If you are not famiiar with immunology, you may want to open the glossary in a separate window as a reference as you read this article

Millions of people around the globe have allergies.  They suffer from hives, eczema, itchy watery eyes, runny noses, asthma, nausea.  Allergies can mean misery for them.  Many need to have medication on hand to cope, like steroidal creams, inhalers, and oral medications.   They often imagine what life would be like, if they didn’t have allergies and need medication.  This article explores the allergic reaction process and natural methods of managing them. 

The main cause of allergy symptoms is excess of histamine in the body.  Contrary to popular belief, histamine is not bad.  It serves many important functions in our bodies.  It helps regulate our internal body clock (sleep-wake-cycle), makes us feel alert, is necessary for a healthy libido and sexual function, promotes proper digestion, and healthy immune function.  Histamine is good.  It only becomes a problem when there is too much of it.   Let’s explore six factors that can contribute to high histamine.

SIX CAUSES OF EXCESS HISTAMINE 

1. Allergies- cause excess histamine release in response to foods, pollens, dust, pollutants, and topical chemicals (skin care products, perfumes, etc.).

2. Impaired metabolic breakdown of histamine

   1. Nutritional deficiencies

   2. Genetic Variants (SNPs)

3. Bile in the gut

4. Stealth / Chronic infections

5. High Estrogen levels

6. Diet- Eating foods that contain histamine

Let's review each of these factors.

1. ALLERGIES
Allergies occur when the body recognizes a non-pathogen as a pathogen (bacteria, parasites, viruses, yeast).  These can be pollen, dust, foods, chemicals (in household and skin care products), air pollutants, etc.  The immune system identifies it as an allergen and initiates an allergic reaction as described below:

When the body encounters an allergen, immune cells called dendritic cells present an antigen to a naïve T-cell (TH0).  When an allergen antigen is presented, interleukin-4 (IL4) is released which causes the TH0 cell to become a T-helper-2 (TH2) cell.  TH2 cells stimulate B-cells to become plasma cells which produce Immunoglobulins/antibodies.  Plasma cells release Immunoglobulin E (IgE) during allergic responses, which stimulates mast cells to release histamine and other inflammatory mediators including prostaglandins, leukotrienes, cytokines, proteases, heparin, and nitric oxide. This response produces inflammation and allergy related symptoms like runny nose, watery eyes, itchy mouth and throat, inflamed itchy skin, shortness of breath, heart palpitations etc.  Please refer to the glossary at the end of this article for definitions of the terms used.

Symptoms associated with allergic immune responses depend on where in the body histamine is released:    

• Airways- runny nose, stuffy sinuses,

• Eyes- itchy watery eyes

• Skin- inflamed itchy skin, as seen in eczema, urticaria, and hives.

• Stomach and Intestines- abdominal pain and bloating

• Heart- Arrhythmias- fast or slow heartbeat.  Some people experience this when they eat certain foods that they are allergic too.

• Brian- insomnia, feeling sluggish

• Genitals- Histamine promotes sexual desire.  It stimulates lubrication in women and erections in men.  Excess histamine can make genitals hypersensitive even to the point of pain (dyspareunia), and aversion to sexual activity.  This is true in males and females.
  The problem can be so severe that even their own clothing brushing against their clitoris, penis, or nipples can cause arousal or pain.   

 
2. IMPAIRED ABILITY TO BREAKDOWN HISTAMINE
Histamine levels can be high due to a diminished ability of the body to metabolize (breakdown) it.  This is most often due to nutritional deficiencies.  The body needs molybdenum, iron, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, and methyl to metabolize histamine.   These nutrients can be found in beef liver.  The fat in beef liver also functions as a natural antihistamine.

Diamine oxidase (DAO) is one of the enzymes the body uses to breakdown histamine.  It is made by the APB1 gene. Some people have a variant of the APB1 gene that is inefficient at making DAO.  These individuals need to consume it in their diet.  DAO can be found in beef kidney,

The body makes histamine from a compound called histidine. The more histidine that is available the more histamine the body can make.   If there is an impaired ability to breakdown histidine, then histidine levels will be high, which means that the body can make an increased amount of histamine.    The body needs B6 and Folate to metabolize histidine.  They can be found in beef liver.
 
3. BILE IN THE GUT
Bile salts stimulate the release of histamine by mast cells in the intestines.  Bile is made in the liver and stored in the gallbladder.  It helps us digest fats.  Normally the gall bladder only releases bile when we eat fatty foods.   Individuals who have had their gallbladder removed (cholecystectomy), no longer have controlled release of bile.  Instead, they have a continuous drip of bile in the gut, which means a continuous release of histamine.  Carbonized Charcoal can sequester bile salts.
 
4. STEALTH / CHRONIC INFECTIONS
All infections require an adequate T-helper-1 cell (TH1) and Th2 response to eradicate it.  TH1 cells are responsible for eliminating pathogens by digesting them or producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) aka free radicals to kill them. A full discussion of the TH1 response is beyond the scope of this article.

An example of a TH2 response was described above, except in this case a pathogen triggered it, so different cytokines and antibodies are involved.  Infection eradication requires a TH2 response to produce antibodies so that the TH1 immune cells can recognize pathogens and kill them.  A TH1 dominate response is necessary to rid the body of a pathogen.

TH2 responses inhibit TH1 responses and vice versa.  An inadequate TH1 response and/or a dominate TH2 response can make an infection chronic, since it doesn’t get eradicated.  This is the case in TH2 dominant patients, and results in chronic high histamine. 

Stealth infections are infections that are missed, because their levels are too low to be detected by current testing methods.  Because their levels are so low, common symptoms associated with infections like pain, swelling, fever, etc. Are absent.  Instead they may be expressed as allergy symptoms, due to the chronic histamine release. The following pathogens are suspected of stealth infections:

• Epstein Barr Virus – a cause of chronic fatigue syndrome

• Cytomegalovirus

• Human herpes virus–6 (HHV-6)

• Herpes simplex virus-1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2)

• Human Parvovirus

• Coxsackie virus

• Bacterial

  • Borrelia, Bartonella –Lymes disease

  • H Pylori- stomach and intestinal ulcers

  • Other cell wall deficient bacteria

• Fungus, yeast, and parasites.  Biofilms often protect the fungi and bacteria making it difficult for the immune system to eradicate them.  An example would be toenail fungus.

• Undetectable stealth infection is a controversial concept in traditional medicine

5. ESTROGEN
High estrogen stimulates mast cells to release histamine.  Estrogen also suppresses histamine breakdown by decreasing DAO and monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity.  Histamine increases luteinizing hormone (LH) which increases estrogen.  This perpetuates a vicious cycle where histamine increases LH, which increases estrogen, which increases histamine, which increase LH and so forth.  In women, if allergy symptoms increase in the middle of the menstrual cycle, then it is likely that estrogen is contributing to the problem.  In men, estrogen levels increase when they gain weight and as they age, which is evidenced by the formation of breast tissue (gynecomastia).  If their allergy symptoms increase as they age, then estrogen is most likely a contributing factor.  Diindolylmethane (DIM) helps the body detoxify estrogen and may help reduce the effects of excess estrogen.
 
6. DIET
Did you know that many foods contain histamine?  It’s true. You can lower your histamine levels by avoiding high histamine foods.  You can also avoid foods that trigger your mast cells to release histamine.  Stick to low histamine foods and incorporate antihistamine foods into your diet.  Avoid anything that you know that you are allergic to.  These foods are categorized below.  This is an abbreviated list that contains key foods to consider when making adjustments to your diet.  

HIGH HISTAMINE FOODS (AVOID)
Fermented alcoholic beverages:   wine, champagne, beer
Fermented foods:  sauerkraut, vinegar, soy sauce, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, etc.
Vinegar containing foods:  pickles, mayonnaise, olives
Cured meats:  bacon, salami, pepperoni, luncheon meats & hot dogs
Soured foods:  buttermilk, soured cream/milk/bread, etc.
Dried fruit:  apricots, prunes, dates, figs, raisins
Most citrus fruits
Aged cheese (including goat cheese)
Nuts (walnuts, cashews, peanuts)
Vegetables (avocado, eggplant, spinach, tomato)
Smoked fish and certain fish species

If you ‘slip up’ and eat a high histamine food, beef kidney which contains DAO, can breakdown the histamine in your gut to minimize its absorption into your body.  It should be taken immediately after eating the food.

HISTAMINE RELEASING FOODS (AVOID)
Alcohol, Papaya, Bananas, Pineapple, Chocolate, Shellfish, Cow’s Milk, Strawberries, Nuts, Tomatoes, Many artificial preservatives & dyes, Wheat Germ

If you ‘slip up’ and eat a histamine releasing food, carbonized bamboo taken immediately after eating that food can bind to it and minimize its absorption into your body.

LOW HISTAMINE FOODS (OKAY TO EAT)
Freshly cooked meat or poultry- try to cook the same day you buy the meat. No leftovers
Freshly caught fish (preferably the same day)
Cooked eggs
Gluten-free grains:  rice, quinoa, corn, millet, amaranth, teff
Pure peanut butter
Fresh fruits:  mango, pear, watermelon, apple, kiwi, cantaloupe, grapes
Fresh vegetables:  except tomatoes, spinach, avocado, eggplant
Dairy substitutes:   coconut milk, rice milk, hemp milk, almond milk
Cooking oils:  olive oil, coconut oil, Leafy herbs & Herbal teas

ANTIHISTAMINE FOODS (OKAY TO EAT)  
Onions, apples, grapes, berries, broccoli, cherries, camu berries, red bell peppers, kiwi, broccoli, carrot, parsley, peppermint, thyme, basil, celery, artichoke, sweet bell peppers. beef liver.  

ALLERGY DESENSITIZATION TREATMENTS
I truly hope that you found this article useful.  I know that I listed many supplements and it can be overwhelming to decide which supplements would be best for you to take.  At my New York location, I do non-invasive testing to identify the possible sources of your allergic reactions and test to determine which supplements would be most beneficial for you.  The type of testing that I do is known as resonance testing, applied kinesiology (AK), or energy testing.  I muscle test your body against foods, hormones, pollens, heavy metals, food additives, pesticides, bacteria, fungus, parasites, viruses, and environmental chemicals. If your body reacts to one or more of these substances, I then test to see what nutrients will remedy or cause your body not to react to the substances.   

I also perform allergy desensitization and allergy clearing treatments.  They are non-invasive treatments and involve the use of meridian therapy and applied kinesiology techniques.   They work very well.  Check out some case examples here.  There are also patient testimonials on google.

If you are interested in getting tested and treated, please fill out the request form bellow.  We do in office, virtual, and telephone consultations.