natural anti-HISTAMINE options for added support
Trying to enjoy beautiful scenery in nature and and can’t stop sniffling? We often think of taking anti-histamines to stop classic allergy symptoms we get from being outside like sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes. Histamines are released to fight the allergens, but I have been learning just how much histamines play a role in unwanted symptoms when our immune systems are dysfunctional.
What is the deal with histamines anyway? Histamines are chemical messengers released by the immune system that help the body fight off allergens and send signals between cells. They have an important role, but when it comes to allergies, often times people have histamine intolerance which is a build up of this chemical in the body, and a decreased ability to detox it properly.
High histamine is associated with itchiness, rashes, stuffy noses, upset stomach, diarrhea ect. In my own children I have noticed a direct correlation between eating foods high in histamine, or foods that release histamine, and a flare up that follows with their eczema.
There are common over the counter anti-histamines for kids such as Zyrtec and Benedryl that most of us are familiar with. These contain medication that blocks the overproduction of histamine being released from binding to the receptors we have by our brain and spinal cord. I know there are mixed reviews on these medications, and while I am all for going the natural route, I want to provide relief when needed as well. Sometimes their “cup of inflammation” is just too high and that is where medication can be very helpful to make them more comfortable while we continue working on healing them.
We do some things in addition to the medication as well which I have found to be helpful! Nature offers anti-histamines in different foods and vitamins.
Pomegranate Juice is a great natural anti-histamine. It tastes a bit tart so we get creative with how we give it. One way is to mix a little bit of water and honey or maple syrup in and make frozen pop-sickles. We found a pop-sickle mold at Aldi, and that way you can easily customize it however you want. Pomegranate juice is also a great thing to mix supplements into if they have any taste or into smoothies to add some flavor. We would often do it after dinner so that he gets the natural anti-histamine as levels peak at night.
Orthomolecular carries a product called D-Hist Jr. It contains vitamin c, quercetin, stinging nettle which are all very helpful at helping the body handle histamines. This isn’t a rapid working supplement, it takes time to see the effects. If you want to prepare for something like spring allergens Id start it 4-6 weeks ahead of time. We personally love this supplement!
Seeking Health carries a supplement called Histamine Digest. This helps your body breakdown histamines in different areas including the intestines, colon, and kidneys. We use this with my son if he eats a higher histamine food, or has any leftovers. While we are working to avoid high histamine foods right now, life happens and we try and not overly restrict. I’ve found that when we give this to him he is less itchy around the mouth and face which happens with high histamine foods.
Eating a low histamine diet in general can be helpful. It lessens the burden on the body of ridding and detoxing the histamines when its already struggling. Here is a helpful list.
Soothing and calming herbs can be beneficial. When you are struggling with histamine, keeping the liver running are helpful. Teas such as stinging nettle and dandelion root help to cleanse the liver and reduce histamines. Thrive market has a great selection of organic teas, and carries both stinging nettle and dandelion root.
Consuming local honey or bee pollen throughout the winter and into spring continues to give your body a constant and very low dose of your local allergens. Then when spring comes, your body doesn’t view all the new allergens as so much of a threat. This was advice given to us by a homeopath that we worked with, and we are big honey lovers here! We also did homeopathy to help reduce spring allergens, there are different ones to choose from.
Castor oil packs are helpful when the body is overburdened with toxins and allergens to detox. It gives it a little boost.
When it comes to helping the body release less histamines, healing the gut and modulating the immune system are very helpful long term. These supplements and foods are great to use to help ease the symptoms, but we are working on correcting the issue so that medication is no longer needed on a frequent basis. I have written about how we are addressing the gut and healing both eczema and TSW which include diet changes, lifestyle changes, and targeted supplements.