Does drinking water reduce histamine

How to Clear Histamine From Body Naturally (9 Ways)

If you found this post, you're probably dealing with a number of seasonal allergy symptoms, even if you don't actually have seasonal allergies. Maybe you're even looking for how to clear histamine from the body without using antihistamines or H2 blockers, the typical medicines that doctors throw at a runny nose and a rash.

This article is focused on that very issue, particularly for those with a histamine intolerance how can you lower histamine levels naturally and for good?

What is Histamine?

Histamine is an inflammatory nitrogen-containing biogenic amine, which just means that wherever it goes, it causes inflammation. To produce histamine, enzymes and co-factors must come together to convert the essential amino acid L-histidine via a process called "decarboxylation."

The main co-factors necessary for the production of histamine are PLP (pyridoxal 5-phosphate), vitamin C, iron, and vitamin B6. Some people with histamine issues end up deficient in one or more of those nutrients due to their body's overproduction of histamine.

But histamine is necessary because it plays an important part in the bodys inflammatory and immune cells' reactions to different allergens such as pollen, dust, certain foods, insect bites, and even certain medications.

Recently histamine has also been recognized as a neurotransmitter, due to its many body-wide effects. Histamine is mainly produced in granules in the basophils and mast cells (important parts of your immune system.

Normally, histamine is cleared from the body through a metabolism (breakdown) catalyzed by the enzymes diamine oxidase (DAO) and histamine methyltransferase (HNMT).

Causes of High Histamine Levels

Histamine intolerance itself is a symptom of the root cause(s) and should NOT be listed as a cause by itself. Some of the most common causes include SIBO, mastocytosis, mast cell activation diseases, heavy metal poisoning, some inflammation-causing viruses, and mold toxicity or other infections.

Some sources I've read over the years have mentioned nutrient deficiencies, specifically vitamin B12, as playing a role in developing histamine intolerance that can be reversed. Now that we understand what histamine is and why it's important, let's look at the many potential causes of high histamine levels.

A condition known as Histamine Toxicity occurs when histamine accumulates in the body, and eventually rises to toxic levels which can lead to potentially dangerous physical symptoms, including anaphylaxis.

The fact is that chronic histamine toxicity i.e. histamine intolerance is still widely unknown to modern doctors, and that seems to be the main reason why it still goes widely undiagnosed.

8 Potential Causes of Histamine Toxicity

• Poorly refrigerated or spoiled fish, such as tuna or anchovy, which develop an overgrowth of histamine-producing bacteria. When this bacteria is consumed, it can cause elevated and eventually toxic levels of histamine, in a condition is known as Scombroid Poisoning. Certain types of fish are more prone to causing histamine toxicity, including mackerel, herring, tuna, mahi-mahi, anchovies, bluefish, marlin, and amberjack.
• Low DAO: a deficiency of the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO), which metabolizes and eliminates histamine from the body, can lead to elevated histamine levels in the body and eventual overload. Causes of DAO Deficiency include the excess use of alcohol, overgrowth of certain intestinal bacteria, as well as DAO blockers (a group which includes medicines as well as foods). Other causes of DAO Deficiency include hormonal imbalances and gastrointestinal disorders such as Irritable Bowel Diseases, of which Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns Disease are the most common.
• Mastocytosis is another cause of histamine toxicity. It occurs when the number of mast cells increases in the bodys tissues, even in places where they shouldn't be. As the number of mast cells increases, so does the amount of histamine produced within the cells, leading eventually to histamine overload if left untreated.
• Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is a histamine liberator in which there is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestines usually due to complications of surgery or intestinal disease, which then leads to elevated histamine levels.
• Mast Cell Activation Diseases are rare, but seem to be increasing in the general population. They're characterized by abnormal mast cell activation by patient-specific triggers, which cause them to release unnecessary histamine. Continual and untreated triggering of the mast cells leads to extremely high levels of histamine, causing many of the symptoms of a severe allergic attack including hives, shortness of breath, and abnormally low blood pressure. This is different from Mastocytosis.
• Environmental poisoning: both mold poisoning and heavy metal poisoning, such as that with mercury or copper, have been found to lead to inflammatory reactions involving high levels of histamine.
• Viral infection: inflammation-causing viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 have been found to cause increased histamine levels and result in chronicallyhigh histamine states if left untreated. Other viruses and bacteria have also been found to increase histamine production and levels, especially in children.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency has also been associated with reversible but persistent histamine intolerance, thought to be due to issues with the body's ability to break down the histamine quickly enough.

How to Reduce Histamine in the Body Naturally

1. Decrease Stress. Chronically high stress has been found to increase the release of many hormones, use up calming neurotransmitters, and release inflammatory substances such as histamine. Therefore reducing or managing physical and emotional stress can decrease histamine levels in the body. This should be one of your top priorities.

2. Eat a low histamine diet. There are many approaches to starting a low histamine diet, but the first step is to avoid all high histamine foods, as this can also help to decrease the amount of histamine in the body without requiring you to overhaul your diet in one go.

High histamine foods include any fermented foods such as sauerkraut, wine and beer, aged meats and cheeses, olives, tomatoes, vinegars, kombucha, most seafood, and spinach.

This may sound like a lot of foods to cut out, and if that's the case, for you it may just be easier to jump into following a low histamine diet that outlines only what you can eat.

But rest assured, after just 3-4 weeks eating low histamine, your symptoms should subside and if not, you'll need to talk to your doctor about other potential causes for your allergy symptoms.

3. Fight inflammation with food. There are numerous anti-inflammatory and natural antihistamine foods you can & should add to your diet to naturally decrease the amount of histamine in your body. Some anti-histamine foods include garlic, basil, and olive oil, which all together make for a delicious pesto sauce, though there are dozens of options.

Each of these foods contains a combination of mast cell stabilizers and DAO supporters such as bromelain, a natural anti-histamine plant enzyme found in apples, onions, parsley, and blueberries.

4. Utilize natural antihistamines. While whole foods are the ideal form of nutrition, sometimes they're just not enough. This is where mast-cell stabilizers such as quercetin, stinging nettle, and astragalus come in. Quercetin, which is a polyphenol antioxidant found in pears and apples, has been found to stabilize mast cell membranes and thus decrease the level of histamine in the body, especially when combined with Vitamin C.

5. Digest more slowly. Another way to decrease histamine in the body is to slow its release, thereby giving the body more time to break it down. This means incorporating more sources of low histamine fiber, fat, and protein so that you digest food more slowly, decreasing the rate of further histamine release and giving your body more time to break it down.

Low histamine proteins include nut butters and fresh-frozen meats, and low histamine fats include avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and fats from low histamine meats. Some low histamine fibers to add into meals include hemp, chia, and flax seeds.

6. Increase your DAO. Diamine oxidase, or DAO, is an enzyme produced in the kidneys, the lining of the intestines, and the thymus. As mentioned above, DAOs main function is to metabolize and break down excess amounts of ingested histamine in the body, along with the enzyme histamine methyltransferase (HNMT).

Increasing DAO production can be accomplished by eating the building blocks needed for our bodies to produce our own DAO, which includes the materials needed to make DAO and well as the co-factors needed for its production.

These building blocks are foods that enhance DAO function and production, and they include fresh organic proteins, grass-fed meats, and omega-9 fatty acids, such as those found in fresh eggs, coconuts, and olive oil.

Additional helpful nutrients are found in most types of fresh fruit and various grains, such as quinoa, rice, corn, and millet.Fresh pea sprouts are a vegan source of DAO, but even non-meat eaters should do their best to help their bodies produce DAO rather than consume it directly.

7. Correct systemic imbalances. Being deficient in any one nutrient can have a cascading effect, as can having too much of one. For example, high estrogen has been linked to high histamine levels, and low zinc or copper can impair the production of DAO.

Ask your doctor about getting a full blood panel to check for deficiencies or an overabundance of any given nutrient, though the blood will generally be the last place that a deficiency is revealed, as the body works very hard to keep it in homeostasis, sometimes to your own deficit.

8. Sweat more. This may sound strange if you've found that exercise seems to aggravate your symptoms, but sweat is one of the main ways in which your body eliminates toxins. Some people enjoy doing this in a sauna, but personally I prefer an evening bath in warm water, as I find that it also lowers my stress levels.

In this two-for-one approach, helping yourself sweat more will help your body eliminate any heavy metals or mold that may be contributing to your illness, as well as any excess nutrients.

Aim for 15 minutes a day, as any longer in the bath and your body may start reabsorbing all that you just released. Adding epsom salt or baking soda can help further calm your system.

9. Address gut health. This should by no means be the last thing you try or a one-off attempt. Your gut is where much of your body's histamine ends up, so making sure that it's in balance should be a top priority.

Low stomach acid levels can contribute to high histamine levels by leaving your gut vulnerable to opportunistic bacteria that either themselves produce histamine or deteriorate DAO, so its important for your gut microbiome to keep it neither too high nor too low.

This means checking your stomach acid levels, as well as asking your doctor about a SIBO breath test and a stool test to check for parasites, pathogens, and imbalances in gut flora. Based on the results and your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe you a probiotic or a course of natural antivirals.

One example is mastic gum and oil of oregano (which I took to get rid of my h. pylori). Alternatively, they may pronounce your gut healthy, which is itself an important clue.

I hope this post has helped you figure out a few new ways to support your body's natural histamine-clearing pathways, as well as fight inflammation in other ways. Do you have any more tips for clearing histamine without antihistamines or H2 blockers?

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How to Eliminate Histamine from Body

There are things you can do right now to eliminate histamine in the body.

The root of extra histamine release may just be chronic inflammation.

When I hear people talking about histamine intolerance, many think histamine is the bad guy and thats not the case.

Histamine is an important neurotransmitter that is vital to the immune system.

When you are injured, histamine is released to help prevent infection and repair any damage.

The problem arises when you are chronically inflamed or infected and therefore releasing a lot of histamines.

Another common problem is not being able to break down the histamine you have in your system so it starts to get backed up and overflow so to speak.

This causes a load of symptoms such as migraines, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, hives/rashes, food allergies, brain fog, bladder issues and runny nose.

Histamine Intolerance Symptoms

My personal journey in living with histamine Intolerance

Ive been living with histamine intolerance for most of my life but have only recognized what was going on in the last few years.

Its been a crazy journey of doctors shaking their heads, not being able to tell me why my weight was dropping so fast or why I constantly struggle with migraines. I have links below which are affiliate links to products that have changed my life and I fully recommend.

Looking back over my teenage years, all of my odd symptoms that had the doctors stumped now make sense.

• Anemic
• Smells/perfumes causing migraines
• Low blood pressure
• Acne
• Muscle wasting
• Rapid heartbeat
• Fungal infections
• Anxiety
• Protein in urine
• Memory loss
• Brain fog
• Confusion
• Allergic to many medications
• Dizziness
• Hard to regulate body temperature
• Cold sweats
• Sinus Infections

I struggled with random odd symptoms that other people didnt and they never seem to fit together into anything the doctors could treat.

Why did my mosquito bites swell so huge and other people didnt?

Why couldnt I tolerate scented candles or air fresheners?

How come bone broth made others feel better but I felt worse?

I needed to find a way to lower histamine levels fast.

So how do you eliminate histamine in the body?

I began dealing with my gut first.

Resolving your symptoms greatly depends on the reason your histamine levels are high, to begin with.

I spent 2 months on a low fodmap meal plan while taking antibacterial andanti-fungal supplements.

I took Oregano Oil, Olive Leaf, Cats Claw and InterfasePlus.

Taking interface plus was so vital to my feeling better.

It contains a number of enzymes that break down the coating or shell around bacteria and fungus which really boosts how well the oil of oregano and other antifungals work.

Killing off the bad gut bacteria really gave my body the break it needed and assisted in lowering inflammation and lowering histamine levels.

Dealing with mycotoxins.

Candida in the gut create mycotoxins which raise histamine levels.

Mycotoxins also cause inflammation in the brain because they pass the blood-brain barrier.

After 2 months of low fodmap eating and taking bacteria killing supplements, I started to notice a huge difference in how I felt.

Bloating was decreasing, I was thinking clearer, more energy, going to the bathroom more regularly and hope.

I began to have hope that I could get to the bottom of my symptoms. Lowering histamine levels made a world of difference in how I felt.

I want to speak for a moment on antihistamines.

I hear a lot why not just take antihistamines?

First of all, just taking antihistamines would be a band-aid effect. I want to resolve the problem at the root, not take a pill for the rest of my life.

Second, most of my histamine symptoms are neurological in nature. Migraines, rapid heartbeat, confusion, low blood pressure. There isnt an antihistamine for H3 and H4 receptors which control the neurological aspect.

Taking Benadryl may help someone temporarily dealing with hives, but that was never my case.

Many people with histamine intolerance are under methylators. They have a very hard time completing methylation which can cause b12 levels to get dangerously low because its hard for their bodies to absorb.

I started adding Methylated B vitamins to my regimen and immediately noticed a difference in how I felt. Im talking within a few hours I noticed a difference and within days I had mysterious symptoms disappear such as tingling in my hands and feet, different twitches and nerve issues throughout my body.

Other Tricks to Eliminate Histamine in the Body:

1. Drink lots of clean water

Since histamine is water soluble, you can actually dilute histamine in your bloodstream if you feel a flush coming on.

I have avoided several migraines that I felt coming on by drinking a lot of clean water when I felt the histamine release.

Clean water also aids in proper methylation and helps remove toxins in your gut.

We use the Berkey Water Filter to make sure our drinking water is free of pesticides, fluoride, lead, and other toxic chemicals.

2. Temporarily cut out high histamine foods

Often, eating higher histamine foods can push your histamine over the edge. While you are working on reducing inflammation, it may be helpful to cut out those foods.

High histamine foods can include:

• leftovers (meat in particular)
• Vinegar
• Fermented foods
• Aged meats

3. Consider a DAO Supplement

DAO is a natural enzyme that your gut creates to breakdown extra histamine and if your gut is in bad shape, chances are youre not making enough.

By temporarily supplementing with DAO you can essentially eat away the extra histamine in your system thereby reducing your histamine intolerance reactions.

This shouldntbe used as a lifelong supplement but until you have improved your gut health and got a handle on your inflammation.

This Histamine Block by Seeking Health happens to be our favorite.

Its great for bloating, cramping, and food intolerances due to histamine.

4. Manage your stress

Believe it or not, your thoughts play a huge role in your health.Other than not consuming high histamine foods, keeping stress low is a major key to lowering histamine levels. Having an event that I thought was stressful, even an intense conversation would start to trigger symptoms.

Being stressed about a situation can cause mast cells to release histamine into the bloodstream.

When you are stressed, your body produces stress chemicals and turns on the fight or flight responsewhich is often unnecessary.

Unfortunately, your body cant tell the difference between some realistic imaginations and what is really happening.

Taking your thoughts captive, spending time outdoors and asking for a third party opinion of a situation may help give you clarity on your stress.

Its common to take yourself too serious and often all you need is some time outdoors and laughter.

Dont underestimate the role that stress plays in your histamine intolerance. Your perspective on life is so important.

Need some serious help with stress? I address it in this article.

5. Try an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

I can proudly sayof all the diets I have tried for histamine intolerance, the Autoimmune Paleo Diet has been the best for me.

In the past I have tried:

• Keto
• Low Fodmap
• Low-Carb
• Candida Diet

I did find benefits to all these diets but didnt get dramatic relief until finding the AIP Diet. Im sure the reason is that the autoimmune paleo diet goes after inflammation.

If you reduce inflammation you reduce histamine release. Histamine is released because of inflammation.

Related: What I Eat on the AIP Diet

On this AIP diet, I am focused on filling my body with nutrition by eating 6-9 cups of vegetables a day.

I include healthy fats like coconut cream, olive oil, coconut oil, and beef tallow.

You can try my morning Coconut AIP smoothie!

Just several days into the AIP Diet my inflammation started to drain away, migraines disappeared, brain fog lifted, my skin cleared up and my bladder didnt bother me anymore.

Honestly, I was shocked at the results because I feel like I have tried so many other things.

Need a detailed program to follow?

You can find the Autoimmune Elimination Program by Dr. Jockers thats filled with recipe videos, worksheets, meal plans, and supplements.

Finding out what is causing inflammation in your body is a must if you want to reduce histamine levels.

The histamine release will not stop if you continue to eat things you are allergic to.

6. Cut out chemicals

This is huge, I cant tell you the number of times I have smelled fumes off of a new item, cleaners or perfume and got a migraine 10 min later.

I buy clean unscented lotions, deodorants, cleaners, and makeup. These harsh chemicals are not meant to be on your skin or in your food.

I also got rid of our microwave and havent looked back.

It can seem overwhelming to cut out chemicals because they are everywhere but its important to get the big ones like pesticides on produce, fragrances in lotions, and household cleaners.

Take time to read ingredients and if you cant understand them, you probably shouldnt put it on your skin or breath it in.

Related: How to Reduce Toxins in your Home

7. Dont touch any leftover foods.

This one really sounds ridiculous until you realize that leftover food begins to grow bacteria and histamines while it sits in the fridge. I have had some of my worst reactions eating leftover chicken.

Anyone dealing with histamine problems should never eat leftover food. This will lower histamine levels.

8. Stay away from fermented foods.

Fermented foods such as yogurt, vinegar, and saur kraut are supposed to be miracle foods right? Well not if you have histamine issues.

Fermented foods have high histamine levels already so adding them to a body which has high levels will kick off some serious symptoms. Stay away from fermented foods to lower histamine levels.

I do have a probiotic that is low histamine that I can take called Prescript Assist which was designed with low histamine strains of bacteria. In general, you want to consume lower histamine levels in foods.

Conclusion

Remember that histamine isnt the bad guy. Its simply being released because there is some type of inflammation going on in your body whether it be from the food you are eating or something in your environment or stress you are experiencing.

Let me know your favorite ways on how to reduce histamine in the body, in the comments below.