I often talk about histamine intolerance and the effect it has on hormones, stress, gut health and symptoms of histamine intolerance. One area that I haven’t discussed much, is the impact of histamine intolerance and the postpartum period.
I was recently asked, “Why is a histamine flare bigger postpartum?” So, I decided to explain more about this topic in this month’s article.
When discussing histamine intolerance and the post partum period, it’s important to also first discuss the changes that occur during pregnancy. The connection between histamine intolerance, pregnancy and the post partum period, is mainly due to the hormonal changes that occur during these times. Here are some of the key points to help understand this connection:
Hormones:
During pregnancy, levels of oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate, influencing histamine intolerance in several ways. Here are some key points to understand this interaction:
Oestrogen Increases Histamine Levels:
Oestrogen can promote the release of histamine from mast cells, leading to higher histamine levels in the body. I go into more depth about this connection in the blog, The Histamine and oestrogen connection.
Progesterone Modulates Histamine Release:
Progesterone has a stabilizing effect on mast cells and makes you feel calm and happier. Helping to reduce histamine release and counteracting some of oestrogen’s effects.
Fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone:
After childbirth, there is abrupt decline in elevated estrogen and progesterone levels. They influence histamine metabolism, can disrupt balance and hinder the body’s ability to regulate histamine levels.
The Immune System:
Immune System Modulation:
During pregnancy significant changes occur with the immune system. This occurs to modulate the immune system to protect the foetus. This modulation can affect how the body responds to histamine and potentially increasing histamine sensitivity. Following childbirth, the immune system gradually reverts to its pre-pregnancy state, sometimes this means that there is less reactivity but it can often result in heightened immune activity, including increased histamine release from mast cells. This may exacerbate symptoms of histamine intolerance.
Mast Cell Activation:
During pregnancy, the body’s immune response can cause mast cells to release increased amounts of histamine. This surge in histamine can lead to symptoms associated with histamine intolerance.
Dietary and Lifestyle Factors
Diet Changes:
Expectant mothers frequently undergo dietary changes, experience cravings, or opt for quick meals due to convenience. This may include an increased consumption of foods that are higher in histamine or histamine-releasing foods. Exacerbating symptoms of histamine intolerance such as headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and skin reactions etc.
Stress and Sleep:
Pregnancy can be stressful on a women’s body both physically and emotionally. Pregnancy and post partum are also known to affect sleep patterns, which in turn has an impact on the body’s stress.
Increased stress and lack of sleep can also have significant effects on gut function. The link between gut microbiome health and histamine comes into play here.
Gut and Histamine connection:
As a refresher, here are the ways in which gut function and histamine are connected:
Histamine in the Gut:
Histamine is produced by specialized cells (mast cells) in the gut lining. It plays a role in regulating various physiological processes, including digestion and immune responses within the gastrointestinal tract.
Histamine and Digestive Processes:
Histamine acts as a neurotransmitter that stimulates the release of gastric acid (HCl) in the stomach. HCI is essential for breaking down food and aiding in digestion. Balanced histamine levels help maintain optimal acidity in the stomach for efficient digestion.
Gut Microbiota and Histamine:
The gut microbiota (the community of microorganisms residing in the intestines) plays a role in histamine metabolism. Certain bacteria in the gut can produce or degrade histamine, affecting its levels in the body. This can include SIBO, Candida, Lower Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (LIBO)or lack of good gut bacteria and diversity in the colon.
Intestinal Permeability (Leaky Gut) and Histamine:
Chronic inflammation or damage to the gut lining (intestinal permeability or leaky gut) can increase the absorption of histamine from the gut into the bloodstream. This can lead to higher circulating levels of histamine, contributing to histamine intolerance symptoms.
DAO Enzyme and Histamine Metabolism:
Diamine oxidase (DAO) is an enzyme produced in the small intestine that breaks down histamine from ingested food. Impaired DAO function, often due to gut health issues or genetic factors, can result in reduced histamine breakdown and worsen histamine intolerance symptoms.
Immune Responses in the Gut:
Histamine released from mast cells in the gut can influence immune responses and inflammation within the intestinal mucosa. Chronic activation of mast cells and elevated histamine levels can contribute to gut inflammation and gastrointestinal symptoms.
In summary, gut function and histamine are linked through histamine production, metabolism, and the impact of gut health on histamine levels.
How does stress and sleep affect the Gut?
Elevated stress and inadequate sleep can profoundly impact gut function through various mechanisms:
Alterations in Gut Microbiota:
Stress and poor sleep can disrupt the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut (microbiota). This imbalance, known as dysbiosis, can lead to digestive issues such as bloating, gas, and discomfort.
Impaired Gut Barrier Function:
Stress hormones like cortisol can weaken the intestinal barrier, leading to increased permeability (leaky gut). A compromised gut barrier allows toxins, undigested food particles, and pathogens to leak into the bloodstream, triggering inflammation and often contributing to autoimmune responses.
Digestive Function:
Stress can affect the contractions of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to altered digestion and absorption of nutrients. This can show up as as symptoms like diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, weight loss, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Immune System Activation:
Chronic stress can activate the immune system in the gut, leading to low-grade inflammation. This chronic inflammation can damage the gut lining and exacerbate existing gut conditions.
Changes in Gut-Brain Communication:
The gut and brain communicate bidirectionally through the gut-brain axis. Stress and poor sleep can disrupt this communication, influencing mood, appetite, and digestive processes. You can read more about the Gut-brain connection here.
Impact on Gut Hormones:
Stress hormones can affect gut hormone secretion, such as ghrelin (hunger hormone) and leptin (satiety hormone), which can disrupt appetite regulation and food intake patterns.
Stress exacerbates histamine intolerance by perpetuating an inflamed state, impairing immune function and therefore intensifying histamine symptoms. Stress can slow gut motility leading to SIBO, heartburn and constipation. Read more about the link between Stress and histamine here.
As stress is such an important aspect of managing histamine intolerance I created the BrainFood program, to help to manage stress and shift the nervous system. BrainFood offers a transformative approach for individuals struggling with gut and chronic illness symptoms, providing insights from neuroscience to understand and reset the nervous system. It uses practical tools to rewire neural pathways, alleviate symptoms, and regain control over your health, fostering a calmer, more energized life free from debilitating symptoms and limitations. Read more about the BrainFood Program here.
Histamine Intolerance and the Postpartum period:
If you have histamine intolerance in the post-partum period, you might be impacted by some of these changes that occur in the body that cause histamine flareups.
After childbirth, the sudden drop in progesterone levels can lead to a hormone imbalance, making it harder for the body to regulate histamine levels.
DAO Production:
At the start of the second trimester, the placenta creates more DAO during pregnancy. It is often around this time, that women with histamine intolerance, notice a change in the body’s ability to handle histamine. With increased tolerance to higher amounts of histamine foods and a reduction in histamine intolerance symptoms.
Once the baby is delivered so is the placenta, and there is a significant drop in DAO levels. This can result in an accumulation of histamine in the body, exacerbating symptoms of histamine intolerance.
Therefore, the symptoms of histamine intolerance return. As the gut is not producing enough DAO enzymes and the placenta is no longer there to pick up the slack.
Post-partum Healing:
During the postpartum period, the body undergoes a natural healing process that includes inflammation, This inflammation can trigger mast cells and increased histamine release, exacerbating symptoms.
As you can see the connection between histamine intolerance and the post-partum period is impacted by hormone fluctuations, immune system changes, dietary choices, gut health, stress and sleep patterns. As a new mother understanding these changes can help to navigate this time. Working on getting your gut into great shape and calming your nervous system before you conceive can help to reduce the chance of having histamine intolerance after birth. If you have found yourself having increasing symptoms after birth – particularly if you had to have antibiotics or other medical interventions working on both your diet, gut AND your nervous system can give you the best outcomes.
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Gut Motility and Constipation: Keys to Managing Histamine Intolerance