Approach and management of histamine imbalance in functional medicine

Abstract

Histamine is known as a substance that causes allergies and anaphylaxis, but, in fact, it is a kind of inflammatory cytokine which is involved in immune and inflammatory responses that protect from external materials. Especially, it is involved in the removal of dust, parasites, and bacteria. Histamine mainly plays a role in physically washing or sterilizing these substances through vasodilation, increasing mucus secretion and expectoration, smooth muscle contraction, and gastric acid secretion. In addition, histamine has central nervous system effects such as arousal and memory, because it is necessary to remember and avoid harmful exposures. Like other cytokines, histamine must be produced, released, and degraded in a balance for proper action. When this balance is broken, various non-specific symptoms from histamine excess, such as rhinitis, urticarial, itching sense, abdominal cramp, diarrhea, epigastric burning, chronic cough, headache, dizziness, edema, insomnia, nervousness and irritability can be appeared. It is defined as “histamine imbalance” in functional medicine, and some researchers are called it as “histamine syndrome”. There can be several causes, but allergies and chronic subclinical inflammation are particularly important. The importance of histamine imbalance is increasing because there are many factors for subclinical inflammation in modern society, such as environmental pollution including fine dust, lack of sleep and exercise, increased carbohydrate consumption with decreased vitamin and mineral intake, and infectious disease like Coronavirus disease-2019. In this review, the authors will propose the concept of histamine imbalance and its functional medical approach and management.