we face today. Including, Alzheimer’s, Dementias, Obesity, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver, Cardiovascular Disease, HTN, Chronic Kidney Disease, many Cancers…
        It damages plants and interferes with their ability to uptake nitrogen. So, they use nitrogen-heavy fertilizers to get them to grow. Then it rains and washes the nitrogen into the water systems, increasing Cyanobacteria growth and blocking sunlight – further inhibiting plants to produce oxygen for us and putting carbon into the soil. Glyphosate is depleting our top soil. It is a metal chelator. Now it is being detected in the atmosphere as well as soil and water, likely due to biofuels from corn and sugar cane sprayed with glyphosate.

        I also feel that we ALL need to contact our state representative because toxic chemicals have NO PLACE IN OUR FOOD SUPPLY!

        I’ll be happy to discuss this topic with you anytime. Look for a near-future blog on this issue!

        Best of health
        Julie

        Leave your comment

        Comments have to be approved before showing up