The self-perpetuating cycle of high oestrogen & high histamines
High oestrogen - or oestrogen dominance - and high histamine levels, are closely connected and can become a self-perpetuating cycle!
OESTROGEN
Oestrogen stimulates mast cells - our immune cells responsible for releasing histamine - leading to higher levels of circulating histamine. This often worsens histamine-related symptoms like headaches, hives, itching, and allergy-like responses.
But high histamine levels can then impair the body’s ability to metabolise (transform) oestrogen effectively, potentially raising levels even higher.
Also, histamine can bind to oestrogen receptors, creating a feedback loop where high histamine can continue to raise oestrogen levels, further exacerbating oestrogen dominance
Wow!
PROGESTERONE
Progesterone helps regulate histamine by inhibiting its release from mast cells and enhancing the activity of diamine oxidase (DAO), the enzyme responsible for breaking down histamine.
If progesterone is low in addition to oestrogen being high, this can impair the body’s ability to counterbalance oestrogen and break down histamine effectively.
Additionally, high oestrogen can suppress DAO, even further reducing histamine breakdown in the gut and increasing circulating histamine.
This creates an accumulation of histamine, leading to a heightened sensitivity to histamine-rich foods and triggering symptoms of histamine intolerance.
This is how high oestrogen and high histamine create a self-perpetuating cycle.
oestrogen dominance causes
Common causes of oestrogen dominance are birth control pills and other hormones, stress, plastics and chemicals, gut imbalances, perimenopause.
Using diet and lifestyle along with natural gut health and hormone protocols, it's more than possible to rebalance hormones and reduce histamine sensitivity.