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Chronic Fatigue, histamine & mast cells

Dog Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, portrait dog on a studio color background, dog lying on a chair in the studioChalk up another one to a dysfunctional immune system – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Researchers recently proved (for the first time), that the condition is not psychosomatic (yeah, thanks for calling us hypochondriacs all these years). This wasn’t news to some: according to NHS funded researcher Dr. Theoharides, CFS is one of many mast cell linked conditions that he has known to be linked for years. It wasn’t so long ago that narcolepsy was pegged to an imbalance of brain histamine levels.

Scientists in Australia have found that immune cell receptor abnormalities are behind CFS debilitating symptoms. So basically a receptor defect, which is really a problem because there are many cells and so many receptors to mess with, can’t transfer calcium from the cell to the outside. The discovery of abnormal calcium cells coincides with where CFS pain usually happens, in the brain, spine, pancreas and stomach.

To date there’s still no cure for CFS. Doctors and researchers have been telling folks it’s all in their head and that all they need is more exercise (yes, I’m referring to the PACE trial debacle). The researchers say they believe that it affects from 1%-2% of the population (presumably Australia they mean?).

According to Dr. Theoharides, director of Immuno pharmacology and Drug Discovery at Tufts, CFS is a complex disease involving the nervous, hormonal and immune systems with symptoms that include fatigue, sleep disturbances, malaise, muscle aches, migraines, gastrointestinal complaints, and cognitive problems. Viruses and inflammatory cytokines (like those in mast cells which contain histamine) play a role. He says that the stress hormone CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone) activates brain mast cells (which contain histamine and other inflammatory mediators), and that this causes blood-brain-barrier disruption. His research shows that there’s a relationship between the mitochondria, calcium and mast cell activation.

As someone who has literally fallen asleep on a plate of food, I can attest to the narcolepsy-histamine link. It all depended on how long it would take me to eat. If I had a short meal, I might make it to the sofa before falling into my food coma, but a long one meant face-in-food for dessert. The weird thing was I wasn’t actually asleep.

My eyes were forced closed, all movement would have to cease, and I’d be aware of the world around me, but incapable of interacting with it. The experience was more like something out of a nightmare where you’re paralysed but still able to be hurt. It’s apparently called syncope.

I’d lie there in a weak panic, feeling my heart beat slowly ebb away, as I begged my thoughts to magically reconnect with my voice to tell people, hey, I’m actually awake! Don’t be fooled, I’m not asleep. But no matter how hard I tried to convey this to people, they were all convinced I was dreaming it all up.

Whether it was a histamine-narcolepsy link, or a mast cell-CFS one, I ended up spending about a year mostly in or on bed, and desperately trying to make people understand that my inability to climb a flight of stairs at times isn’t a lack of cardio fitness (mine could always be better but it’s still good) but rather a result of my mast cells having a temporary bout of madness.

Interestingly, Harvard neuroscientist Dr. Michael Van ElZakker has a hypothesis he’s working to prove, that an infection of the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the stomach, can cause a prolonged “sickness response”. This human response to illness involves extreme fatigue, probably to force us to rest up and isolate us from other humans to not spread the virus. He believes that in some cases the vagus nerve, which is responsible for signaling the need for this response, remains on high alert, which keeps the body stuck in this more.

You can read my interview with Dr. Van ElZakker here. 

 A review of fourteen separate dietary and supplement interventions were published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, but found that most studies showed no particular measurable benefit of them. Improvements in fatigue were found in response to NADH and Coenzyme Q10, probiotics and high polyphenol rich cacao.

For me personally, because my fatigue was a result of my mast cell issues, stabilizing them with Dr. Theoharides’ quercetin Neuroprotek supplement and a great diet really helped. But we all have different root causes and severity of symptoms.
Click here if you’d like to learn how I did it.

It’s finally here! Man Food – a high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient filled book geared towards guys, women who love to work out, yoga like they mean it, or just load up on healing nutrients. Features my personal shopping list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods.

The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but feature a plethora of the high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients that have been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. The Anti-cookbook features a four page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods and comes in regular and Paleo.

The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes.

Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

Take a peek at my other low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes

—–REFERENCES—-

Theoharides, Theoharis C. “Brain mast cells and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” Grantome. NIH, 01 July 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.

Appold, Karen. “UCLA Researchers Find Clue to Narcolepsy’s Cause.” Sleep Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.

Campagnolo, N., S. Johnston, A. Collatz, D. Staines, and S. Marshall-Gradisnik. “Dietary and nutrition interventions for the therapeutic treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a systematic review.” Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (2017): n. pag. Web.

Cooper, Luke. “Queensland Scientists Make Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Breakthrough.” Huffington Post Australia. The Huffington Post, 21 Feb. 2017. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.

Rehmeyer, Julie. “How bad science misled chronic fatigue syndrome patients.” STAT. STAT, 29 Dec. 2016. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.

 

 

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Melatonin, mast cells and histamine

alarm clock with a glass bottle on top of it on a white backgroundA round up of the latest research reveals that the sleep hormone melatonin can prevent mast cells from activating, thereby preventing the release of histamine and other inflammatory agents into the bloodstream, when they’re not needed. As a bonus, melatonin is possibly beneficial in treating tinnitus, which is something many with histamine intolerance and mast cell activation appear to experience in spades. 

Histamine is found in foods like pineapple, strawberries, most cheeses, fermented foods, leftovers, wine, and cacao (among others). You’ll find a couple of commonly used histamine in food and high histamine food lists here as well as an explanation why they all contradict each other.

If you’d like to create your own list, histamine balanced diet and healing plan, click here. 

Histamine is also found in mast cells, where it’s segregated from the blood stream, until triggered by stress, chemicals, allergens or viruses, and bacteria. In these cases the mast cells release other inflammatory agents, some of which, like prostaglandins, can intensify the effect of histamine on the body. This is why it’s important to get a diagnosis to work out what is actually behind your symptoms.

Melatonin produced by the pineal gland is involved in synchronising the circadian rhythm, blood pressure regulation, reproduction, and many others. It’s an antioxidant that plays a particular role in the protection of mitochondrial DNA. It has been shown to protect cancer patients from the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy as well as making them more effective.

One of the studies I found on melatonin notes that it’s found in mast cells already, which may account for why they have “daily rhythmic variations”. Having tracked my mast cell/histamine cycles for years, and helped others with their issues, here’s what I’ve found: 2-4am wake up time with really awful symptoms, then again at 6-8am and then tapering off by 10 or 11am. Many of us have struggled to maintain normal sleeping hours possibly thanks to this and also histamine’s effect on the brain in triggering wakefulness (though too much of it has been linked to narcolepsy).

The general opinion of a handful of the studies I read (referenced below as always) indicate that melatonin can inhibit mast cell activation, thereby exerting an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, as well as preventing histamine release.

Other research tells us that melatonin can also help in IgE allergic reactions, specifically relating to dermatitis, eczema and asthma.

Another interesting study found melatonin to be particularly effective at preventing mast cells from triggering in the skin (as is the case when mast cells cause or contribute to dermatitis or psoriasis) as a result of extreme stress, something I’ve really struggled with over the years.

Food sources of melatonin include cherries, bananas, grapes, rice, cereals, fresh herbs, olive oil and wine.

I eat these foods in spades.

Please remember not to add any supplements without consulting a doctor. What works for me might not for you and there’s no guarantee we won’t react to something even if it has mast cell stabilising or antihistamine properties.

It’s finally here! Man Food – a high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredient filled book geared towards guys, women who love to work out, yoga like they mean it, or just load up on healing nutrients. Features my personal shopping list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods.

The Anti-cookbook and all liquid Anti-Detox Book, don’t treat any conditions, but feature a plethora of the high nutrient antihistamine and anti-inflammatory ingredients that have been instrumental in helping me feed myself on a limited diet. The Anti-cookbook features a four page list of antihistamine and anti-inflammatory foods and comes in regular and Paleo.

The Low Oxalate Cookbook features antihistamine and anti-inflammatory rich recipes.

Don’t miss the Low Histamine Beauty Survival Guide for non-toxic beauty tips, the skinny on histamine releasing (mast cell degranulating) beauty ingredients, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory beauty alternatives and the top brands natural brands I’ve found.

Take a peek at my other low histamine and antihistamine cookbooks for more high nutrient recipes

 

——-REFERENCES——–

Merrick L, Youssef D, Tanner M, Peiris AN (June 2014). “Does melatonin have therapeutic use in tinnitus?”. Southern Medical Journal107 (6): 362–6. doi:10.14423/01.smj.0000450714.38550.d4. PMID 24945170

“Melatonin.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Feb. 2017. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.

Maldonado, M.d., H. Garcia-Moreno, and J.r. Calvo. “Melatonin protects mast cells against cytotoxicity mediated by chemical stimuli PMACI: Possible clinical use.” Journal of Neuroimmunology 262.1-2 (2013): 62-65. Web.

Theoharis C. Theoharides, Julia M. Stewart. “Genitourinary mast cells and survival.” Translational Andrology and Urology, Vol 4, No 5 (October 2015).

Çikler, Esra, Feriha Ercan, Şule Çetinel, Gazi Contuk, and Göksel Şener. “The protective effects of melatonin against water avoidance stress-induced mast cell degranulation in dermis.” Acta Histochemica106.6 (2005): 467-75. Web.

Tamura, Eduardo K., Claudia L. M. Silva, and Regina P. Markus. “Melatonin inhibits endothelial nitric oxide production in vitro.” Journal of Pineal Research 41.3 (2006): 267-74. Web.

Marseglia, Lucia, Gabriella D’angelo, Sara Manti, Carmelo Salpietro, Teresa Arrigo, Ignazio Barberi, Russel Reiter, and Eloisa Gitto. “Melatonin and Atopy: Role in Atopic Dermatitis and Asthma.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences 15.8 (2014): 13482-3493. Web.

 

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