Welcome back to the Bendy Club blog! This week, we’re diving into dietary changes that can help stabilize mast cells. If you’re living with hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), understanding how your diet affects your symptoms can be a game-changer.
What is Mast Cell Dysfunction?
Mast cells are a type of white blood cell that play a crucial role in your body’s immune response. When they don’t function properly, they can release too many chemicals like histamine, leading to symptoms like itching, flushing, and gastrointestinal issues. Mast cell dysfunction is common in individuals with HSD and EDS.
Why This Matters
Proper dietary management can significantly reduce symptoms of mast cell dysfunction, leading to a better quality of life. By making informed food choices, you can help regulate your body’s response and minimize flare-ups.
Foods to Avoid
Certain foods are known to trigger mast cell activation. Here are some common culprits:
- High-Histamine Foods: Aged cheeses, aged meats, pickled foods, and fermented foods like sauerkraut. Think anything on a charcuterie board. This also includes leftovers. Think about a piece of pizza that has been sitting in the fridge for a week. Bacteria have been breaking this down liberating the histamine.
- Food Additives: Artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
- Certain Fruits and Vegetables: Tomatoes, strawberries, avocados, citrus fruits and spinach can be problematic for some, but not others. There is a lot of individualization when it comes to specific foods. It may be helpful to cut out more things at the beginning but the goal is to be able to add many of these foods back in later.
- Alcohol and Caffeine: Both can degranulate mast cells and exacerbate symptoms.
Foods to Embrace
Incorporating anti-inflammatory and low-histamine foods can help stabilize mast cells. Consider adding these to your diet:
- Fresh Meats and Fish: Unprocessed and fresh options are best.
- Leafy Greens: Kale, arugula, and lettuce are generally well-tolerated.
- Root Vegetables: Carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets can be soothing.
- Quercetin-Rich Foods: Apples, berries, and onions contain quercetin, a natural mast cell stabilizer.
- Healthy Fats: Olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil can provide healthy fats to stabilize cell membranes and rereduce inflammation.
IMPORTANT NOTE
This diet can be very restrictive and does not necessarily need to be followed exactly. With most patients I have found that just decreasing consumption of aged meats and aged cheeses is able to significantly decrease their symptoms. The point of this post is not to get you to stop all these foods forever, more to make you aware what foods could be contributing to your symptoms so you can pay attention to how you react when you eat these foods and if you have a reaction to limit how often you have them.
Tips for Managing Your Diet
1. Keep a Food Diary
- Track what you eat and note any symptoms that follow. This can help identify specific triggers and patterns.
2. Cook your own foods
- When possible cooking your own foods is best. First it will ensure that you are not adding in high histamine foods but also the food will be more fresh
3. Stay Hydrated
- Adequate water intake can help your body flush out histamines and reduce symptoms.
4. Consult a Dietitian
- Work with a healthcare professional to create a tailored diet plan that meets your nutritional needs and stabilizes your mast cells.
5. Plan Your Meals
- Prepare meals in advance to avoid the temptation of processed and high-histamine foods when you’re hungry. This is especially important when going to gatherings that will likely have high histamine foods. Maybe you need to eat something before the party so you are not forced to eat the charcuterie board.
Real Stories, Real Solutions
Emily’s Journey
Emily, diagnosed with EDS, struggled with chronic itching and gastrointestinal distress for years. She worked with a board certified allergist and was prescribed 3x the recommended dose of Claritin. Even with this she still had severe mast cell dysfunction. After consulting with her we discussed the basics of the low histamine diet and started her on a mast cell stabilizing supplement called D-Hist. Her symptoms improved significantly and she was able to decrease her medication intake of the Claritin to less than once weekly.
Share Your Journey
We encourage you to share your experiences and connect with others on our social media platforms. Have you tried the low histamine diet? Did it help you? By building a supportive community, we can help each other navigate the challenges of living with HSD and EDS.
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Ready to Take the Next Step?
For those seeking personalized guidance, our 1-on-1 coaching program offers tailored support to address your specific needs. With expert advice and a comprehensive plan, you’ll gain the tools and confidence to manage mast cell dysfunction effectively. Learn more and sign up here.
Thank you for being part of the Bendy Club. Together, we can make a difference!
Warm regards,
The Hypermobile Solutions Team
References
Mast cell disorders in Ehlers-danlos syndrome (for non-experts). The Ehlers Danlos Society. (2022, March 15). https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/2017-eds-classification-non-experts/mast-cell-disorders-ehlers-danlos-syndrome-2/
Low histamine diet. (n.d.). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/-/media/johns-hopkins-childrens-center/documents/specialties/adolescent-medicine/cfs-low-histamine-diet.pdf
Home. The Ehlers Danlos Society. https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/
What is HSD?. The Ehlers Danlos Society. https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-hsd/
What is eds?. The Ehlers Danlos Society. https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/what-is-eds/
Jovin, D., Atwal, P., Herman, K., Block, N., Maxwell, A. J., Mitakides, J., Maitland, A. M., Saperstein, D., Hamilton, M., Schofield, J., Koby, M., Klinge, P., McElroy, A., Bluestein, L., Chopra, P., Tishler, J., Pocinki, A. G., Varga, J., Dempsey, T., … Lane, K. (2020). Disjointed: Navigating the diagnosis and management of Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorders. Hidden Stripes Publications, Inc.
Smith, C., & Wicks, D. (2017). Understanding Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorder: (previously known as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility Type & Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, respectively). Redcliff-House Publications.
Cox, C. (2022). Holding it all together when you’re Hypermobile. Journey2Joy
Disclaimer
This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no provider/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.