Histamine intolerance, natural healing, and a helpful histamine food list

Histamines, Histamines, Histamines. You might have heard this word a lot more lately. I mean, I have. I’ve been getting questions about histamines in our food multiple times a week! This inspired me to take a deep dive into what they are, why we need them, and why too much is bad! Please join me on my learning journey.

What are histamines? What do histamines do in your body? And why do we need them?

Histamines are super important chemicals that your immune system releases. You need them. They’re like little messengers your body sends out. In addition to producing your own histamines, you eat them in your food, too.

A big role of histamines is causing allergic reactions, protecting your body from foreign invaders like allergens or infections. For example, if you get a bug bite, your body produces histamines. They tell your body to send more blood to that area and heal the injury. Or, if you’re allergic to pollen and breathe it in, your body sends out histamines. They, in turn, make your body produce mucus to clear the pollen from your respiratory system.

Histamines also help regulate brain functions. They keep you awake and alert.

Histamines are also important for digestion. Without histamines, your stomach wouldn’t produce enough acid to digest food properly. 

So, histamines are not inherently bad. You need them! Sadly, too much or the inability to handle them can be a problem. In some cases, a big problem.

What is histamine intolerance?

Histamine intolerance is no fun. It happens when your body can’t break down histamines properly, leading to a build up that can cause all sorts of annoying physical symptoms, which may include:

• Bloating
• Nausea/vomiting
• Headaches
• Runny/stuffy nose
• Shortness of breath
• Itching
• Rash/hives
• Flushing
• Low blood pressure
• Irregular heart rates
• Painful menstruation 
• Swelling of lips, tongue, or throat  

Histamines can have a big impact on our mental health, too. They help release neurotransmitters that regulate brain functions like alertness, learning, and memory. So, they play a part in how we feel and behave daily. Here are some examples:

Alertness: Too much histamine in the brain promotes wakefulness.

Sleep Regulation: Low levels of histamines can make you feel drowsy. This is why antihistamine medications, which block histamines, often cause drowsiness as side effects. 

Mood Regulation: Imbalances in histamine levels can be linked to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Why are more and more people getting diagnosed with histamine intolerance? 

We’re hearing from more and more customers that are struggling with histamine intolerance. It seems to me a new, popular diagnosis these days. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Improved Awareness & Diagnosis: People and health professionals are becoming more aware of histamine intolerance.
2. Modern Diet & Gut Health: Eating a lot of processed, sugary snacks and unhealthy fats can throw off the balance of good bacteria in your gut, which is crucial for your health. When your gut isn’t in good shape, it can struggle to break down histamines.
3. Medication Use: Some medications can mess with your body’s ability to break down histamines, leading to a build up. 
4. Genetics: Your genes can play a role too! Some people are born with less ability to break down histamines. It might not be producing enough enzymes that help keep histamines in check. The MTHFR gene can affect how your body uses folate, which is important to many functions, including detoxifying histamines. 

Tips for managing your histamine levels:

1. Stick to a low histamine diet: Histamines are naturally present in all foods. Some foods are innately low in histamines and some are innately high.
2. Watch how you handle food: Keep an eye on how your food is stored and prepared to keep histamine levels in check. When food sits or ages, bacteria is usually breaking down proteins, and that process produces histamines.
3. Know your triggers: Some foods might not have histamines, but can make your body release more. It’s good to know what triggers your body. 

How do you treat histamine intolerance in a holistic way?

Conventional doctors might recommend antihistamines or medications to help break down histamines. However, there are also more natural approaches to consider. These are just some suggestions, we’re not doctors!

1. Dietary Adjustments: Avoid high histamine foods and incorporate low histamine foods. 
2. Supplements: Vitamin C can help reduce histamine levels and symptoms. Vitamin B6 can help increase enzyme production, which helps break down and remove excess histamines.
3. Essential Oils: Chamomile and lavender may have anti-inflammatory properties. Use a diffuser or add them to a warm bath. 
4. Natural Antihistamines: Quercetin, found in apples, green tea, and onions, can act as a natural antihistamine.
5. Healing the Gut: It’s an important step. A healthy gut can help your body regulate histamine levels more effectively and improve your overall well being. Leaky gut can cause bacteria and toxins to leak into the bloodstream triggering immune response and releasing histamines. 70% of the immune system is thought to be in the gut. 

What are the histamine levels of Miller’s Bio Farm foods?

*Not finding the food you’re looking for? This list was made for the foods that Miller's Bio Farm offers. You can find a more comprehensive food list here.

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References: 

• Hidden in Plain Sight: Histamine Problems 
• Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art.
• Histamine Intolerance
• Histamine in the brain
• Histamine and Psychiatric Disorders
• Histamine and Mental Health
• A overview of histamine intolerance and emerging innovation opportunities
• Histamine Intolerance: Medications to Avoid
• How Gut Health is Connected to Histamine Intolerance.
• Foods High in Histamine
• Is Einkorn Flour High In Histamine.
• 8 natural ways to reduce your histamine levels.
• Everything You Need to Know About the Low Histamine Diet
• HIGH HISTAMINE – LOW HEALTH.
• Histamine Intolerance Resulting from Poor Gut Health
• Which probiotics for histamine intolerance?