Unchecked Oestrogen and Histamine: The Unrelenting Cycle

Oestrogen and histamine are closely linked. Each can increase the effects of the other through oxidative stress, detox issues, and poor gut health. This cycle can worsen symptoms for people dealing with menopause, IBS, hormone imbalance, and allergies. Read on if this sounds like you.

🔍 Quick Summary: Basic Key Takeaways

Oestrogen and histamine are linked: High levels of one can increase the other, leading to symptoms like migraines, allergies, bloating, and hormonal imbalances.
Your liver, gut, and detox systems matter: These organs break down histamine and oestrogen. If they aren't working well, both compounds can build up.
Certain people are more affected: Women in perimenopause or menopause, people with gut issues like IBS, and those with allergies or hormone problems.
You can break the cycle: Through food, supplements, stress management, and improving gut health, it's possible to support balance.
Read more below to get some details

What Is Histamine?

Histamine is a chemical involved in your immune system, digestion, and brain. It's released when your body reacts to allergens or injuries. If it builds up too much, you can get symptoms like hives, migraines, a runny nose, anxiety, or bloating.

Your body breaks it down using enzymes called DAO (in the gut) and HNMT (in tissues). If these don’t work well, you might have histamine intolerance. This is complex, and you may present with histamine intolerance, but this is not the end of your story. The microbiome balance has a role, more to come on this topic next month.

What Is Oestrogen?

Oestrogen is a hormone that supports reproductive health, bones, brain, skin, and heart. It’s mostly made in the ovaries, fat cells, and adrenal glands. If your body has too much oestrogen or can’t clear it properly, you might get PMS, heavy periods, bloating, breast tenderness, or mood swings. These symptoms are often related to other hormonal dysfunction. Rather than just focusing on oestrogen alone, it is more impactful to place emphasis on its relationship with the other hormones.

Why They Affect Each Other

Oestrogen raises histamine by triggering cells to release it and blocking its breakdown.
Histamine boosts oestrogen by increasing its receptors, making your body more sensitive to it.
- This creates a vicious cycle. If your detox or gut systems aren’t working well, both histamine and oestrogen can build up.
Oxidative stress (caused by inflammation or poor detox) worsens the cycle, as both histamine and oestrogen increase harmful by-products.
If you have MTHFR gene variants or poor methylation, you may not detox these chemicals well.

More on Methylation and Glutathione

Methylation is a key detox process that uses SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) to break down both histamine and oestrogen. If you’re low in SAMe, due to genetics (like MTHFR or PEMT variants) or low intake of B vitamins, detox slows down. This can cause histamine to build up, as well as increase oestrogen dominance.

Glutathione is another crucial player—often called your body’s “master antioxidant.” It helps neutralise harmful by-products from oestrogen and histamine metabolism. When glutathione is low, oxidative stress increases, making symptoms worse. Supporting glutathione levels through foods like broccoli and spinach, or supplements like NAC and vitamin C, can help reduce inflammation and histamine overload.

How to Break the Cycle

1. Support Your Liver and Detox Systems

Eat cruciferous veggies like broccoli and kale.
Take B vitamins (especially B6, B12, and folate).
Use magnesium and antioxidants like glutathione or vitamin C.

2. Heal Your Gut

Eat more fibre and omega-3s.
Try probiotics and DAO-supportive nutrients (vitamin C, copper, zinc).
Avoid processed foods and excess sugar.
Often, this is where I recommend Cobiome Stool testing. Bacteria in your gut can produce histamine, exacerbating symptoms.