Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall. Yesterday at 10:59 AM EST was the Autumnal Equinox, marking the beginning of Autumn. The word equinox comes from the Latin “aequus” meaning equal and “nox” meaning night. The Earth’s axis is neither tilted toward nor away from the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth’s equator. The equinox is a time of balance, the length of the days and nights are equal. As we move through the Fall towards Winter, the light will wane as the days shorten and the nights lengthen.
The autumnal equinox is celebrated by the Pagan holiday Mabon (pronounced May-bon). It is a time that is associated with Deep Mystery, our connection to the Spirit world, and giving thanks for the fruits of the harvest. It is often traditional to eat spicy warming ginger at this time, a root that is very soothing for digestion.
Digestion, and the Gut-Brain connection are a central Deep Mystery in my life, and in the lives of some of my patients. The more I learn, the more awed I am at its complexity, and the more I appreciate that one size does not fit all, and not even most.
I have felt an increased pressure to integrate my thoughts about all of this, as I am going to do a workshop on digestion at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA next month. How do GAPS, FODMAPS and Histamine Intolerance fit together? My working hypothesis is that all of them share a common pathophysiology of enterocyte dysfunction. Enterocytes are the important cells that comprise the mucosa that lines the intestinal tract. They provide both a mechanical barrier and are also metabolically active. They are both essential to the integrity of the gut wall and for the metabolism and absorption of nutrients. When damaged, not only do substances which belong inside the gut leak out into the periphery causing inflammation in the body and the brain, but the cells cannot carry out their essential functions of metabolizing and transporting our food. They cannot produce the necessary enzymes to metabolize short chain carbohydrates in those individuals sensitive to FODMAPS, and cannot effectively deal with ingested or endogenous histamine release, resulting in Histamine Intolerance. I believe that both FODMAPS and Histamine Intolerance are not primary conditions, but rather secondary manifestations which have resulted from gut inflammation and damage via dysbiosis.
What does this mean for treatment? I recommend implementing the GAPS Healing Protocol to deal with the underlying gut damage and inflammation. If an individual shows no improvement, and is continuing to have adverse reactions to permissible GAPS foods, then certain FODMAPS foods and/or foods resulting in Histamine Intolerance need to avoided. This can only be determined by careful detailed self observation, as everyone is so different, and even the same individual may also react differently over time.
A food diary is an essential tool to track your responses to your diet. It requires dedication and detective work, and can be tedious, but there is no better way to pinpoint which foods need to be avoided, until the gut has had more time to heal. There is also a good i-Phone informational app called “Food Intolerances“. Over time and with healing, many foods previously not tolerated, should be able to be eaten again without adverse response. Dr. Natasha recommends introducing fermented foods very very slowly (such as a half teaspoon of sauerkraut juice) for those people with an adverse response, a sort of incremental exposure therapy. These individuals presumably have histamine intolerance, as histamine is produced by the fermentation process.
The typical FODMAPS and Histamine Intolerance diet are both high in grains and the Histamine Intolerance diet includes legumes as well. My thinking at this point is that these food would potentially feed the pathogenic microflora in the gut, and thus exacerbate or at least support the ongoing damage to the enterocytes. These diets may provide symptom relief, but would not heal the underlying inflammation. The GAPS diet is recommended to heal the primary inflammatory process. All of my thinking is a work in progress and thus provisional, as I try to sort through this perplexing and confounding Deepest of Mysteries.
At this powerful turning point of the year, I wish all my readers health and joy in the new season.
Hi Judy, I wasn’t able to follow the link to the GAPS Healing Protocol in this article. Is it still available? Can I access it another way? Thank you.
Hi Kristen, thank you for alerting me to that. I was not aware that it no longer functioned. I could not find the original page that I had linked to, but replaced it with another link that has good information. Hope it helps.
Key symptoms: debilitating fatigue, brain fog, insomnia, itchy back, constipation – 65 y.o – gluten free ~4.5 yrs.
~20 yrs. ago had unexplained fatigue that myself and MDs thought was my Hashi’s thyroid (Dx 40+ yrs. ago)… constant challenge to stabilize. ~15 yrs. ago, had to give up wine as 3 days on sofa not a worthy price to pay for 1 glass. ~3.5 yrs. ago, I connected the dots on sul”fites” ~2 yrs. ago connected the dots to leaky gut so tried GAPS for 1.5 yrs. and concluded it didn’t work for me [homemade raw milk kefir, homemade chicken broth in pressure cooker for 2 hrs., left over chicken, avocado, papaya, mango from back yard, etc.]. ~2 mos. ago, I connected the dots to HIT after avoidance and re-intro of eggs. Went to allergist and all positive reactions to foods are high in histamine. Can finally scientifically prove to my daughter and even close friends I am *not* a hypochondriac. [Won’t bore you with diseases I’ve ruled out over the last 20 yrs.]
Current: After extensive research, I found and started (slowly) “Bifido GI Balance” by LifeExtension (B. longum 2 bil) – reduces histamines. I’ve not started yet but plan to take powdered L-Glutamine (slowly). Also, came across work/youtube interviews by Dr. Janice Joneja who I feel is an expert in this fairly new field. Started on low histamine diet and got almost immediate relief from itchy back, insomnia, and brain fog… truly feel like I’m seeing the light at the end of a very long tunnel and that I might get my old life back : )
My dilemma: Totally agree there is a definite connection but how does one heal Leaky Gut, SIBO when they have HIT??? Still researching – any thoughts are welcomed.
Thank you for taking the time to write this informative e-mail. I would be interested in hearing how the probiotic you are going to try works for you. Great about the low histamine diet. Histamine Intolerance fundamentally begins in the gut, which is the seat of the immune system. If you have any possibility of seeing someone who has been trained in the Walsh Approach, I think that this can be very helpful to treat the oxidative stress that is inhibiting gut healing. If you look up the Walsh Research Institute, there is a Practitioners Page and you can find someone local to you.
Your symptoms closely resemble mine I have put up with itch mainly back & legs for thirty years at wits end . So many does ant don’t histimine lists blah blah blah do this eat this don’t eat that bad as cancer far as a cure. What next ?
I am planning to give a major update in a few months after testing in a new direction… Systemic Mastocytosis/Mast Cell Activation Syndrome – VERY difficult to Dx, VERY difficult to find a doctor knowledgeable to Dx. There are many triggers, but because I observed a nosedive in heath after moving to So. Florida and improvement in symptoms when visiting cooler climates last summer and cold spells this winter in Florida, I’m exploring this. FYI, currently this website does *not* have any list of doctors who evaluate, but they do offer a list of the research centers in the U.S. and some foreign countries. I searched my insurance website for an in-network Allergist/Immunologist and found a doctor “somewhat” familiar with it at a teaching hospital 150 mi. away. If screening tests come back positive, he refers to a research center. Some screening tests are outlined in B&W Masto Center Guidelines in a download pdf (latest Jan 2017). Possibly this can help others see “if the shoe fits.”
https://tmsforacure.org/mast-cell-disease-treatment-research-centers/
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/Departments_and_Services/medicine/services/rheumatology/Services/Allergy-Forms/Mastoguide.pdf
i had terrible ibs problems (hemorrhoids, anal fissures, constipation) as well as terrible mental problems (anxiety attacks, insomnia, irritability).
after food journaling for a year i could see a clear problem with certain foods. specifically with foods with a lot of histamine. lowering histamine foods in my diet nearly stopped all my insomnia and anxiety problems. but i still had terrible gut/digestive issues.
after coming across the “specific carbohydrate diet” nearly all my digestive issues went away, as well as a lot of my histamine intolerance. i can eat much higher amounts of histamine rich foods then i have before and have nearly no effects?
this diet does not allow grains or much beans so that would be a missing piece to your puzzle in the article i think? a perfect place to start with the specific carb diet is the book ” BREAKING THE VICIOUS CYCLE by Elaine Gottschall”. really amazing.
thank you for such a wonderful blog! this is the first place i was able to learn about histamine intolerance and start to put the peices together and build a diet that works for me and stops many of the horrible mental and physical pain and suffering I was dealing with for so long.
i hope my post will help someone else onto the road to recovery too! thank you
Thank you for writing. It does seem that most fundamentally histamine intolerance is related to the health of the gut. For some people Breaking the Vicious Cycle and GAPS is helpful, for others the Paleo AIP of a combination of the two. Others need to tweak things with FODMAPS and low oxalates. Everyone is different. But healing the gut is a priority.
I’ve been doing a lot of research into this problem recently due to significant fatigue which has left me bed bound and off work for the past 3 months. I used to think that my difficulties (eg. constant stuffy nose, dry eyes, puffy eyes, constipation, low energy, bloating, foggy head, difficulty concentrating) were due to my hypothyroidism and a Candida overgrowth. However, all the tests I ever took for Candida came back negative. Most recently my ND recommended that I do some further testing, specifically ones that test my metabolic functioning and a genetic test that focuses on the gut and liver. Low and behold, the metabolic function test results showed that I have a very high overgrowth in my small intestine of D-lactate, which is apparently very hard to get rid of, but is the first area of business before anything else. However, what was even more interesting than that was a finding of a COMT genetic mutation which has been wreaking havoc for years!!! It is connected to the histamine intolerance and I’m sure that the gut dysbiosis is not helping any. For years I have been chasing the wrong diagnosis and I never thought that I had a genetic abnormality that was at the route cause. Because of my experience I would recommend to anyone having these kinds of difficulties to stop experimenting with treatments, like I have, and go to your ND to ask for further testing. Find out what’s going on so you can treat that and find some relief. I still have to wait to do a breathtest to find out what type of gas my overgrowth produces so that my ND can treat it correctly, but I’m very optimistic for a full recovery. In addition, I have found the information contained in this article on histamine intolerance very helpful http://doccarnahan.blogspot.ca/2013/11/histamine-intolerance-could-this-be.html. I have found the Ascorbic Acid extremely helpful in relieving my constant dry eyes, stuffy nose, puffy eyes, and foggy brain. I’ve never posted my experience on a site before. So I hope that someone reading this finds it helpful. Good luck in your healing journey!
Thanks for taking the time to write and share your experience. Its really a great thing when we can learn from one another.
The problem with GAPS is that bone broth is also high histamine. I know from experience. It’s a catch 22. What are histamine intolerant folks supposed to do if bone broth causes a histamine response? Does McBride address this anywhere?
I believe that she has suggested that if bone broth is not tolerated, than often meat broth, which is cooked much less long, is better tolerated.
Hi Judy,
I’ve been having digestive issues for all of my life, but it has gotten so bad in the last year that I was constipated for more than a month straight (I’m 22 and hope to heal my gut or to find a balance as soon as possible). I went to see a GI about the issues after my primary doctor couldn’t do much but run a LOTS of tests (blood, urine, stool, celicac, etc?) and suggest adding a fiber supplement. The GI diagnosed me with IBS, but made it clear that I had several symptoms that weren’t really consist with an IBS diagnosis.. (Intense pain when digesting food, particularly overnight and allergy symptoms like clicking ears and swelling of the nasal cavity and throat)
Right now, I’m taking citrucel and miralax daily, along with L-glutamine, evening primrose, oil of oregano, grapefruit seed extract, methyl-B12, and a strong probiotic that contains two bacteria, lactobacillus and bifidobacertium, with 10 billion active cultures. (The miralax and citrucel keep me regular, but the other supplements have done very little to my knowledge, besides the B12, it really helps wake me up) I’ve been keeping a food diary for two months now and experimenting with a low fodmap diet. Along with these changes I’ve had positive results cutting out alcohol, gluten, caffeine (for a short time), dairy, eggs, and butter and implementing stress relieving techniques, yoga.
I tried to add butter and eggs back into my diet and didn’t initially get sick in any way, but over time broke out in hives (2 days).
I noticed these other foods also upset symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, rashes/hives, itching, and stomach bloating and discomfort: beans, avocado, salsa (or anything spicy), cashews, and chocolate (which could be an allergy to chocolate, the milk that was in it that I wasn’t aware of, the eggs, or fructose *sigh*). Before the rash occurred, my diet was higher than normal (3-5 days) in bacon, eggs, cinnamon, leftover meat, mandarin oranges, and corn chips/noodles..
I’ve noticed that those foods are all common in containing high histamines and my real question is, whether it is safe (because I’m REALLY trying to gain my weight back) to be on a diet so restrictive as a low fodmap and low histamine diet. I’d love to jump ships and switch to a low histamine diet just to get onion and garlic back into my diet, but my weight and digestion are really the concerning factors I’m worried about.
Sorry for the over-kill of information:) My hives are primarily on my face and stressing me out more and more, it’s very bad on each sides of my nose which I’ve read could lead to a B2 deficiency if you have any info on that too, that’d be great! All opinions and suggestions are great:) my doctors been contacted, just looking for extra help!
It sounds really hard, everything that you have been through. At this point in my practice, I am recommending the Paleo Auto Immune Protocol. You can check on the site Phoenix Helix to learn about it. She has great information. There maybe modifications necessary, but that is where I would begin. I wish you all the best and hope you feel better soon.
You may have something called mastocytosis. or mast cell activate syndrome (macs) there are many different types and it is relatively rare. You have to see an immunologist/allergist to be diagnosed.
Easier said than done, especially if on Medicare. Most doctors don’t even know of these conditions and the experts who do require a “referral” along with preliminary labs. Should you find a local MD who has heard of this stuff, the next trick is to get them to properly code the lab order(s) so that insurance will *pay* for it. I’ve been on a few wild goose chases and knocking my head against the wall for months! If you know of anyone in Florida (or anywhere in the U.S.A.), please post their name. I’ve been trying to rule these things out. Thanks.
Hi Judy, thanks for validating what I have suspected for some time. that my histamine intolerance is related to my dysbiosis. After a decade of histamine intolerance I finally had the right stool test which detected overgrowth of 2 bacteria (citrobacter braakii and proteus vulgaris). From my research the proteus vulgaris definitely produces a lot of histamine and not sure about the other yet.
Unfortunately I had just been on a course of antibiotics which can kill both (for a UTI) so the levels weren’t high enough for the lab to do sensitivity testing.
I now have no growth of good bacteria (bacteroides and lactobacillus) and my gastroenterologist is advising I have FMT. Little hesitant about such massive costly procedures especially if all my symptoms would disappear by treating those two bacteria. unfortunately anything naturally antibiotic causes unbearable die off. I believe that bacteroides are impossible to get back without doing FMT so maybe my only choice.
Thanks so much for this post, I am in the almost exact same boat! I have histamine intolerance and POTS and IBS. I have had a university of melbourne, australia “bioscreen” test which can identify the predominant gut bacteria According to Bioscreen, I have 90% Streptococcus when I should have 90% e-coli, and almost no e-coli at all. I believe this accounts for much of my problems. I have been on a GAPS diet for about a year (not as strict as i should be howevery) and my IBS was much much much better, and POTS slightly better. I have recently noticed my strongest histamine symptom is flashing lights in my vision, and I can now use this to know which foods are no good. I have no symptoms at all when i eat only chicken soup (made from frozen only cooked 2 hrs) and veges. Recently I had a scale and clean at the dentist (havent been for 5 years) and a fortnight later had the WORST IBS EVER. As Strep makes biofilm in the form of tartar on teeth, I believe this was dislodged along with a large amount of bacteria which went straight to my gut and re-colonised again! So I was back to square one, however eating only chicken soup and veg and avoiding carbs sugars etc has helped improve things a little bit since then. I noticed that when i healed IBS the first time, I was able to eat more FODMAPS but it didn’t really help the histamine reactions. I’ve been following the low histamine chef and she says that she is able to slowly introduce things again, so hopefully this will happen for me and you guys too one day!
Thank you for writing and sharing your experience. We all learn from each other. Its great that you have a particular symptom that alerts you to which foods don’t agree with you. For many of us, its much less clear.
Emily,
I am wondering if you are working on re-establishing good gut flora? By this I mean including one or more of homemade raw milk yogurt and kefir, whey, and beet kvass or other fermented food? It’s so confirming to me that even small amounts of these result in noticeable symptoms. This is playing a big role for me. Once I sealed the gut the real work began. That along with continuous detox. I found the blog on dr Natasha’s website from this past January so helpful.
I’ve been battling something that resembles histamine intolerance and would love input from anybody.For years Ive always had acid reflux ,a lot after coffee but also randomly.I just abused tums and Zantac until last year when it came crashing to a halt.My heart palpatations got worse(always had then) ,itchy including anus,and terrible muscle tension that was random.Also tight chest,much worse allergies also.Itchy eye lids and so on.I thought it was candida but I never got thrush and went through humaworm cleanse and candida cleanse which helped other stuff but not the main stuff like sensative to light,muscle tension etc etc.So here I am researching histamine intolerance and the digestive enzyme histame
Thank you for writing. I am sorry to hear about everything that you have been struggling with. It sounds very hard. I wonder if you would be helped by trying to limit the histamine content of your diet. It certainly is worth a try. I would be interested to hear from you if it is helpful. I wish you all the best.
Great to see you post about FODMAPS as a diet plan that addresses symptoms, but that does not actually address the underlying problem.
I recently told my somewhat holistic doctor that I plan to undertake the GAPS protocol and after Clearly being threatened by my taking control of the situation (celiac), she told me that instead she wanted me to do Fodmaps.
After looking at the handout she gave me (an about.com description ) of this diet it was obvious to me that this was not intended to heal anything, but only to alleviate symptoms of IBS, which itself is only a symptom of some greater problem.
I’m so glad to read that your clinically trained opinion is aligned with my instinct on this.
Thank you,
Patryce
Hi Patryce,
I am so glad the post was useful. It maybe necessary to avoid certain FODMAPS foods in conjunction with GAPS to control symptoms until you heal. Its all very individual and the only method I know is trial and error to find out what works for you. And what works one month, may not work the next. You have to keep adapting and being mindful. All the best.
My symptoms of high histamine have been drastically improved doing GAPS intro. It is quite a relief. I still cannot enjoy certain high histamine foods, but I hope that will be better once the allergy season is over. In the meantime, it is very nice to re-welcome many things that made me too miserable and gave me dizzy spells and horrendous itching.
I do want to mention though, that even when my histamine intolerance was at its worst, I could tolerate the sauerkraut I made in my pickle-it and fermented for 8 weeks (with a starter culture.) Apparently fermenting it for so long reduces the histamines. It tastes better too!
Thank you for taking the time to write. Its good to hear that your histamine intolerance symptoms have improved with GAPS. Terrific. Its also really interesting information about the pickle-it. I have not explored that method of fermentation, but have heard many good things about it.
I am considering taking (experiment) supplemental Niacin as a way to ‘blow out’ high histamine levels and then keep in check. Also, vitamin C can neutralize histamine reaction so have started taking a gram or two daily of ascorbic acid powder. I’ve just recently become aware of the histamine intolerance issue and am actively researching this. With this in mind I believe i have sx of histamine response which is noticeably different than sx from leaky gut (joint pain). I am signed up for the GAPS Training this September and am excited and hopeful of learning more details and nuances of this healing diet. While my own symptoms are improving with the GAPS diet, I can’t help but wonder if I could be improving quicker if high histamine levels were not an issue. Thank you for these posts!
I am not familiar with taking supplemental niacin to treat high histamine levels. I would be very interested to hear about your experience if you do experiment with it. There is so much to learn, that its great to get follow up. You might consider modifying the GAPS diet to lower the histamine content and see if that makes a difference. I hope that you get a lot out of the training. Dr Natasha is an inspiring teacher.
I’ve recently within the last 6 months discovered the relation between gut health, CFS and depression/anxiety disorders. I’m still educating myself and still suffer from extreme fatigue. Does anyone have any input on this?
SYD,
I wasn’t clear on your posts, but if you can at all possible, make your own sauerkraut. Apparently it makes a significant difference than store bought to your gut health. It is really quite simple and you can find different methods online.
Thanks very much.
(Please keep posting your findings/observations/thoughts. Very valuable.)
Voice of reason! Thanks. I’ll do the modified GAPS and I was also thinking about the Wahls diet. I made chicken feet broth, which was disgusting to make, but the result was lovely.
I know that can be good for your gut and brain, as well.
(btw, I, too, have horrible postural hypotension and VERY low blood pressure. Is that a sx of high histamine, or related to it? I’m even on fludrocortisone for it, though would love to be off it. The fludro helped for a while, but I moved to a new state and it has come back again with a vengeance, which I know is my body telling me something. If only I knew what it was. It’s quite bad, and my doc, who was traditionally trained, but is extremely progressive and open to most anything, is at a loss for why.)
(I may try the coconut kefir in tiny amounts instead of buying the sauerkraut and only using the juice.)
Yes the postural hypotension is a symptom of high histamine. I try an have a lot of Celtic Sea Salt.
Your response is both helpful and thoughtful, and makes sense. Thank you.
I was trying the coconut kefir product to get probiotic benefits – 1 tsp, I think. I didn’t know you can get sauerkraut juice on it’s own (vs. just mining the juice from a jar of raw sauerkraut). I’ll look for it and try it, starting with 1/4 tsp. I think I create endogenous histamine because a while back, I had some testing done and it showed high histamine levels and I was not doing anything at the time to cause die-off – well, at least I don’t think I was. I can’t be sure, as it’s been a while. (And, I also know I have a new internal chemical soup, as it were, now since it’s been a few years!)
Does it make sense for someone to try the small amount of sauerkraut AND avoid other exogenous sources of histamine or histamine-triggering sources? (There are so many things to avoid – oxalates, FODMAPS, etc, that I really think impact me, and probably many others. Alas!)
I do believe the (causal) common denominator, as you’ve mentioned, is dysfunctional enterocytes. It makes lots of sense.
I’m looking forward to more date, anecdotal and otherwise on this, because as I mentioned way up on this thread, I do believe this will prove extremely useful not only for me, but for my clients as it relates to psychiatric sxs. All potentially very exciting. (Just wish it weren’t currently kicking my butt!)
Thanks again for your thoughtful response,
Syd
Hi Syd.
I think you can drive yourself absolutely nuts avoiding everything, and eventually there is nothing left to eat. When my symptoms are really kicked up, I do the GAPS intro diet, eating mostly stewed meats and fish and vegetable. That for me is “safe” When I am feeling better, than I branch out. It can get really confusing what is triggering. I believe I also have chronically high levels of histamine. I have really low blood pressure and bad orthostasis. I often get dizzy doing yoga and have to position myself to help the blood up to my head. With the sauerkraut juice, i just meant the liquid in the jar the sauerkraut is bathed in. Maybe if you are aware of foods that are high in histamine, you can titrate how much exposure you have, instead of trying to avoid. The main point in all of this, is to heal the gut so there will not be so much sensitivity.
So then, do you think histamine intolerance is only just die-off and not a chemical intolerance, or could it be both? And is your opinion that eating very small amounts of fermented food is a way to heal your gut even when you have that intolerance and/or severe die-off?
(When I eat sauerkraut, which I enjoy, my brain zonks out horribly. It’s like I see the world through a fun house mirror. Very disoriented and woozy and my consciousness diminishes. It’s very disruptive and renders me unable to do much until usually the next day. Even though I referenced myself, I’m asking more generally, as I know you can’t know what is going on with me!)
Thanks much,
Syd
Hi Syd. I am wondering if die-off is mediated through histamine, and that is what creates the horrible die-off symptoms. This is my understanding: When a person has a gut problem, the cells of the gut wall (the enterocytes) are damaged, and cannot perform their functions properly. One of their functions is to produce enzymes that break down substances like histamine. So a small amount of histamine can make a person very symptomatic. There are both exogenous sources of histamine in food and endogenous, (produced by the body itself) that is created by immune reactions in the body. I definitely think it can be both. Have you tried starting with 1/4 teaspoon of sauerkraut juice and then working your way up incrementally at a very very slow rate?
It’s the same principle as with people who do not tolerate probiotics. Dr Natasha recommended for those severely intolerant people, that they start with an 1/18th of a capsule of Biokult, the probiotic she has available for purchase on her site.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope my response is helpful.
In reading these posts and in my long history of gut issues, I see a strong resemblance here in histamine intolerance symptoms and the introduction of fermented food. Instead of just being intolerant to it or classifying it as another condition, couldn’t it just be a die-off effect? Hence, starting off very slowly with the amounts to let your body go through the die-off process and detox. Your body can be flooded with too much detox at one time and cause symptoms such as these mentioned so you will need to modify how and when you take the fermented food. I hope I’m making sense here.
I agree entirely. And Dr. Natasha recommends a very very slow introduction of fermented foods for some people, like a chemists’ titration. For instance, a 1/2 teaspoon of sauerkraut juice to begin.
Thanks for the post.
I agree with Syd. It turns out that fermented foods are high in histamine (this is due to the release of histamine during the bacterial growth which produces the fermented food). That’s why the International Chronic Urticaria Society (http://www.urticaria.thunderworksinc.com/pages/lowhistamine.htm) puts fermented foods (as well as non-fresh fish, for instance) in the DON’T list.
I see the logic of the GAPS diet and, I agree with you that, if you heal your gut, you heal your histamine intolerance (which is a pompous name to say that you cannot produce enough DOE due to intestinal damage).
The problem is, how to heal the gut?
My only answer (and I hope someone can give me another, because my daughter is suffering from histamine intolerance) is to avoid irritants (as grains, legumes, …), high histamine foods (both groups to stop introducing histamine inside the body) and consume probiotics to replenish the good bacteria in the gut.
And if you have a histamine intolerance, then you can’t eat the fermented foods that Campbell-McBride recommends, that are good for so many. And then if you have an oxalate sensitivity that impacts gut and brain (and all organs, actually, not just the kidney, which I found out I have, very sadly, through trial and error and consultation with my doc) then there are even more food restrictions.
I wonder if oxalate sensitivity is another symptom/expression of enterocyte dysfunction? And, like the other sensitivities, perhaps it will resolve/heal when the gut is healed.
I imagine that most likely it is, and that it would likely resolve when your gut is healed, but this is what I imagine, not what I have direct experience of. I wonder, as with fermented foods, if you started with a very small amount and increased the portions gradually, if you would build up a tolerance to them, like the approach Dr Natasha suggests with fermented foods.
What about using the LEAP MRT test to detect food sensitivities?
This is supposedly the most accurate test for determining food sensitivities using cell mediated response to type II, III & IV autoimmune hypersensitivity reactions.
http://restoreyourhealth.org/uploads/MRT-TechSheet.pdf
Hi Barbara. Thanks for writing and alerting me to this possibility. I had not heard of the LEAP MRT test. I looked at the link and it looked really interesting. I know that Dr Natasha was not impressed with the utility of laboratory testing to determine food allergies, and that she was much more in favor of clinical diagnosis. I don’t know if she is aware of the LEAP MRT. You made me curious about it.
What are your thoughts on how the Paleo diet compares with GAPS as far as helping to restore gut health?
Hi Carol, Thanks for writing. Let me say first off, that each person needs to find what works best for them individually. The main differences that I can see between GAPS recommendations and Paleo, is that in terms of the diet, Paleo allows starchy tubers, where as GAPS does not. Dr. Natasha’s perspective is that foods like sweet potatoes feed the pathogenic microflora. GAPS also emphasizes fermented foods and broth made from meat and bones as healing to the digestive tract. On the other hand, GAPS recommends fermented dairy as helpful to healing the gut, where as many Paleo adherents avoid dairy. It seems to me that GAPS is more labor intensive, but both emphasize whole foods and recommend avoiding additives and processed foods. It seems likely to me that some people will be able to restore their gut health with a Paleo approach, but if a person is extremely symptomatic, and if psychiatric symptoms are prominent, I trust in Dr Natasha’s vast experience in this regard, and feel like her approach is in my book, at least at this point in time, the Gold Standard.
I’m very interested in this intersection of GAPS, FODMAPS, histamine intolerance, and fructose/carb intolerance, and I think you’re very much onto something.
Please keep posting your thoughts and findings, provisional and otherwise. It has potential to help so many, including myself and my patients.
(It’s intermittent, but sometimes I have a big reaction to just a little sauerkraut – all brain stuff – disorientation, confusion, a bit of derealization, woozy and/or lightheaded, and a scrambled feeling like I can’t harness my thoughts, which isn’t at all baseline. It’s a continuum, but sometimes it can be dramatic. In the case of the sauerkraut, I bet it’s the histamine. I get that with carbs a bit and also just tried a very small bit of a colostrum that is supposed to help with gut issues, and got the same thing. It’s super confusing, but I think the confluence of factors you talk about makes sense.)
Hi Syd.
Thanks so much for writing and sharing your experience. For me as well, foods cause “psychiatric symptoms” like anxiety, depression, agitation, anger, fatigue, insomnia. It’s very striking, that is in addition to physical symptoms like low blood pressure, racing heart, constipation, and bloating. These psychiatric symptoms can be unrelated to anything disturbing emotionally. Very few psychiatrists are aware of this direct correlation with specific food reactions. My intimate knowledge of it comes from my own personal experience. I can be in good spirits, eat nuts before bed, have a sleepless night and wake up anxious and depressed. I do think that addressing the underlying pathophysiology of gut inflammation is the most comprehensive and rational approach. One can drive oneself crazy with avoiding one food after another. And the foods that need to be avoided in one model, are what is recommended in another. It can be so confusing. The fundamental aim needs to be healing of the gut mucosa. For myself, I find following Dr Natasha’s recommendation of returning to the early stages of the introductory GAPS diet when I am symptomatic helpful. Eating simply broth and meat and fish and vegetables until symptoms subside. Please continue to write in about what you discover. It can be helpful to many people. It is really amazing the number of people truly debilitated by gut inflammation and its various manifestations.
The main problem that I see with going back on GAPS intro is that bone broth is very high in histamine. (at least, that’s what my research is telling me)
I have just self diagnosed myself with histamine intolerance because I’m dealing with a severe case of hives that is just now starting to abate after only eating low histamine foods. I’ve also been dealing with vertigo, and I’m hoping it helps that too. I’ve been to 4 doctors and the ER over the past few weeks, and they all said it was contact dermatitis and dismissed me with cortisone cream, prednisone, and a heavy duty antihistamine. They don’t get it. Do you happen to know of any doctors in the Rhode Island area that deal with leaky gut and histamine intolerance? Thanks…
Good for you! Self diagnosis! HIT is just not on the radar of conventionally trained MDs.
I do not know of any doctors in the Rhode Island area, but you are not far away from Boston.
I follow a modified GAPS diet myself. I eat meat broth not bone broth. I put fresh chicken in a pot and cover it with water and vegetables and cook it 2 hours, and then remove the bones and skin and return the meat to the soup. I eat a portion and freeze the rest. I think the histamine content of this soup is much less than bone broth. I use probiotics rather than fermented vegetables at this point. In other words, I modify the GAPS protocol to lower the histamine content.
Which probiotics can I ask?
Syd- Did you figure out why you are having those reactions? I am having the same reactions and would love some insight.
Thanks!
!!!!! ALL – PLEASE READ !!!!!
Syd and Erin, I urge you both to look up POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) immediately. Then, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS). I have both. There is a big connection between POTS, EDS, and mast cell disorders, the latter of which can cause high amounts of histamine. Anyone who believes they have histamine intolerance NEEDS to know about these conditions, at least to rule them out. A low histamine diet can be very helpful, but there might be so much more to the picture…
syd, I was curious if you had discovered what was causing your symptoms. I am having the same problems. Please respond. My email is [email protected]