We produce histamine naturally in our bodies and we also consume it though foods like wine, cheese, and fermented vegetables. Foods like citrus, pineapple, and tomatoes don’t make contain high levels of this chemical, but they do stimulate histamine release from immune cells. The body metabolizes histamine and gets rid of it through two enzymes, called HNMT and DAO. This all seems pretty unfair, but it can be explained by simple biology. As we mentioned before, mast cells store and produce histamine, but they also have estrogen and progesterone receptors1. When estrogen binds to its receptors on these cells, it causes histamine to be made and released. This means that the more estrogen you have, the more histamine you will produce. At the same time, histamine increases estrogen production. As you can imagine, this creates a vicious histamine-estrogen cycle. Estrogen also affects histamine metabolism by reducing DAO enzyme activity. In other words, estrogen makes your body produce more and excrete less histamine, contributing to histamine intolerance. Still not convinced about the connection between hormones and histamine? Histamine-intolerant women tend to experience more headaches at ovulation or right before their periods (times of the month when estrogen is elevated4), histamine also increases contractions of smooth muscle cells, and histamine-intolerant women tend to have more menstrual cramping, possibly due to histamine-induced contractions4 in the uterus. Reducing stress can also help balance your hormones for healthier histamine levels. This is because stress can lower progesterone levels and allow estrogen and histamine to dominate. If you have hormone or histamine issues, mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques like yoga and meditation are important to incorporate into your routine. Finally, let’s not forget about the role of the gut in getting rid of both estrogen and histamine. Certain types of bad gut bacteria interfere with estrogen detoxification, causing more of it to circulate back into the body and increase estrogen load6. To combat this, make sure you’re getting plenty of fiber in your diet to feed beneficial bacteria and keep things moving along. If you follow these steps but continue to experience symptoms of histamine intolerance and estrogen dominance, consult with a functional medicine practitioner who can run more labs and provide an individualized food and nutrient plan. While you may be tempted to experiment with topical progesterone and botanicals that balance hormones, it’s wise to not mess with them on your own and have your practitioner test and target your own specific imbalances.
