Histamines are chemicals our immune system makes & helps our body get rid of something bothering us: allergy or allergens. Histamines start the process that get these allergens away from your body or off the skin. They can make you itch or sneeze or whatever that makes you get rid of that undesirable thing. When you have allergies-some of your triggers -pollen or dust are harmless. However your immune system considers them as a threat & responds. Although your body’s intention is to keep you safe, histamine’s overreaction can give you all those familiar symptoms.
When you come across such an allergy trigger, your body launches a series of actions to defend you. First it sends a chemical signal – “release histamine” to “mast” cells in your skin, nose, lungs, gut, mouth & blood. When histamine leaves “mast” cells, it boosts blood flow in the area of the body which is affected by allergen. This results in inflammation which lets other chemicals in your immune system do the repair work. Histamines then dock at receptors in your body.
Let us take an example of the nose impacted by trigger dust, Histamines prompt membranes to make more mucus. This makes you get a runny nose & then you sneeze. The mucus can also impact your throat & make you cough. If you have a food allergy & you eat or drink something which you shouldn’t have, histamine will work into your gut to trigger an allergic reaction. Some foods such as aged foods & high fermented ones are naturally high in histamines.
Histamine is important for your brain function. It suppresses your appetite, wakes you up & lets you know when you are thirsty. However too much brain histamine can cause problems.
Are genetics involved in Histamine Intolerance? Let us dig into this further. There are certain variations of DNA building blocks that can set you up for Histamine issues.Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms or SNP have been talk of town to figure out what makes one person react to a particular drug or environmental exposure. This is what makes us unique. Histamine is a regular part of our immune response as well as our nervous systems- acting as a transmitter. The problem is when it does not get broken down & accumulates in our body.
HNMT (histamine N-methyltransferase) and DAO (diamine oxidase) are two enzymes that control the breakdown of histamine in our body. If there are genetic mutations(SNP) in these genes, Histamine may not be broken down properly resulting in unwarranted symptoms.
As discussed above there are certain SNP(s) which can result in predisposition to histamine intolerance &/or number of diseases, allergies & illnesses along with other factors involved. It is the interplay between your genes & environment that can be a contributing factor to histamine intolerance. Therefore by managing epigenetics- impact of external/environmental factors on how gene functions & controlling our environment- diet & lifestyle, we can offset our genetic susceptibilities. Reducing histamine producing foods and adding those that are anti-inflammatory in nature or raise your levels of DAO can help you overcome this intolerance.
