I’ve received a lot of messages / DMs and emails from people suffering from Long COVID and histamine intolerance. It’s got me wondering. You may have landed on this page and be suffering from Long COVID.

Early research is beginning to show that there is a link. As the world continues to fight against this virus, I decided to dig deeper.

We start with the technical stuff, and then with some help on how to deal with histamine intolerance and Long Covid.

The link between histamine intolerance and Long COVID

Histamine is a compound that’s released in our bodies during illness. It urges an immune response to help fend off infections and viruses.

Front Pharmocal have conducted research to look at histamine, the immune system and Long COVID. It has been shown that activated mass cells release histamine.

Research published by the International Journal of Infectious Diseases has also shown that COVID hyper-inflammation and post-COVID illness may be rooted in mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). This drives up inflammation which may cause Long COVID symptoms.

We have two types of immune systems, the 'innate immune system', and the 'adaptive immune system'. The adaptive immune system is regulated by histamine. It is believed that youngsters have a more resistant adaptive immune system meaning they can fight the virus better due to a better tolerance for histamine.

If an individual already has histamine intolerance and/or a diet high in histamine, they are more likely to experience inflammatory conditions.

An ageing immune system creates a greater risk of infection. Histamine is considered a potent antagonist of lung tissue inflammation. Therefore, if it is activated it could cause lung difficulties, which was seen during the first phase of the pandemic.

Dr Tina Peers acknowledged that post COVID, histamine may be raised, which becomes harmful in specific individuals. The body responds in unpleasant ways and can cause headaches, IBS, persistent exhaustion, sinusitis, and windedness.

So what can you do about this?

First of all, it’s great to find a sympathetic practitioner to help on your journey. The Masterclass on this site has a whole section dedicated to finding a good practitioner, what questions to ask, what they should know and understand about histamine intolerance, and so on.

DISCLAIMER: Always check with your doctor or health practitioner before starting any treatment program. ⁣This page is not advice, it is intended for information and discussion only.⁣⁣

Think about trying a low histamine diet for three days, preferably in conjunction with your practitioner. You may start to find quite quickly that your symptoms improve.

Why not try a 3-day low histamine diet to begin with then cautiously reintroduce certain foods again and see what you react to. ⁣

This has been a journey for me, and to make your life easier, I’ve put together the Histamine Intolerance Food List, using the world’s most respected lists trusted by thousands.

You could try taking a DAO supplement to unlock your histamine intolerance. Whilst this doesn’t cure your intolerance, it does manage your histamine levels. I talk about my experience and some potential benefits here.

I found mangosteen is a valuable add-on for histamine maintenance. It is an anti-inflammatory, and I find that it works for me. I share some of the benefits here.

And there are lots more supplements here.

For more on how to deal with histamine intolerance and Long COVID there are lots of resources and articles on this site. And do let me know if you have any questions about the Masterclass.