Did you know that there is a strong histamine-PCOS connection? If you have PCOS, you are all too familiar with irregular periods, hair loss, ovarian cysts, weight gain, and other symptoms. What you may not know is that if you have PCOS, you may also have histamine intolerance. The good news is that once you understand the connection between histamine and PCOS, you can start taking appropriate steps to regain your health naturally.
In this article, you will learn about PCOS. You will understand how histamine intolerance and PCOS are linked. I will also share the top natural strategies to improve histamine intolerance and PCOS.
What Is PCOS?
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder that affects about 5 million women of reproductive age in the US alone. Women with PCOS have excess levels of the androgen male hormone. Their ovaries tend to have small cysts that lead to hormonal imbalance and are unable to release eggs regularly. As a result, women with PCOS experience irregular, infrequent, or prolong menstrual cycles.
PCOS is the most common known cause of female infertility. PCOS also increases the risk of miscarriage, premature delivery, gestational diabetes, and pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. Besides menstrual irregularities, fertility issues, and pregnancy complications, PCOS also increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, heart disease, and stroke (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Common symptoms of PCOS include (3, 5):
- Missed, irregular, or light periods
- Large ovaries
- Ovaries with many cysts
- Excess body hair, including on the stomach, chest, and back
- Weight gain, especially belly fat
- Acne or oily skin
- Thinning hair
- Infertility
- Skin tags on the neck or armpits
- Dark or thick skin patches in the armpits, on the back of the neck, or under the breasts
The Histamine-PCOS Connection
When it comes to PCOS treatment and prevention, it is critical that we address both hormonal issues and related histamine intolerance.
What Is Histamine Intolerance?
Histamine is a chemical that is responsible for a variety of functions in your body, including getting rid of allergens as part of your immune response, communicating with your brain, and triggering stomach acid release to aid digestion. Histamine intolerance means that you have too much histamine which can lead to various health issues.
As a natural part of your immune response, your body releases enzymes to break down histamine build-up. If you have too much histamine, your body won’t be able to keep up and won’t be able to break down the excess histamine properly. Histamine intolerance affects your entire body, including your gut, brain, lungs, cardiovascular system, and hormonal health. Histamine intolerance can manifest in a variety of ways, including hormonal issues, headaches, skin problems, digestive issues, sleep disturbances, bladder problems, anxiety, fast heart rate, seasonal allergies and more. Let’s see how histamine intolerance is linked to PCOS (6).
Histamine Intolerance and PCOS
Hormonal imbalances are one of the main causes of histamine intolerance. Estrogen dominance happens when estrogen and progesterone get out of balance and you end up with too much estrogen. Estrogen dominance plays a key role in the development and symptoms of PCOS and other conditions, including premenstrual syndrome (PMS), uterine fibroids, and breast cancer (7).
Women who have PCOS also tend to have low progesterone levels. This is not surprising since progesterone is critical for ovulation and most women with PCOS don’t ovulate consistently. Progesterone is not only essential for your period and reproduction, but it also supports the diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme function. The DAO enzyme is essential for breaking down histamine in your food and excess histamine in your body. If your body is not producing sufficient progesterone, it cannot support the DAO enzyme function as well and will be unable to break down excess histamine efficiently either.
Another problem is that estrogen triggers the production of histamine from the mast cells in your ovaries and uterus. If you have too much estrogen, it means that your body has to make and release more histamine feeding the never-ending cycle of estrogen and histamine excess.
This estrogen-histamine connection is one of the reasons behind your PCOS symptoms. Estrogen dominance may increase PMS symptoms and may also cause bloating, gut issues, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, or irritability during the first part of your cycle or during ovulation when estrogen levels are higher.
Natural Support for PCOS and Histamine Intolerance
If you have PCOS and histamine intolerance and want to improve your health naturally, I have some simple natural solutions for you. This is what I recommend to my patients with PCOS:
Follow an Anti-Inflammatory and Low-Histamine Diet
Following an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich, and nutrient-dense diet is important for your health. Reducing inflammation through an anti-inflammatory diet can decrease your symptoms Following a low-histamine diet can help you reduce histamine intolerance and lower the risk of histamine-related problems.
Remove inflammatory foods, including refined sugar, refined oils, canned and processed meat, artificial ingredients, junk food, and highly processed foods. Avoid high-histamine foods, such as fermented food (e.g., sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented vegetables, kombucha, etc.), aged food (e.g., aged cheese, processed meat, canned fish, etc.), over-ripe fruits and vegetables, leftovers, and foods that are naturally high in histamine (e.g., avocadoes, eggplant, spinach, dried fruits, etc.). Avoid foods that may trigger histamine releases, such as tomatoes, most citrus, bananas, most nuts, and dairy. Avoid foods that may block the DAO enzyme, including black tea, green tea, alcohol, and energy drinks.
Eat a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, and low-histamine diet rich in greens, vegetables, herbs, spices, fruits, healthy fats, and organic meat. Low-histamine foods include most fresh leafy greens and vegetables, non-citrus fruits, such as apples, pear, papaya, and grapes, fresh grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, and wild-caught fish, olives, extra-virgin olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, leafy herbs, and herbal tea. My book, The 4-Phase Histamine Reset Plan includes an extensive list of foods that you can eat and should avoid on a low-histamine diet.
If you are new to a low-histamine diet, remember to have fun experimenting with new foods and recipes. I promise low-histamine meals can be delicious. I recommend all the low-histamine recipes in The 4-Phase Histamine Reset Plan and my new recipe book, Fifty One Low Histamine Air Fryer Recipes. They are all simple, easy to make, low-histamine, gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, and super healthy. Not to mention how delicious they are — your family will love them too.
Reduce Your Histamine Bucket
If you are dealing with symptoms of histamine intolerance, reducing high-histamine foods is not enough. High stress, poor sleep, not moving your body, and high toxin exposure may add to your histamine load. Improving these areas of your lifestyle may help to reduce your histamine bucket and lower the risk of histamine-related issues.
Reduce Your Stress Levels
Chronic stress can increase mast cell activation and histamine intolerance. To decrease your stress levels, I recommend practicing breathwork, meditation, positive affirmation, journaling, yoga, grounding, and time in nature for stress and anxiety reduction. Taking an Epsom salt bath is another great way to relax your muscles, calm your mind, and detoxify your body.
Get Enough Sleep Sleep
Inadequate and poor sleep is another major underlying issue behind histamine intolerance. Improving your sleep is absolutely essential for your health. Your goal should be to sleep at least 7 to 9 hours a night. Lower your stress levels throughout the day but especially in the evening time to support sleep. Take a bath, read a good book, listen to some music, journal, try coloring, and spend time with your family. Avoid sugar, alcohol, and heavy food in the evening. Sleep on a supportive mattress with comfortable and supportive pillows and blankets, and quality, organic cotton sheets.
Move Your Body
A lack of movement may also increase the risk of histamine intolerance and chronic health issues. Moving your body is a great way to reduce stress, improve detoxification, and improve your overall health. Move your body throughout the day. Stretch regularly. Take a stroll in the nearby park. Find creative ways to incorporate movement, such as an impromptu dance session, learning a new TikTok dance, playing with your kids or pets, taking the stairs, trying a treadmill desk, or practicing chair yoga. Exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes five days a week and move your body regularly. I recommend getting 10 to 15K steps in a day if you can. Add resistance and strength training to your routine.
Remove Toxins
Toxin overload can lead to mast cell activation, histamine intolerance, chronic inflammation, and related chronic symptoms. It’s critical that you lower your daily exposure to environmental toxins. Choose purified water over tap water. Use a high-quality air filtration system for better indoor air. Choose natural, organic, and homemade cleaning, personal hygiene, and beauty products instead of conventional brands loaded with chemicals. Choose glass, bamboo, wood, organic cotton, silicon, and other natural alternatives instead of plastic. Avoid BPA plastic completely. Choose organic food whenever possible and avoid overly processed packaged foods. If you must buy non-organic produce, follow the Dirty Dozen, Clean 15 list, and always wash and peel non-organic vegetables and fruits.
Support Your Gut
Your gut health affects your entire body. Gut flora imbalance can trigger both histamine intolerance and PCOS. Supporting your gut health is critical for your recovery. Along with a gut-friendly, low-histamine, anti-inflammatory diet, I recommend that you take a high-quality probiotics supplement, to support your gut microbiome balance.
Try Some Supplements
I recommend HistoRelief. It is a synergistic blend of nutrients that provides natural support to balance your immune response. This blend features Tinofend®, a patented and clinically researched extract derived from the plant Tinospora cordifolia, which has a powerful ability to support immune regulation and immune response. As a result, it boosts your body’s ability to fight histamine intolerance-related symptoms. It includes quercetin, nettle leaf, vitamin C, and bicarbonate salt to help inhibit histamine release, support normal histamine metabolism, and improve immune health.
Supporting your hormone levels is also critical for improving your symptoms. This is why I recommend Optimal Reset Liver Love. This supplement is a powerful blend of botanical and mushroom extracts and N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC), a derivative of the amino acid cysteine. It supports healthy liver function, allows optimal estrogen detoxification, and supports your hormonal health naturally.
Check Out the Health Babes’ Guide to Balancing Your Hormones
To learn more about your hormones and learn how to improve your hormonal health naturally, I recommend our book (co-authored by Dr. Krystal Hohn and myself) The Health Babes’ Guide to Balancing Your Hormones: A Detailed Plan with Recipes to Support Mood, Energy Levels, Libido, and More. This book is not only full of information but with an easy-to-follow plan and easy-to-make, delicious hormone-friendly recipes.
Final Thoughts
Histamine intolerance is a common underlying issue behind PCOS. Addressing histamine intolerance and reducing your histamine load is critical for improving your symptoms. I recommend that you follow the strategies outlined in this article to improve your health.
If you are dealing with symptoms of histamine intolerance or PCOS, I invite you to schedule a consultation with us. We can help identify the root cause of your condition and recommend a personalized treatment plan to repair your body and regain your health and well-being. Schedule your consultation here. I also recommend that you check out my Histamine Online Program.
Sources:
1. PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Link Here
2. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Hormone Health Network. Link Here
3. Polycystic ovary syndrome. US Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Women’s Health. Link Here
4. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Mayo Clinic. Link Here
5. Polycystic ovary Syndrome. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Link Here
6. Maintz L, Novak N, Histamine and histamine intolerance, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 85, Issue 5, May 2007, Pages 1185–1196. Link Here
7. Arduc A, Aycicek Dogan B, Bilmez S Imga Nasirouglu N, Tuna MM, Isik S, Berker D, Guler S. High prevalence of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: does the imbalance between estradiol and progesterone play a role? Endocrine Research. 2015;40(4):204-210. PMID: 25822940
8. Histamine intolerance. Vickerstaff Health Services. Link Here
9. Yang K., Zeng L., Bao T. et al. Exploring the pharmacological mechanism of quercetin-resveratrol combination for polycystic ovary syndrome: A Systematic Pharmacological Strategy-Based Research. Sci Rep 9, 18420 (2019). Link Here
10. Olanyan OT. Vitamin C suppresses ovarian pathophysiology in experimental polycystic ovarian syndrome. Pathophysiology. 2019 Sep – Dec;26(3-4):331-341. PMID: 31564389
11. Stinging nettle is a powerful plant for PCOS. PCOS. Link Here
