Histamine Intolerance – What You Need To Know!

This week I had a great conversation with a stockist about Histamine Clearance. She told me about a customer who was very sensitive to histamine and found the Canna Oils Ultra helped her immensely. So, of course, that’s a great cue for a blog!  Let’s take a look at what I found, and I think many of you may find that you have suffered from this at some stage in your life but didn’t even realise it.

What Do Histamines Do Exactly?

Webmd (2022) explains this so well – 

“They’re chemicals your immune system makes. Histamines act like bouncers at a club. They help your body get rid of something that’s bothering you — in this case, an allergy trigger, or “allergen.”

Histamines start the process that hustles those allergens out of your body or off your skin. They can make you sneeze, tear up, or itch — whatever it takes to get the job done. They are part of your body’s defense system.

When you have allergies, some of your triggers — such as pollen, pet dander, or dust — seem harmless. But your immune system sees them as a threat and responds.

Your body’s intention — to keep you safe — is good. But its overreaction gives you those all-too-familiar allergy symptoms, which you then try to stop with an antihistamine.”

So it would appear that histamines are a good thing – our immune system is just trying to get rid of something that may compromise your health. So why then would some people want to get rid of or eliminate histamine? And why is it more than just dust that “sets me off”??

What Is Histamine Intolerance?

The Cleveland Clinic (2024) puts it this way –

“Histamine intolerance (HIT) is a proposed condition caused by an inability to digest histamine in your diet, leading to gastrointestinal and allergy-like symptoms.”  

And here’s a great chart with some of the symptoms that HIT may include.

Of course, because we are all unique, symptoms may be different for each of us.  But we can see that once again our bodies often try to help us, but for whatever reason, sometimes the body just can’t do its job properly, and we end up with symptoms that can make life difficult.

So before we get into why or if, in fact Beta Caryophyllene (BCP), does actually help with keeping histamine at a level that our bodies can tolerate, let’s look at some other ways we could potentially tackle this issue (I’m a strong believer in a whole-body approach, and many times this means a change in lifestyle along with supplementation).

Low Histamine Diet 

I’ve linked here a helpful document from The John Hopkins Clinic showing some easy to incorporate LOW histamine foods.  They also list some foods that you may want to steer away from – or at least take note of how your body responds after eating them – click here for the document.  So diet can play a crucial part in keeping your immune system functioning optimally.

How Might Beta Caryophyllne Help With Histamine Intolerance?

A scientific presentation at the 18th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (2018) explored how BCP may influence histamine activity in the body. The researchers found that BCP might support the breakdown of histamine, helping to reduce its levels and effects. In the study, mice were given BCP before being exposed to a compound that would normally raise histamine levels. Surprisingly, the mice who received BCP had lower histamine levels in their blood, suggesting that BCP might help clear histamine faster or reduce its release. 

How? The study suggested –  

“BCP inhibited the mast cell derived inflammatory allergic reactions by blocking the expression of histamine release and pro inflammatory markers, therefore elucidating the underlying mechanisms of action. Furthermore, in vivo and in vitro anti allergic effect of BCP suggests it to be a possible therapeutic agent for inflammatory allergic conditions.” WCP2018

Well, I’m super impressed!!

A Natural Way to Support your Body

While obviously human studies are needed, early research is promising. If your body is struggling with excess histamine — whether that’s through allergies, food sensitivities, or general inflammation — BCP might help your body balance things out – naturally.

Many people already use BCP for its calming, anti-inflammatory, and gut-friendly effects. Its potential to help with histamine is just one more reason it should be a part of your daily wellness routine.

Check out our Ultra products range online or at one of our amazing stockists for your daily dose of BCP!!

References:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/histamine-intolerance 2024

https://www.webmd.com/allergies/what-are-histamines 2022

John Hopkins Clinic – Peter Rowe, MD Alba Azola, MD Samantha Lemmon, CRNP Renee Swope, RN Meghan Swope, CCMA – revised April 2025

Oka, S. (2018). Modulation of histamine release and histamine content by beta-caryophyllene. The 18th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (WCP2018). https://doi.org/10.1254/jpssuppl.wcp2018.0_PO1-4-21