Histamine Intolerance: Understanding the Science

[Laurie P]

I'm too ill to write much but I can cut and paste and then lay back down! I saw the post about mast cell activation syndrome and wanted to add this. I hope the following is helpful for some people.

From the website:
Diagnosis: Diet
Nutrition Science meets Common Sense
Georgia Ede MD

About Dr. Ede http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/about-dr-ede/

Dr. Ede says:
"I first became interested in nutrition eight years ago, after discovering a new way of eating that completely reversed a number of perplexing health problems I had developed in my early 40’s, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and IBS. This experience led me on a quest to understand why the unorthodox diet that restored my own health is so different from the diet we are taught is healthy."

Further down the page is her "Background and Professional Experience". I'll skip down to the present where she states that "In August 2013 I left Harvard University and closed my Cambridge private practice to become the psychiatrist for Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts."

http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/histamine-intolerance-science/

Histamine Intolerance: Understanding the Science

In this post we take an in-depth look at the science behind the food sensitivity reactions caused by histamine. We’ll explore:

• the fascinating world of biogenic amines
• how histamine forms inside and outside of our bodies
• how histamine affects our physical and mental health
• why some people, especially women, are more sensitive to histamine than others
• and why reactions to high-histamine foods can be so unpredictable and confusing

This page and the whole website is worth checking out if you think what she is describing may apply to your situation. I just turned 50 and have done all kinds of diets since I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia in 1984. I should have gotten an ME/CFS diagnosis in 1983 after Mono and Severe Strep Throat but that didn't come until 1993 along with tons of positive allergy tests. This diet, methylation and some other things were helping me make improvements but then last August a new septic system was put in where I live. A week and a half of construction that kept me awake, the heat of being closed up in AUGUST unable to run air conditioning because of the equipment fumes, and then the exposure to mold from the entire back yard that had been dug up when I could finally run the air conditioning, left me so sick I can barely stand, think or function and now others have to do everything for me. I don't even recognize myself anymore. We desperately need so much research into so many different areas!!!

 

[Cort]

I'm too ill to write much but I can cut and paste and then lay back down! I saw the post about mast cell activation syndrome and wanted to add this. I hope the following is helpful for some people.

From the website:
Diagnosis: Diet
Nutrition Science meets Common Sense
Georgia Ede MD

About Dr. Ede http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/about-dr-ede/

Dr. Ede says:
"I first became interested in nutrition eight years ago, after discovering a new way of eating that completely reversed a number of perplexing health problems I had developed in my early 40’s, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and IBS. This experience led me on a quest to understand why the unorthodox diet that restored my own health is so different from the diet we are taught is healthy."

Further down the page is her "Background and Professional Experience". I'll skip down to the present where she states that "In August 2013 I left Harvard University and closed my Cambridge private practice to become the psychiatrist for Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts."

http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/histamine-intolerance-science/

Histamine Intolerance: Understanding the Science

In this post we take an in-depth look at the science behind the food sensitivity reactions caused by histamine. We’ll explore:

• the fascinating world of biogenic amines
• how histamine forms inside and outside of our bodies
• how histamine affects our physical and mental health
• why some people, especially women, are more sensitive to histamine than others
• and why reactions to high-histamine foods can be so unpredictable and confusing

This page and the whole website is worth checking out if you think what she is describing may apply to your situation. I just turned 50 and have done all kinds of diets since I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia in 1984. I should have gotten an ME/CFS diagnosis in 1983 after Mono and Severe Strep Throat but that didn't come until 1993 along with tons of positive allergy tests. This diet, methylation and some other things were helping me make improvements but then last August a new septic system was put in where I live. A week and a half of construction that kept me awake, the heat of being closed up in AUGUST unable to run air conditioning because of the equipment fumes, and then the exposure to mold from the entire back yard that had been dug up when I could finally run the air conditioning, left me so sick I can barely stand, think or function and now others have to do everything for me. I don't even recognize myself anymore. We desperately need so much research into so many different areas!!!

Thanks Laurie...the more I hear about histamine - and I didn't hear about it until a couple of years ago - the I want to learn about it.

 

[Issie]

Laurie, I have MCAS and exposure to mold caused me a bad crash. Start looking into mold treatment. You also need to get away from it.

Issie

 

[Veet]

Here are some other resources, and a good food list.

http://lowhistaminechef.com/

The Many Faces of Histamine Intolerance http://healthypixels.com/?p=1044

http://thelowhistaminechef.com/wondering-why-you-react-to-everything-you-eat/

http://thelowhistaminechef.com/these-probiotic-strains-lower-histamine-rather-than-raising-it/


http://selfhacked.com/2014/08/01/deal-histamine/

http://www.histaminintoleranz.ch/download/SIGHI-FoodCompatibilityList_HIT(EN).pdf

 

[Laurie P]

While I don't think Dr. Ede represents ME/CFS (more abled ME/CFS sufferers may want to add to her blogs to enlighten people), she got better from changing her diet and some of the things that she talks about are very different than what we usually hear. I especially found the section on foods really interesting.

For example, under Vegetables http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/foods/ she says:

We are told that vegetables are powerful and virtuous—that they fight off cancer, sweep our digestive systems clean, and strengthen our immune system —that they can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Yet vegetables have a dark side. They don’t want to be eaten any more than animals do, and use sophisticated chemical weapons to defend themselves…
​

Under Is Broccoli Good for You? Meet the Crucifer Family… http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/is-broccoli-good-for-you/ she says:

How does sulforaphane kill tiny living creatures, and why should you care?

You should care because sulforaphane can do the very same things to your cells that it does to the cells of the little guys:

• Poisons mitochondria (cell energy generators)
• Inhibits microsomal enzymes in the endoplasmic reticulum (cellular manufacturing and detoxifying centers)
• Generates reactive oxygen species (these are damaging “pro-oxidants”)
• Interferes with thyroid iodine absorption
• Disrupts epithelial barriers (can poke holes in sheets of cells)
• Depletes glutathione levels (the most important antioxidant inside our cells)

All of the above mechanisms explain how sulforaphane can kill small living creatures. In research studies it has also been demonstrated that sulforaphane can kill healthy human cells and can cause cancerous changes in human cells.

It may come as a surprise to you to learn that this sulforaphane is the very same broccoli ingredient that we are told is responsible for the health benefits of broccoli.​

Food for thought for people thinking about how food may me impacting their ME/CFS!

People may also want to look into Tyramine. Histamine and Tyramine turned out to both be huge migraine triggers for me. There are many lists out there and unfortunately there are often lots of differences from list to list. This is a list I started with because it's stricter and I was looking for that http://www.mastocytosis.ca/MSC HT Restricted Diet Nov2012.pdf

Lastly, also for other migraine sufferers, I have found FL-41 tinted glasses really helpful for photophobia, migraines, using the computer and helping me sleep. A friend of mine who also has ME/CFS but doesn't have photophobia or migraines has also found the glasses useful for computing and sleep. We both bought the Axon Optics brand. You can get them from Axon Optics. Amazon also usually has a few styles in stock. I should also note that I had tried several pink tined sunglasses and didn't find them anymore useful then regular sunglasses. But the FL-41 tint is very unique and helpful. I just got the glasses for Christmas but I wish I had gotten them years ago when I first learned about them.