Here's A List Of Foods To Avoid If You Have Mast Cell Issues

[tex]

Hi All,

Here's a list of foods that contain significant amounts of histamine, and foods that cause mast cells to release histamines. Obviously, there may be other possibilities in addition to the foods included in this list.

Histamine-Rich Foods (including fermented foods):

* Alcoholic beverages, especially beer and wine.
* Anchovies
* Avocados
* Cheeses, especially aged or fermented cheese, such as parmesan, blue and Roquefort.
* Cider and home-made root beer.
* Dried fruits such as apricots, dates, prunes, figs and raisins (you may be able to eat these fruits - without reaction - if the fruit is thoroughly washed).
* Eggplant
* Fermented foods, such as pickled or smoked meats, sauerkraut, etc.
* Mackerel
* Mushrooms
* Processed meats - sausage, hot dogs, salami, etc.
* Sardines
* Smoked fish - herring, sardines, etc.
* Sour cream, sour milk, buttermilk, yogurt - especially if not fresh.
* Soured breads, such as pumpernickel, coffee cakes and other foods made with large amounts of yeast.
* Spinach, tomatoes
* Vinegar or vinegar-containing foods, such as mayonnaise, salad dressing, ketchup, chili sauce, pickles, pickled beets, relishes, olives.
* Yogurt

Histamine-Releasing Foods:

* Alcohol
* Bananas
* Chocolate
* Eggs
* Fish
* Milk
* Papayas
* Pineapple
* Shellfish
* Strawberries
* Tomatoes

Histamine or Scombroid Poisoning:

At times the ingestion of high concentrations of histamine may lead to histamine or scombroid poisoning. Scombroid poisoning most often occurs with the spoilage of certain fish such as: tuna, mackerel, bluefish, mahi-mahi and herring.

http://www.michiganallergy.com/food_and_histamine.shtml

Tex

[janemick]

Tex, Thank you for the detailed list of foods that cause the Histamine Reaction. I appreciate your prompt and thorough response.Jane

[Vigarcia5]

Oh MY! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

I was dx'd by "The Food Doc" himself. Only info I could find was stuff by him and even he couldn't tell me what to do to treat it beyond the antihistamine pills and Gastrocrom (ick!).

Reading through what limited info I could find from other posts led me to fear that my immune system was weakened and being around others who were ill would make me seriously ill and land me in the hospital. I worked as an elementary teacher and I would be ill almost immediately after school started in the fall with colds, chronic bronchitis, or the last episode before I left my career--walking pneumonia. Each year the type and length of the illness seemed to be progressively worse. In addition, I would frequently have painful problems with upset stomach that would send me home midday. Any way, after the dx, though I was so relieved to know it wasn't all in my head, my doc told me that I was NOT in danger, as implied on the web, of ending up in the hospital if being near an ill person. I left teaching about a year ago...and have not had even a cold! I don't know if there is truth in the lowered immune system threat.

As part of the dx process, I'd done a food allergy prick & blood test and nothing definitive came up. Both the allergist and my ME doc told me I'd have to find out the mystery food on my own. In looking at your list, I was surprised to see many foods that irritate my mouth mildly to moderately (my tongue would swell slightly or burn, or my throat would tingle--Coca Cola is the worst) but nothing that could be outright identified as a true food allergy.

While looking for information tonight re: ME, I found your food list...many items I suspected!

THANK YOU!!!

Now, I hope, I can heal.

[tex]

Hi Victoria,

Welcome to our internet family. Dr. Lewey is definitely one of the best. You were fortunate to have access to his services, because apparently very few gastroenterologists have even heard of mast cell issues associated with the digestive system, let alone know how to diagnose it. On our Main Message Board, we've had a few fairly extensive discussions about mast cell issues, and it seems that disagnoses of this condition are increasing rapidly, as the word gets around among GI docs.

I have a hunch that it's much more common than the medical community realizes, (and obviously, Dr. Lewey feels the same way), but until recently, it was completely off the radar of most gastroenterologists. Here are links to a few discussions about mast cell issues. There are many, many others, but I thought that you might find these to be particularly helpful. They are listed by date, with the newest one on top, and the last one is from a couple of years ago, when we were first learning about mast cell issues. Incidentally, one of the participants in these discussions, Mary Beth, is a licensed dietitian, who has mast cell issues herself, so she stays on top of this area of research.

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14131

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14323

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14476

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14347

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14286

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13618

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13312

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13193

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10302

Your unusual susceptibility to viral infections caught my eye. Have you ever had your vitamin D level checked, (the 25 hydroxy-D test)? People with inflammatory bowel diseases, (including microscopic colitis), are very prone to low vitamin D levels. Not only do IBDs tend to deplete vitamin D levels, but low vitamin D levels tend to increase the risk of developing an IBD, as well, so it's a self-perpetuating cycle. A low vitamin D level makes us susceptible to virtually any type of virus or bacterial infection, because it weakens our resistance by weakening our immune system. Low vitamin D even promotes seemingly unrelated issues such as GERD. Most members here do much better after boosting their vitamin D intake. Most of us seem to do well with a daily vitamin D3 supplement of approximately 5,000 IU, depending on how far we live from the equator, (how much direct sun exposure we receive). Please be aware, though, that some people with mast cell issues, (including Mary Beth), are prone to mast cell activation by vigorous exercise, especially in direct sunlight, (such as running), and even just exposure to intense sunlight itself, if the exposure is long enough.

Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.

Tex (Wayne)