Seasonal Allergies

Allergies

Nov 4

Seasonal allergies are the result of an upset off immune system due to a compromised digestive tract in combination with too much histamine, insufficient DAO activity, or a combination of both.

When it comes to allergies, one thing for sure is that your immune system is not in balance.

Gut issues, often times leaky gut, IBS and SIBO from dietary allergens and an imbalanced gut microbiome lead to an over reactive immune system that will show itself as seasonal allergies.

This is because about 80% of your immune system is associated with your gut!

The number one thing you can do to improve your allergies is…

HEAL YOUR GUT

There are several ways your gut is contributing to seasonal allergies.

1. Leaky gut is causing your immune system to overreact.

2. Your gut bacteria populations contain too few histamine-degrading bacteria and/or too many histamine-converting bacteria.

Reasons for this include pathogenic invasion, dietary factors, antibiotic use, chronic stress and other environmental and lifestyle influences.

How can we heal seasonal allergies?

1. Food choices

- Eliminating food allergens in order for the gut to heal. This could mean taking the top 4 allergens out of the diet for 30 days (wheat, dairy, eggs, and yeast) and seeing how you feel while reintroducing one back in at a time and seeing if symptoms return.

-Another option is taking an IgG delayed food allergy test to know for sure which foods you are having an issue with. Eating allergens wreak havoc on your gut lining, allowing large particles to pass through unwarranted causing your immune system to go on hyper-alert because of all the foreign invaders entering the system. This is what is known as a leaky gut.

- Removing processed foods

· Sugar

· Industrial oils (corn, soybean, canola, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower)

· Refined grains

· Additives, stabilizers, food colorings, gums…

- Fill your diet with whole, real foods

- Healthy fats (EVOO, small fish, avocados, grass fed butter, nuts, seeds)

- Prebiotics (unless you do have SIBO or IBS, in this case you would benefit more from a low FODMAP diet)

-Certain probiotics that don’t contribute histamine.

- Low histamine diet

What are histamines? Organic nitrogenous compounds made by your immune cells (mast cells) which tell your body to get rid of something that it sees as a threat. Histamine starts the chain reaction of riding an unwanted invader via sneezing, itching, coughing, sweating, flushing, and eventually leading to fatigue and irritability. When your body is creating a histamine response to harmless substances such as pollen, dust, or pet dander this is a sign that your immune system is overreacting. Histamines boost blood flow to the affected area causing inflammation. Inflammation is the underlying issue in nearly all chronic diseases.

Some foods are high in histamines:

Primarily: alcohol (mainly beer and wine), aged cheeses and other fermented dairy, “soured” foods, fermented and pickled (vinegar) foods such as sauerkraut, kombucha, pickles, smoked meats such as salami, ham and sausages, smoked and canned fish, shellfish, dried fruit, beans, nuts that have been stored for a long time such as peanuts, walnuts, cashews, chocolate, and potentially tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, and citrus.

Note: the older the food is, the more likely it has histamine. This applies to leftovers and pre-made foods. This is because the longer a food sits around the more the bacteria are breaking down histidine into histamine. Histamine is also made in the fermentation process such as with wine.

The number one culprit to be sure you have a horrible time with allergies is alcohol. It not only contains histamine but also blocks DAO (the enzyme that breaks down histamine) and throws the gut microbiome out of balance.

Histamine levels in foods vary depending on ripeness, maturity and cleanliness. Fresh produce is the lowest. When an allergy sufferer minimizes their intake of histamine through food, they are allowing the enzyme DAO to be available to deal with the response from the pollen or other environmental allergens.

Low histamine foods: most fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and fresh meat.

2. Supplements to heal and support

- Probiotics-

· Some probiotics are high in histamine though so this is not a blanket statement to all probiotics.

· Beneficial ones include:

· Bifidobacterium infantis

· Lactobacillus gasseri

· Bifidobacterium breve

· Bifidobacterium bifidum

· Lactobacillus salivarius

· Lactobacillus rhamnosus (especially GG)

· Bifidobacterium longum – Known to be a histamine degrading probiotic. It may help reduce the post-meal inflammatory response and prevent or improve intestinal hyperpermeability (“leaky gut syndrome”).

· Bifidobacterium lactis

· Lactobacillus plantarum

· Brand names:

o Mega spore biotic to heal leaky gut

o Low Histamine Probiotic – Flora Symmetry

o ProBiota HistaminX

-Non probiotic supplements:

- L-glutamine

- Zinc

- Fish oil/omega 3 (3g/day)

- High-quality multivitamin (Thorne or Pure Encapsulations)

- Potentially HCL and digestive enzymes

- Herbs: nettles, holy basil, parsley, thyme, turmeric, chamomile, ginger.

- Diamine oxidase (DAO) is the enzyme in the body that breaks down histamine. You can supplement with DAO to help stop histamine buildup. Know that Vitamin B6 and B12 are essential cofactors of DAO.

- Quercetin: (5g/day) A natural plant flavonoid, a natural antihistamine, and an anti-inflammatory. Helps stabilize cells and prevent them from releasing histamine—foods high in quercetin which is an antihistamine- apples, broccoli, onions, fennel.

3. Reduce toxicity

- Manage stress, because stress is toxic!

- Adequate sleep, so your body can process the stresses from the day and take time to heal.

- Relaxation techniques such as taking walks, bike rides, doing yoga, tai chi, meditation, gardening, enjoying calm music, getting massaged, and taking a bath. These improve the immune system and bring down cortisol levels.

- Eating organic to reduce toxic sprays on your food.

- Using household cleaners that are natural and non-toxic.

- Evaluating which medications/pharmaceutics you are taking on a regular basis such as NSAIDs.

- Know that hidden infections may be the trigger.

4. Other things that can help

-C reactive protein blood test shows hidden inflammation in the body

- Exercise!

“Many of your gut bacteria break down histamine. If you get an imbalance in your gut due to antibiotics, stress, or a diet high in processed foods, the good bacteria strains lessen and you'll have more of the pathogenic bacteria,which may lead to impaired histamine degradation and increased histamine load. But here's the catch - certain probiotic strains are histamine-producing, while other strains are histamine-degrading which should improve your symptoms. If you have too much of the histamine-producing kind and not enough of the other, then you're in trouble.” (7)

Advice from Mark Sisson ——

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/seasonal-allergies-treatment/

“One of the best strategies to alleviate those miserable symptoms is to steer clear of alcohol and other histamine-containing foods. As far as alcohol goes, wine (both red and white) seems to be the worst instigator. Sulfites are part of the issue with these drinks, but histamines that result during the fermentation process also wreak havoc. If you have allergy issues, consider avoiding other foods subject to aging and fermentation like aged cheese, pickles, and sauerkraut. And as for yeast, it’s one more reason to ditch bread. Grapes and ciders can be culprits as well.

My own nearly debilitating seasonal allergies literally disappeared when I got rid of grains (and cut the chronic cardio). It may have been related to the autoimmune connection between anti-nutrients/leaky gut and hypersensitivity to proteins in grass seeds and pollen (grains are grass seeds). Many MDA readers report a dramatic reduction in hay fever or allergy symptoms when cutting grains.”

Advice from Mark Hyman——-

https://drhyman.com/blog/2016/06/24/4-steps-to-getting-rid-of-seasonal-allergies/

1. Replace bad with good. An elimination diet becomes the first step for a healthy gut. The simple foundation of Functional Medicine is taking out the bad and putting in the good. Eliminate common toxic triggers like wheat, corn, dairy, soy and alcohol. Eat a whole foods, high-fiber diet that is rich in anti-inflammatory plant chemicals called phytonutrients. Avoid anything that contains sugar or trans fats. Focus on eating healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil, nuts, avocados, and omega-3 fats like those found in small fish (sardines, herring, sable, wild-caught salmon).

2. Use powerful gut-healing nutrients – including probiotics, which provide good bacteria to improve digestion and reduce inflammation. Other gut-healing nutrients include glutamine, zinc, curcumin, and fish oil. I always recommend a high-quality multivitamin. Quercetin (which has anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine properties) and nettles can also relieve symptoms of allergies. You can find these and other allergy-relieving supplements in my store.

3. Manage stress. A mind-body disconnect can mean being stressed out, wired and tired, damaging your gut and worsening seasonal allergies. Practice relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation every day.

4. Get adequate sleep. Optimal sleep is crucial for gut health and overall health. Research shows inadequate sleep shortens your lifespan and increases inflammation, which can lead to chronic disease. Insufficient sleep can also increase your risk for diabetes through insulin resistance, paving the way for diabesity. Aim for at least eight hours of uninterrupted, deep sleep every night. To help meet that quota, check out my eight simple hacks for a better night’s sleep.

5. Also, consider a very important blood test called C-reactive protein, which measures the degree of hidden inflammation in your body. Almost every modern disease is caused by or affected by hidden inflammation, including heart disease, cancer, obesity, dementia, arthritis, autoimmune disease, allergies and digestive disorders.

Thanks for reading!

Resources:

1https://drhyman.com/blog/2016/06/24/4-steps-to-getting-rid-of-seasonal-allergies/

2https://www.webmd.com/allergies/what-are-histamines#2

3https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histamine

4https://the30clean.com/blog/natural-remedies-allergies/

5https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170301142203.htm

6https://www.histamineintolerance.org.uk/about/the-food-diary/the-food-list/

7https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/histamines-and-fermented-foods/

8https://www.chirofarm.com/blog/diet-seasonal-allergies

9https://www.heyheymae.com/hey-hey-lifestyle-blog/2020/3/3/h4vvirsw3g0g5xr8zzcvij3vztsi02

10https://factvsfitness.com/probiotics-histamine-intolerance/