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How to fix Histamine Intolerance

How to fix Histamine Intolerance?

Histamine is a hormone involved in digestion, immune & nervous system function. Anti-histamine drugs for asthma, they are also prescribed to those with food allergies. Improving digestive health and in particular, the gut microbiome and intestinal integrity can help you fix histamine intolerance.

 

What is histamine intolerance?

Histamine intolerance results from an imbalance between accumulated histamine and the capacity to break it down. The symptoms are due to histamine’s relation with the immune system. Histamine activates immune cells (basophils & mast cells) while causing blood vessels to dilate so that immune cells can be quickly transferred to kill pathogens.

Histamine Intolerance Symptoms

Histamine Intolerance is a fire alarm 🚨 turned on in the immune system, because of a breakdown in the endocrine system.

How is histamine broken down?

Like all hormones, histamine needs to be eliminated from the body when it has done its job. While it is broken down by a few different enzymes (HNMT, NAT1,2 & DAO), it is the DAO (ref) responsible for the breakdown of ingested histamine.

Histamine Intolerance Detoxification pathways

Can histamine cause digestive problems?

Gastrointestinal problems are very common among those with histamine intolerance. While histamine is necessary for proper gut function excess levels can cause digestive complications. Below are a few findings, highlighting the link between histamine intolerance and gut health:

a. all 4 histamine receptors H1R-H4R are found in the digestive tract and they have excitatory actions there (ref).

b. In a study conducted in Italy, 13 out of 14 subjects (with food intolerances) reported benefits in at least 1 food after DAO supplementation (ref).

c. The capacity of both histamine breakdown pathways: HNMT and DAO have been reported to be reduced in those with food intolerances (ref).

Enzymatic activities of HNMT and DAO in individuals with histamine intolerance

d. Elevated levels of histamine in the brain have been shown to suppress appetite (ref).

e. 30-55% of individuals with digestive disorders, including IBS, IBD, and Chron’s Disease have histamine intolerance (ref).

Diet can help histamine intolerance in 2 ways: i. reduce histamine load ii. support histamine breakdown.

Histamine intolerance foods to avoid

Those with histamine intolerance will benefit by avoiding 2 categories of foods:

a. Those that contain histamine

b. those that can cause the release of histamine in the body, although they don’t contain histamine (ref)

 

Histamine intolerance diet

The fresher the food the lower it is in histamine.

 

Histamine intolerance supplements

Vitamin C supplementation has also been shown to reduce histamine levels (ref), while B6 supplementation is also beneficial as it acts as a co-factor in DAO production (ref).

 

Drugs that cause histamine intolerance

It should probably come as no surprise that medication can also mess up your levels of histamine. Drug intake, especially long-term, should be considered in the interpretation of histamine intolerance symptoms and DAO concentrations (ref).

 

Can hormonal imbalance cause histamine intolerance?

Histamine levels are positively correlated with estrogen, while progesterone and testosterone levels are negatively correlated in women and men respectively. Women are more likely than men (ref) to suffer from histamine intolerance possibly due to the fluctuations in sex hormones during the menstrual cycle and menopause.

Histamine and estrogen have a bidirectional relationship.

Histamine has been shown to stimulate, in a dose-dependent manner, the synthesis of estradiol (E2) (ref). As estradiol levels are responsible for painful uterine contractions of primary dysmenorrhea, through the increase of prostaglandin F2α, histamine can also be considered a contributing factor. Estrogen also influences histamine’s action. During the mid-cycle, when ovulation occurs and estrogen peaks, a significant increase in the occurrence of wheal and flare is observed due to histamine (ref). Progesterone on the other hand stabilizes histamine levels (ref).

During pregnancy, DAO concentrations in the body may increase by as much as 500%, due to the production of DAO by the placenta (ref), which may well explain the reduction in food intolerances women experience during this period (ref).

Histamine increases libido (ref), which is why antihistamine medication needs to be considered when treating sexual dysfunction.

Blood sugar regulation and histamine intolerance

The link between histamine and diabetes goes back to 1950 (ref). Plasma histamine was shown to reduce after insulin administration in diabetic rats (ref). Given the positive correlation between diabetes and histamine intolerance (ref), stabilizing sugar levels should be of high priority in those with histamine symptoms.

In pancreatic beta cells, the activation of histamine 3 receptors (H3R) was shown to:

a. inhibit insulin secretion (ref)

b. reduce glucagon production in a non-hyperglycemic state (ref).

 

Can histamine cause breathing problems?

Histamine release is involved in seasonal allergies. A recent novel clinical trial (ref) has shown that the inhalation of small dosages of CO2 can suppress the symptoms of seasonal allergies.

Histamine and Carbon Dioxide 1

Histamine and Carbon Dioxide 2

CO2 can suppress histamine release in mast cells by increasing intracellular Calcium levels (ref). While no studies so far have tested the use of breathing exercises to suppress seasonal allergies, it is well documented and clinically confirmed that certain breathing exercises can increase the levels of CO2 in the body. Based on that it is well worth considering using CO2 Breathing Therapy for histamine intolerance.

 

How to test for histamine intolerance?

Prior to treating any condition, it is wise to confirm its presence first. The symptoms of histamine intolerance overlap with those having intestinal permeability and gut dysbiosis. By measuring the levels of DAO enzyme in your blood you can assess your body’s capacity to break down histamine and thus indirectly the presence of histamine overload.

When DAO levels are below <10 U/mL (ref1, ref2) the probability of histamine intolerance is high.

 

Histamine Intolerance🚦 • Serum DAO: 🔴 <3U/mL, 🟠 <10U/mL, 🟢 >10U/mL

 

Labs that offer this service in 🇬🇧 UK are Smart Nutrition (link) and Invivo Clinical, and in 🇦🇺 AUS: ImmunoPro (link).

23andme results & histamine intolerance

23andme results can be useful in identifying potential blockages in the pathway of histamine. At the same time, it is dangerous to drive conclusions solely from one’s genetic makeup, let alone one gene. In many cases, a person may have no SNPs in the gene that produces the DAO enzyme (AOC1 gene) and at the same time experience histamine-like reactions after the consumption of red wine for instance. The case below is such an example.

The woman is in her mid-40s, vegetarian with a more or less healthy lifestyle. She carries only 1 homozygous polymorphism in the AOC1 gene which has been shown to be beneficial.

SNPs for Histamine Intolerance

Source: Opus23

 

While there seems to be no burden on the production of DAO if you look at the entire pathway you will see that she carries SNPs in the HNMT and MAOB genes. Both of which can tax DAO’s function.

Histamine Genetic Pathway

Source: Opus23

 

How can this information be useful? 

For this woman supporting the function of HNMT and MAOB can help with histamine symptoms. For HNMT methylation support as well Salacia Oblonga (ref)  can be used while for MAOB vit B2.

 

MAOB SNP agent interactions

Source: Opus23

 

FAQ

Do Antihistamines reduce histamine?

Antihistamine tablets can be life-saving in times of crisis. At the same time if one doesn’t deal with what causes the reaction at 1st place she/he is trying to put off a fire by removing the battery from the fire alarm.

 

References

Breunig, E., Michel, K., Zeller, F., Seidl, S., Weyhern, C.W.H.V. and Schemann, M., 2007. Histamine excites neurones in the human submucous plexus through activation of H1, H2, H3 and H4 receptors. The Journal of physiology, 583(2), pp.731-742.

 

Casale, T. B., Onder, R. F., Berkowitz, R. B., & Korenblat, P. E. (2018). Nasal Carbon Dioxide Used As Needed in the Symptomatic Treatment of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 6(1), 183-189.

 

Hemilä, H., 2014. The effect of vitamin C on bronchoconstriction and respiratory symptoms caused by exercise: a review and statistical analysis. Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, 10(1), p.58.

 

Hollis, T.M., Kern, J.A., Enea, N.A. and Cosgarea, A.J., 1985. Changes in plasma histamine concentration in the streptozotocin-diabetic rat. Experimental and molecular pathology, 43(1), pp.90-96.

 

x Kuefner, M.A., Schwelberger, H.G., Weidenhiller, M., Hahn, E.G. and Raithel, M., 2004. Both catabolic pathways of histamine via histamine-N-methyltransferase and diamine oxidase are diminished in the colonic mucosa of patients with food allergy. Inflammation Research, 53, pp.S31-S32.

 

x Malmlöf, K., Zaragoza, F., Golozoubova, V., Refsgaard, H.H.F., Cremers, T., Raun, K., Wulff, B.S., Johansen, P.B., Westerink, B. and Rimvall, K., 2005. Influence of a selective histamine H3 receptor antagonist on hypothalamic neural activity, food intake and body weight. International journal of obesity, 29(12), pp.1402-1412.

 

x Manzotti, G., Breda, D., Di Gioacchino, M. and Burastero, S.E., 2015. Serum diamine oxidase activity in patients with histamine intolerance. International journal of immunopathology and pharmacology, p.0394632015617170.

x Maintz, L. and Novak, N., 2007. Histamine and histamine intolerance. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 85(5), pp.1185-1196.

 

Nakamura, T., Yoshikawa, T., Noguchi, N., Sugawara, A., Kasajima, A., Sasano, H. and Yanai, K., 2014. The expression and function of histamine H3 receptors in pancreatic beta cells. British journal of pharmacology, 171(1), pp.171-185.

 

Nakamura, T., Yoshikawa, T., Naganuma, F., Mohsen, A., Iida, T., Miura, Y., Sugawara, A. and Yanai, K., 2015. Role of histamine H 3 receptor in glucagon-secreting αTC1. 6 cells. FEBS open bio, 5, pp.36-41.

 

Oda, Y., Ueda, F., Utsuyama, M., Kamei, A., Kakinuma, C., Abe, K. and Hirokawa, K., 2015. Improvement in Human Immune Function with Changes in Intestinal Microbiota by Salacia reticulata Extract Ingestion: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. PloS one, 10(12), p.e0142909.

 

Pini, A., Obara, I., Battell, E., Chazot, P.L. and Rosa, A.C., 2016. Histamine in diabetes: is it time to reconsider?. Pharmacological research, 111, pp.316-324.

 

Strider, J. W., Masterson, C. G., & Durham, P. L. (2011). Treatment of mast cells with carbon dioxide suppresses degranulation via a novel mechanism involving repression of increased intracellular calcium levels. Allergy, 66(3), 341-350.

 

 

Breathwork for Pregnancy

Breathwork for Pregnancy

Breathing exercises during pregnancy will allow you to stay relaxed, focused and support adequate oxygen delivery to the fetus and your body. The safest and easiest way to achieve that is by breathing slow, softly, and nasally in a seated position.

The purpose of the article is for educational purposes only. Prior to practicing, consult your primary physician.

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Your breath is going to change throughout pregnancy. If you want to learn:

• How will your breath change during these 9 months?

• Which breathing exercises are safe in the 1st trimester?

• How to breathe in order to support oxygen delivery to the fetus?

Read on…

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Benefits of breathing exercises during pregnancy

Different breathing exercises during pregnancy can help:

  • You improve blood circulation and thus oxygen and nutrient delivery to the fetus and your body organs.
  • Keep your muscles relaxed, alleviating some of the tension some times builds up due to stress
  • Keep your nervous system calm
  • Breathe comfortably, while the natural increase of progesterone and the growth of the baby will make breathing harder.

A 2010 study showed that fetuses respond to maternal stress with changes in their fetal heart rate (FHR). Stress hormones appear to impact blood flow to the fetus through their vasoconstrictive effect on the placenta (ref). So…

By breathing better you are looking after your baby.

Women at risk of premature labor benefited from massage therapy, breathwork, and hypnotic relaxation while the type of delivery and duration of labor was shown to positively correlate with having practiced yoga (ref). So…

Breathwork increases your chances of an easy pregnancy.

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Is breathwork safe for pregnancy?

Breathwork is safe in pregnancy provided the new mother has developed awareness of her breathing first. In the absence of prior experience, breath holds and breathing techniques involving hyperventilation should be avoided as they can cause oxygen deprivation to the fetus.

A few red flags 🚩 are:

🚩 You have pre-existing health conditions. If you previously experienced any neurological, cardiovascular or blood sugar regulation conditions you should be extra cautious and work with an instructor.

🚩 Gestational diabetes. Lowering of O2 saturation can cause a sudden drop of 🩸 blood sugar. While some breathing exercises will be appropriate using an oximeter during practice is highly advisable.

🚩 The use of medication. This, of course, is a case-by-case scenario and actually, there are very few counterindications. It is worth checking with your physician first though.

Having said that, during the 9 months of pregnancy life doesn’t stop. Pregnant women perform cardio workouts, swim, and practice yoga all of which directly challenge the respiratory system. As the focus of all breathing sessions during these 9 months will be to make breathing comfortable at no point there should be a loss of consciousness or strong air hunger.

To be extra cautious with breathwork you can invest in an oximeter which will allow you to monitor continuously both your HR and SPO2.

When to start breathing exercises during pregnancy?

Breathing exercises that involve either monitoring the breath or slow manipulation of the inhalation and exhalation can be performed from the very start and can help deal with nausea, cramps, and lower back pain.

At what point in pregnancy does it become hard to breathe?

Shortness of breath is common both at the start of the pregnancy due to an increase in the progesterone hormone and around weeks 31-34 when the uterus is likely to press against the diaphragm.

During the 3rd trimester and as the fetus grows the pressure in the lungs increases limiting lung capacity. The additional weight of the fetus will also tax the cardiovascular system and thus the respiratory. It is often at that stage that breathing becomes labored even during simple tasks such as walking and laying down.

How can I increase my oxygen levels during pregnancy?

To maintain oxygen delivery to the fetus and your organs you need to maintain adequate levels of CO2 (due to the Bohr effect). Did you know that CO2 has therapeutic properties? This can be achieved by breathing as softly as possible through the nose 👃🏼, making the exhalations x1-2 longer than the inhalations.

Start by breathing in for 4 seconds out for 4 seconds. If that feels comfortable gradually increase the exhalations to 6 seconds and then 8 seconds.

Within 10 mins you will feel a lot better.

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3 best breathing exercises during pregnancy

Synchronize heart and belly breathing

Place one hand ✋🏼 on the chest and one 🤚🏼 on the belly, in a seated position and with your back supported 🪑. As you inhale feel your hands moving. You may notice 1 of the 2 hands moving more than the other. Try to expand both parts of your body (chest and belly) evenly. Perform that for 5 mins and then place your hands on your knees. Recover your regular breathing but keep your attention on your chest and belly.

Ujjayi breathing

Ujjayi breath is achieved by constricting the back of the throat during exhalation creating a deep sibilant breath 🌊. As Timothy McCall mentions in his book: Yoga as Medicine, the constriction can be generated by imitating that you are trying to fog your glasses. The breath should be performed through the nose at all times. When practitioners are starting out they may find it easier to produce an audible sound 🔊, but over time the sound becomes so gentle that is hard to notice 🤫.

Alternative Nostril Breathing

In Alternative Nostril Breathing, the inhalation and the exhalation of each cycle take place from a different nostril and the direction reverses at the end of each cycle. Start by breathing in from the right nostril, exhale from the left, breathe in from the left, exhale from the right…

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FAQ

Is belly breathing, good for pregnancy?

The reason I don’t recommend belly breathing during pregnancy is due to the tension it can bring to the abdominal muscles, increasing this way the risk of abdominal diastasis❗️ A safer recruitment of the diaphragm, is through the slow inflation of the lungs 🫁, and outward expansion of the ribcage.

Pelvic floor contractions have also been shown to improve respiration (ref), while experienced practitioners will have no problem performing belly breathing without tensing their abdominals (and thus staying safe).

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Conclusion

Breathwork for pregnancy 🤰🏻 is very powerful yet it is much easier to practice if you have prior experience. Knowing that if you planning on getting pregnant in the next 6 months start soon❗️

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