If you're gearing up for the early-pollen season, reading this blog from Cytoplan about the actions and effects of histamine, is a must!
But don't just think it's all about hay-fever: the effects of histamine can increase during peri-menopause and menopause, due to the inconsistent and then reduced levels of oestrogen (1). In addition, histamine plays a major role in the ongoing symptoms of Covid/Long Covid, due to mast cell activation (2).
Reducing your histaminergic load in the first place can be very helpful:
because histamine is produced in your gut, improving your gut health can help reduce your symptoms.
and did you know that certain foods - even those generally considered 'healthy' - are high in histamine themselves? So reducing your intake of those, especially when environmental pollens are high, can be a good strategy.
Supporting your immune health in terms of gut barrier integrity and mucosal health (in the nose, lungs and gut) can also bolster resilience. In addition, reducing your overall systemic inflammation can control both the intensity and duration of your symptoms.
And before reaching for a pharmaceutical solution (most of which simply block the action of histamine, rather than reducing the levels of it), there are a number of natural compounds in foods which have a direct effect: Quercetin, vitamin C and Beta Glucan-rich foods
Happy reading, and enjoy the Spring weather (when it comes)!
References:
Bonds RS, Midoro-Horiuti T. Oestrogen effects in allergy and asthma. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013 Feb;13(1):92-9. doi: 10.1097/ACI.0b013e32835a6dd6. PMID: 23090385
Mashauri, H.L. Covid‐19 Histamine theory: Why antihistamines should be incorporated as the basic component in Covid‐19 management? Health Sci Rep. 2023 Feb; 6(2): e1109. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.1109