Do you dread allergy season and suffer from itchy skin, red eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, sinus pressure, and headaches?
Or instead do you react to certain foods with hives, headaches, nasal congestion, skin problems, a racing heart, or irritability?
The common denominator in both these scenarios is histamines, immune compounds that cause reactions.
You don’t have to just give up and suffer. Some natural antihistamines can be very effective. It helps to know a bit about histamines to understand why.
What are histamines and how can natural antihistamines help?
Histamine is an immune protein produced in response to environmental or dietary antigens that causes inflammation, redness, and irritation.
When the body encounters the antigen, the immune system recognizes it as an intruder and produces antibodies to it. These antibodies trigger the release of histamine into the bloodstream, where they can build up with repeated exposure. This increases sensitivity.
Histamines are commonly found in aged or fermented foods, such as cheese, red wine, and sauerkraut. Histamines are also high in eggs, some fruits and vegetables, and some seasonings.
The good news is natural antihistamines, an anti-inflammatory diet, and avoiding high-histamine foods can ease your suffering.
Lower histamine response with anti-inflammatory diet
Before delving into natural antihistamines, first address use a diet and lifestyle functional medicine foundation to lower inflammation. This will help lower the histamine response.
This includes removing foods to which are sensitive, such as gluten and dairy, stabilizing blood sugar, repairing leaky gut, managing low thyroid, and minimizing chronic stressors, such as too little sleep, over exercising, toxins, junk food, alcohol, and many more.
Quercetin — nature’s natural antihistamine
Quercetin has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties.
It delivers short-term relief and long-term gut repair.
Nettles
Nettle leaf is a natural antihistamine that blocks histamines. It can be made in to a tincture or tea, but capsules from dried nettle leaves are most effective.
Butterbur
Butterbur is a European herb that rivals leading antihistamines. It also reduces smooth muscle spasms and relaxes swollen nasal membranes.
Mangosteen
Mangosteen is a fruit extract that reduces inflammation and inhibits histamine release.
Ginger
Ginger inhibits histamine production.
Ask my office about natural antihistamine relief
These are just a few compounds that function as natural antihistamines. Taken together, these compounds work synergystically. Ask my office about a great natural antihistamine called Histo-X by Apex Energetics.
If you have histamine-based allergies, I can help you get on a lasting path to feeling and functioning better.
About Dr. Josh Redd, Chiropractic Physician
Dr. Joshua J. Redd, DC, MS, DABFM, DAAIM, author of The Truth About Low Thyroid: Stories of Hope and Healing for Those Suffering With Hashimoto’s Low Thyroid Disease, is a chiropractic physician and the founder of RedRiver Health and Wellness Center with practices in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. He sees patients from around the world who suffer from challenging thyroid disorders, Hashimoto’s disease, and other autoimmune conditions. In addition to his chiropractic degree, Dr. Redd has a BS in Health and Wellness, a BS in Anatomy, and a MS in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. He speaks across the nation, teaching physicians about functional blood chemistry, low thyroid, Hashimoto’s, and autoimmunity. You can join his Facebook page here.
