amino acids (methionine cysteine, taurine), some vitamins (e.g. B1, biotin),
hormones (insulin), coenzymes (coenzyme A), and antioxidants (glutathione, N-
acetylcysteine, alpha-lipoic acid). Because sulfur is necessary to build “disulfide
bonds,” which hold together tissue, it forms part of the body’s physical structure,
including protein, collagen, glucosamine, skin, and nails. With adequate MSM
cells become more permeable, enabling detoxification of any undesirable foreign
particles. If you body is sulfur deficient, the cell walls become hard and stiff,
hindering the flow of fluid through the cell walls. Thus MSM softens the cell
walls, allowing allergens, foreign proteins, and any free-radicals to be moved out
of your system.
Zinc—stabilizes the cell membranes and inhibits the formation of free radicals.
Zinc also strengthens the integrity of blood vessel walls by reducing the membrane
permeability and stopping bleeding. Zinc has an inhibitory effect on the release of
histamine from mast cells due to its stabilizing effect of the mast cell membrane.
Bromelain (quercetin) reduces histamine. Vitamin C also helps reduce histamine
release. Selenium reduces immunoglobulin action on mast cells and, therefore,
also reducing histamine.
resveratrol is a phytoalexin found in the skin and seeds of red grapes, is an
antioxidant, antimutagenic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory. It is also a powerful
phytoestrogen that can help maintain normal estrogen activity. Resveratrol is also
found in raspberries, mulberries, peanuts, blueberries, bilberries, and cranberries,
Scots pine and eastern white pine, and the roots of Japanese knotweed (hu
zhang).
More antihistamines: Alternate chamomile tea with peppermint tea but
do not drink any caffeine or this will contract your blood vessels and raise your
blood pressure. Nettle Tea (Urtica) are extremely helpful, especially if you have
the high histamine levels indicated by sensitive skin and frequent ‘prickly heat’
type symptoms. Nettles reduce histamine levels and act as a blood tonic. If you
have dandelion in your garden, slowly chew on one dandelion leaf an hour for
stimulation of diuresis (urine flow).
Other antihistamine herbs include wild oregano, rue, basil, echinacea, fennel,
fig, ginkgo, grapefruit, passionflower, tarragon, tumeric, skullcap, berberine, thyme
and yarrow, papaya, amaranth seeds and ginger. The combination of quercetin and
bromelain helps maintain the proper functioning of the body’s histamine response.
Frankincense (Boswellia) inhibits pro-inflammatory mediators in the body, and
maybe helpful for ulcerative colitis. However the tree resins will tend to increase
blood pressure and need to be avoided during hyper-sympathetic activation.
ProHistamine FooDs:
Histamine occurs in food as a result of microbial enzymes converting the
amino acid histidine (present in all proteins) to histamine. Thus foods containing
histamine include aged protein containing foods and fermented foods such
as fermented cheeses (e.g. Camembert, Brie, Gruyere, Cheddar, Roquefort,
Parmesan). The foods most commonly reported to induce a histamine reaction