Have you heard of anti-histamine foods? When you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or MCAS, the key to success is to find the foods you can tolerate. Foods that are high in histamine should generally be avoided, but your individual constitution will determine what you can tolerate. Foods that are low in histamine are generally considered safe. And then there are foods that actually lower histamine or anti-histamine foods. When you include anti-histamine foods in your meals you can ameliorate some of the negative effects of eating higher histamine foods.
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Look for anti-histamine foods
One example of how this works is with my favorite chicken sausage. Ground meats are more likely to build up histamine before consumption because they have a high surface area. But this brand of sausage includes a lot of rosemary in the recipe. Rosemary is an anti-histamine food, therefore it reduces the amount of histamine in the body.
I had read in MCAS groups on Facebook about these sausages being tolerated by quite a few people, so I gave them a try, and was pleasantly surprised! Up until this point I had been avoiding all meat except these frozen chicken breasts, so having this new meat available in my diet opened my world to more food variety. After some trial and error, I found that I can also tolerate AmyLu’s Chicken Gouda Apple Sausages. Of course, if my “bucket” (see this post) is too full I don’t risk it.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. MCAS is serious and disabling and people with MCAS experience often significant and debilitating symptoms daily, including anaphylaxis, which can be fatal.
MCAS is often found in combination with other chronic conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Frequently healthcare providers do not know about MCAS, and the tests for MCAS are problematic because they are not uniformly reliable. MCAS can be difficult to manage. Treatments include blocking mast cell mediators with anti-histamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers.
Check out this post on how to manage MCAS.
What is histamine?
This is a great explanation of what histamine is from Low Histamine Eats,
“Histamine is a natural inflammatory substance released by the mast cells, which are a type of white blood cell responsible for immediate reactions to perceived allergens. When your histamine level overloads in one area of the body, it leads to inflammation, which can result in food allergy symptoms and even have a cascading effect upon the body.
Histidine decarboxylase (HDC) is the sole member of the histamine synthesis pathway, producing histamine out of the amino acid histidine in a one-step reaction (with Vitamin B6 as a cofactor).
This means that histamine can be produced very quickly, an evolutionary trait that is helpful for alerting you to danger, but less helpful if your immune system has begun interpreting everything as dangerous. So while mast cells are an integral part of the body’s immune response to foreign substances, sometimes they can become unstable and overreact to certain foods.”
When histamine is problematic
There are three situations that histamine is a problem when you have MCAS or histamine intolerance: “ingested histamine, low DAO (diamine oxidase, which clears histamine), and histamine-liberating foods.”
- Ingested histamine – eating foods that are high in histamine. Classic examples are tomatoes, citrus fruits, cured meats, bananas, peanuts, fish, shellfish, and fermented foods
- Low DAO – diamine oxidase is the compound that clears histamine from the body. When it is low you are not able to clear histamine effectively, and histamine builds up.
- Histamine-liberating foods – these are foods that cause more histamine to be released, such as egg whites.
The bucket theory
The Bucket Theory offers a helpful analogy for understanding symptom reactions with MCAS.
Think of your body as an empty bucket that you want to keep from overflowing. Different foods and activities fill your histamine bucket at different speeds but combine to form the total level of histamine in your body (how full your bucket is). A fuller bucket means you have more histamine symptoms. When you manage triggers, reduce exposure to known triggers, and take medications and supplements to reduce histamine, you can manage the level of your bucket.
Evaluate your symptoms
So before introducing new foods into your diet, the place to start with your inquiry is with your symptom progression.
Know your typical symptom progression
Knowing your symptom progression in a symptom flare is the key to developing your own rescue plan. In this post, I discuss how to determine your own symptom progression. Once you know what typically happens in your symptom progression you can design a rescue plan to address those symptoms.
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Anti-histamine foods
The following is a comprehensive list of anti-histamine foods broken down by type from Low Histamine Eats. Including these foods in your diet may help to counteract the effects of eating foods higher in histamine. Keep in mind that your individual food tolerances will depend on the level of your bucket. And also, some of the following foods are not compatible with a keto diet. I’ve added some of the foods that I have found from other sources to be low in histamine and removed some foods that are problematic with a keto diet.
Anti-histamine Herbs
- Basil (esp. Holy Basil)
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Lemongrass
- Mint (Spearmint, Peppermint)
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
Antihistamine Spices
Antihistamine Vegetables
- Artichoke
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli (& Broccolini)
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Dandelion Root (also good as tea)
- Greens (Mustard, Collard)
- Onion
- Pea shoots (my addition)
- Radish
- Squashes (other than pumpkin)
- Watercress
- Zucchini
Antihistamine Fruits
- Apples (in small amounts for the Keto diet)
- Pomegranate (in small quantities for the Keto diet)
- Blueberries (in small quantities for the Keto diet)
- Blackberries (in small quantities for the Keto diet)
- Mangoes (in small quantities for the Keto diet)
- Raspberries (in small quantities for the Keto diet)
Other Natural Antihistamines
- Aloe Vera (anti-inflammatory in small doses)
- Fresh Capers (preserved in salt & rinsed before use are also ok)
- Hibiscus (great as a tea or chopped up and added to stews)
- Monk Fruit Powder (as a powerful sweetener)
- Moringa (stabilizes mast cells)
- Spirulina (inhibits histamine release)
- Stinging Nettle (great for tea, or adding to smoothies in powdered form)
How to use anti-histamine foods to lower histamine
For lunch, I like to eat a salad that contains pea shoots, or pea tendrils as they are sometimes called, capers, pomegranate, lettuce, ricotta cheese, olive oil, and sea salt. Pomegranates, pea shoots, and capers are all histamine-lowering.
In the summer months, I make Lower Histamine Pesto with fresh herbs from my garden. I’ve had excellent results with basil, cilantro, dill, lemon balm, and mint (using the herbs separately, not combined).
Monk fruit is my preferred sweetener. For baking, I like to use ChocZero Sugar-Free Maple Syrup because it contains monk fruit and no erythritol.
On the rare occasion that I eat fruit (it’s relatively high in carbohydrates), I like to have pomegranate pips, blueberries, or mango. I love this mango ice cream recipe in the hot summer months.
I like to make this Lower Histamine Thai Style Curry that contains greens, garlic, ginger, and turmeric.
What do you think?
I’d love to have your reply to this post below!
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