The Effects of Histamine On Health & Performance
Why should you care about histamine when it comes to your health and performance?
Histamine is a very little known about "factor" that can, when left unchecked, severely hinder your muscle and total body recovery, motivation, energy, endurance, strength, focus, wellness, cognition, digestion, blood pressure, response to stress, quality of sleep, and more!
If you want to achieve not just peak, but pleasant, every-day health, wellness and performance, then you need to make sure your body's relationship with histamine is in the right place.
What does histamine do? Is histamine good or bad?
Histamine is a signaling molecule that sends messages between cells; needed for keeping your body free from harmful "foreign invaders" . It also helps keep your immune system healthy and working properly, plays an important role in your sleep-wake cycle, is needed for proper nerve function, and stimulates gastric acid and aids in digestion. Other functions of histamine.
So, yes, when the histamine pathways are in balance, histamine is actually very good for you. But when histamine is unnecessarily built up and overproduced, that's when it's your foe.
What causes histamine problems?
Certain lifestyle, genetic, diet, and environmental irritants all can overstimulate the release of histamine and encourage a build up of histamine inside your body. Gut imbalances are also connected to histamine problems.
Do you have high histamine or symptoms of histamine intolerance?
If you are experiencing these symptoms, you may have a high histamine or histamine intolerance: fatigue, headaches or migraines, gas, bloating and other GI issues, nasal congestion or sinus issues, hives, irregular menstrual cycle, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, painful joints, depression, tissue swelling, unusually sore muscles, high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, anxiety, difficulty regulating body temperature.
What are some foods high in histamine?
Fermented dairy products, such as cheese (especially aged), yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, kefir. Fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut and kimchi pickles or pickled veggies, kombucha. Cured or fermented meats, such as sausages, salami, and fermented ham wine, beer, alcohol, and champagne. Fermented soy products such as tempeh, miso, soy sauce, and natto. Fermented grains, such as sourdough bread. Tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, frozen, salted, or canned fish, such as sardines and tuna, vinegar, tomato, ketchup.
There are also a variety of medications that may negatively interfere with the histamine pathways.
What should I do if I have high histamine or any type of histamine sensitivity?
High histamine or histamine intolerances often go unnoticed due to a lack of knowledge of the condition. It is a huge hidden health epidemic! So, if you are experiencing the negative symptoms of histamine, giving a low histamine diet and lifestyle could really help you feel a lot better. Here are somethings you can try:
1. cut out all high histamine foods (biggest step)
2. minimize exposure to seasonal allergens and environmental irritants
3. focus on optimizing gut health
4. exercise frequently and drink more water
5. anti-histamine medications (ask your doctor first)
6. anti-histamine foods and herbs
7. beet juice
Have any questions or want more info? Let us know!