Skin & Histamine
So what is histamine and how does it impact skin health?
Simplistically, histamine is the signalling chemical substance that ‘explodes’ out of an immune cell called a Mast Cell when it degranulates. Histamine is the substance that, once in the bloodstream, sends signals throughout your body to ‘do what it can to remove the allergen substance’, therefore often triggers allergy symptoms such as sneezing, running nose, watering eyes, itching and in very severe cases anaphylaxis symptoms such as hives, diarrhoea, swelling and restricted breathing.
Is some people, histamine may be one of the triggers to exacerbating their skin condition (particularly Eczema). One of the impacts of histamine release is that it makes the body’s blood vessels expand, causing the skin around the histamine release site to become itchy and swollen. Add this to skin which is already itchy and dry, and it really is an unpleasant sensation.
As mentioned, histamine resides in Mast Cells which are one of our immune cells. A severe histamine intolerance can also be termed Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) since Mast Cells co-ordinate immune responses to toxins / allergens / infections agents. The difference between a standard allergic reaction and an MCAS reaction is the speed at which a reaction happens; MCAS reactions may occur literally after a bite-or-two of a foodstuff or within seconds of Mast Cells reacting to the allergen, which then produces severe symptoms from the aforementioned list in addition highly exacerbated skin condition flares. Although this is very rare, it remains a possibility in severe cases of unresolved skin conditions.
So how can this be managed nutritionally? Below are the main high histamine foods which you may want to try avoiding for a short period of time (initially try six weeks) to see if it makes a difference to your skin health.
Aged, fermented and processed foods such as cheeses, fermented fish, sauerkraut, kimchi, and processed meat
Alcohol (especially beer and red wine)
Aubergine
Chocolate
Dried Fruits
Tomatoes
And here is a list of the notably low histamine foods, as well as foods which may help activate the DAO enzyme (this is the enzyme which helps break-down histamine within external food sources) which you can include in your daily diet.
Fresh meat and fish (i.e. clean [organic], lean proteins)
Eggs (if you are not allergic)
Most fresh fruits and vegetables (some legumes may trigger histamine release – you will need to consult a Registered Nutritionist to safely assess & discover your specific histamine-releasing triggers)
Quinoa
REMEMBER: if you are taking any medications always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist as well as your Doctor before making significant dietary or lifestyle changes. This blog post is written for educational purposes only and in reference to ‘food’. It is NOT advocating taking dietary supplements. It is very important to please always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist or your Doctor before introducing any dietary supplements into your health regime as these qualified professionals will be able to offer personalised recommendations.
If you are struggling with skin and/or nutrient (im)balance issues and you want to discover the inspiring & sustainable diet & lifestyle programmes offered by Nutritional Therapy, get in touch via the Contact Me page on this website, or directly on info@eatdrinkthinknutrition.co.uk for more information about 1:2:1 Consultations with Eat Drink Think Nutrition®.
