Low Histamine Part II
I decided to stay on the histamine/food relationship topic
for a bit longer. I do believe,
wholeheartedly, that what we eat makes a huge difference. Unfortunately, I’m at that “what do I eat, I
think nothing” point in my life. That’s
only because I’m currently coming out of a flare and I do not want to
relapse. My food options are actually
opening back up compared to where I was at two months ago but, again, I do not
want to relapse. So, the goal now is to
introduce high nutrient, low histamine food into my diet. I also believe that inflammation is a key
culprit in wreaking havoc on our bodies.
If we can manage the inflammation through diet and exercise, we may not
notice as much of a problem with the MCAS.
That Paleo Guy perfectly states “Histamine is a chemical which occurs naturally in certain foods. This
is also one of the chemicals that is released in the body as part of an
allergic reaction, causing the typical ‘itching, sneezing, wheezing, swelling’
allergy symptoms. We all have an enzyme (Diamine oxidase [DAO]) which breaks
down any histamine that we absorb from a histamine-containing food, so when we
eat a food which contains histamine it does not affect us. However some people
have a low level of this enzyme, and when they eat too many histamine-rich foods,
they may suffer ‘allergy-like’ symptoms such as headaches, rashes, itching, diarrhea
and vomiting or abdominal pain. This is called histamine intolerance. Some
studies have also suggested links between histamine intolerance and urticaria,
asthma, eczema and anxiety and panic attacks.”
There are different techniques in approaching managing the
histamine however mine will start with avoiding most of the following foods
listed below. I say most because it is
summer and harvest season is upon us so I may indulge out of our garden a bit. Also, I have an aversion to eliminating foods
that are really good for us and replacing them with wheat, dairy or meat. I love all three of these food choices but by
now, we all know that these foods cause inflammation. I’ve been dabbling a bit with eating a ton of
fruits and veggies in hopes of permanently moving my plate in this direction
but for now it’s just baby steps! Feel
free to join me in pulling a few of the items below off your plate and see how
you feel!!!!
- All seafood including shellfish or fin fish, fresh, frozen, smoked or canned
- Egg (a small quantity in a baked product such as pancakes, muffins, cakes is usually tolerated)
- Processed, smoked and fermented meats such as luncheon meat, sausage, weiner, bologna, salami, pepperoni
- Leftover meat: eat freshly cooked meat ONLY (side note from Jackie—After meat is cooked, the histamine levels increase due to microbial action as the meat sits.)
- All fermented milk products, including cheese (any milk product that is curdled rather than fermented is allowed, such as cottage cheese, ricotta cheese)
- Cheese products such as processed cheese, cheese slices, cheese spreads
Yogurt, buttermilk, kefir - Orange
Grapefruit - Lemon
- Lime
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Cranberries
- Loganberries
- Apricot
- Pineapple
- Dates
- Raisins
- Prunes
- Currants
- Relishes
- Pickles
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Ketchup
- Tomato sauces
- Tartrazine and other artificial food colors
- Preservatives, esp. benzoates, sulfites and BHA, BHT
- Cinnamon
- Chili powder
- Cloves
- Anise
- Nutmeg
Curry powder - Hot paprika (cayenne)
- Fermented soy products
- Fermented food
- Tea—herbal or regular
- Chocolate, cocoa, and cola drinks
- Alcohol
- Vinegar and foods containing vinegar such as pickles, relishes, ketchup, and prepared mustard
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