Do you suffer from allergies? These lead to symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, headaches, and hives. These symptoms are associated with a high histamine count in your body, which is why they are usually addressed by using antihistamines. However, in addition to allergies, other conditions like mast cell activation syndrome and an intolerance to histamines in foods can lead to similar symptoms. Following a low histamine diet can help, but you still need vitamin C. This is where low histamine sources of vitamin C can help. We will take a look at a few of these sources.
Histamine is an organic compound released by the cells in your body when your body encounters an allergen. This may result from exposure to environmental factors or from certain foods you eat. The white blood cells in your body release histamine when your immune system springs into action to defend your body from harm.
In many cases, however, your immune system may identify something we regard harmless as a threat. Pollen is a good example of this. And many times your body overreacts when presented with what it identifies as a threat and produces histamine. This typically leads to the various symptoms associated with allergies manifesting. We refer to things that cause this type of histamine overreaction as "triggers".
The moment it encounters an allergy trigger, your immune system starts a chain reaction specifically designed to defend your body against any type of damage. It usually starts by sending out chemical messengers to mast cells in your nose, skin, lungs, gut, mouth, and blood that indicate your survival is at stake. These mast cells respond to this stimulus by releasing histamines.
Histamines immediately move to the areas affected and increase blood flow to the area to start getting rid of what your body perceives as a foreign invader, or a pathogen. Inflammation occurs which, in turn, allows other immune system chemicals to address whatever is wrong. If the target area is your nose, histamine will promote mucus production. This may result in typical allergy symptoms like a runny or stopped nose and sneezing. You may also cough due to mucus running down the back of your throat. In this sense, histamines do an excellent job of protecting your body.
A typical histamine reaction does not last long. But some people may experience frequent periods of high histamine production. We refer to this condition as Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). People with this condition tend to suffer from repeated episodes of symptoms relating to anaphylaxes that include breathing issues, low blood pressure, diarrhea, hives, and swelling.
Some people also experience histamine intolerance. Often referred to as "enteral histaminases," people with the condition have a sensitivity to dietary histamines and an impaired ability to metabolize histamine from the foods they eat. This means that, in contrast to food allergies, where the body responds to foods with high histamine production, people with histamine intolerance have a reaction to natural histamines in foods.
Taking low histamine sources of vitamin C may help, particularly if you deal with histamine intolerance.
Your Inflammation Circuit is part of your body’s NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response. Your immune system, gastrointestinal tract, and microbiome regulate your Inflammation Circuit.
Inflammation itself is not a bad thing. It indicates that your body is working at healing itself. But sometimes, as in the case of MCAS, for example, you may see inflammation dysregulation occur due to very high histamine levels. An inflammation system in a state of imbalance could result in many conditions associated with inflammation. These include the following:
Addressing inflammation may help with many of these issues. For those with food sensitivities or allergies, an integrated approach that incorporates low histamine sources of vitamin C may be a good option.
While most people know that vitamin C has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, few know that it provides mast cell support as well. By providing mast cell support, it helps with the regulation of histamine release.
It works differently than antihistamines bought from a drugstore. Manufactured antihistamines work by blocking your body’s histamine receptors. Vitamin C, on the other hand, may help reduce the amount of histamine your body produces. It does so by promoting the production of diamine oxidase. This is an enzyme that degrades histamine.
A vitamin C deficiency could thus result in higher histamine levels.
However, many vitamin C supplements have a high concentration of histamine. As a result, they may increase your body’s histamine levels.
Vitamin C supplements high in histamine or that may aggravate symptoms related to histamine sensitivity include the following:
Fortunately, there are also good low histamine sources of vitamin C. These include the following:
Fortunately, you can do much to help lower your histamine levels.
Besides taking low histamine sources of vitamin C, you should also consider your diet in general when trying to lower histamine levels. Even if you have no intolerances for certain foods, their higher histamine content could affect your histamine levels.
You should thus follow a healthy diet that leaves out fermented foods, citrus, and aged meats. Bananas, aged cheese, cocoa, legumes, shellfish, and strawberries also have high histamine levels, as do canned and packaged goods.
Instead, focus on eating a variety of organic fresh fruits and vegetables, lean beef, poultry, fish, and whole grains. Broccoli and cauliflower are both considered low histamine sources of vitamin C. You should also cut down on your sugar consumption as sugar has an inflammatory effect on your body.
Several herbal remedies have antihistamine properties. These natural histamine blockers include stinging nettle leaf, turmeric, and quercetin. We find the compound quercetin in green tea, red wine, onions, and apples, amongst others.
If you have allergies, pollen can spike your histamine levels. If possible, limit your outside exposure on days when the pollen count is high. You could also consider washing your hair before going to bed. This helps limit the amount of pollen you transmit to your pillow when you go to sleep at night.
Taking probiotics encourages gut health. This makes sense as your gut health, immune system health, and inflammatory response share a close connection. Furthermore, a diverse gut microbiome promotes a healthy immune response, reducing inflammation and allergy symptoms.
Air purifiers can reduce the amount of pollen, mold, pet dander, and dust in your home. These are common causes of allergies. By limiting the amount of these allergens in your home, you may also help reduce your body’s histamine release.
If you are dealing with allergy symptoms from actual allergies, MCAS, or histamine intolerance, reducing histamine exposure may help. You still need vitamin C, however, so low histamine sources of vitamin C may be needed. Some good sources include camu camu, magnesium ascorbate, and blueberries.
If you would like to know more about reducing your histamine levels and low histamine sources of vitamin C, the team at Dr. Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free** no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234 where we will privately discuss any concerns you may have on the matter. You can also leave us a question through the Ask The Doctor system by clicking here.
If you are dealing with allergies and adrenal fatigue, your allergy symptoms could be a major stressor on your body. Following a low histamine diet could help if you are sensitive to these foods. Thus, low histamine sources of vitamin C provide adrenal support in a roundabout way. Vitamin C is also important for adrenal support.
