Common ones are stinging nettle, vitamin C, quercetin, butterbur, bromelain, and probiotics. Some alternative practices—such as acupuncture, nasal irrigation, and exercise—may also help you manage symptoms.
What is a natural antihistamine? A natural antihistamine is a substance found in certain foods, herbs, and supplements that can help reduce allergy symptoms by blocking the effects of histamine in the body. Examples include quercetin, vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, and stinging nettle.
For these people, histamine builds up in the body and is not broken down correctly. This can trigger an immune system response resulting in symptoms such as diarrhea, shortness of breath, headaches, or skin irritation.
Honey has been used for medicinal purposes around the world for thousands of years. It may help some people manage their allergy symptoms, but there isn't enough evidence to show that it can replace antihistamines and other standard allergy treatments.
Helps Fight Allergies: Red Apples
An apple a day keeps the allergist away. Red produce like apples contains a compound called quercetin. This compound is responsible for the red color and works as a natural antihistamine in your body.
"The active component of turmeric is curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties, and its anti-allergic properties are due to inhibition of histamine release from mast cells," Dr.
– Ginger: As a powerful anti-inflammatory, ginger has the ability to reduce the release of endogenous histamine, a mechanism that occurs in allergies.
Is coffee an antihistamine? No, coffee is not an antihistamine, but it's generally considered to not be good for those with histamine intolerance.
High Histamine Foods
Fruit: Citrus fruits, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pears. Vegetables: Eggplant, avocado, tomatoes, olives, beans. Dairy: Cheese, yogurt, processed cheese.
If you have a food allergy, histamines are in on that response process, too. When you accidentally eat or drink something you shouldn't, they'll work in your gut to trigger your allergic reaction. Some foods are also naturally high in histamines. These include aged and fermented foods and alcohol (especially red wine).
Histamine intolerance is more common in people with underlying digestive issues. Conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, IBS, and SIBO increase the risk of histamine intolerance. There is minimal information on the actual incidence of HIT. Its correlation with other health issues is emerging.
Histamine intolerance (HIT) is assumed to be due to a deficiency of the gastrointestinal (GI) enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) and, therefore, the food component histamine not being degraded and/or absorbed properly within the GI tract.
If you're experiencing a histamine reaction, try chewing on fresh ginger or pouring boiling hot water over sliced ginger to make fresh ginger tea. In general, you can also drink ginger tea before bed to act as a natural antihistamine and prevent histamine reactions.
Coffee contains histamines in low amounts, but for people who are sensitive to them, it contains plenty to get a reaction out of them. While the natural histamine content in coffee is low, some coffee processes can increase histamine levels.
Allergists recommend long-acting, non-sedating antihistamines — ones that won't make you sleepy — for everyday use. Though you may know them by their brand names, the generic versions tackle the same problems: Cetirizine (Zyrtec®, Aller-Tec®, Wall-Zyr®). Fexofenadine (Allegra®, Aller-ease®, Aller-Fex®, Wal-Fex®).
Your body releases higher levels of histamine naturally at night as well as after meals so taking activated charcoal at night (about two hours after an early dinner) sweeps up excess histamine and can alleviate some, if not all of the symptoms associated with high histamine at night.
Claritin and Zyrtec are effective and safe for most people with minor allergies.