Eczema and Histamine Levels

When you have eczema (atopic dermatitis), you want to minimize inflammation and inflammatory processes whenever possible (there are good kinds of inflammation, but let’s put those aside for now). Here’s a little bit of science for you… When inflammatory responses shunt to histamine, we see a worsening of eczema symptoms. When we stimulate cAMP production or inhibit the breakdown of cAMP (reduce the amount of cAMP phosphodiesterase), we can reduce the amount of histamine that is created during inflammatory processes. One of the best ways to do this is by eating a diet rich in bioflavonoids, which inhibit the breakdown of cAMP. Some foods rich in flavonoids are Bilberry, Rose Hips, Damson Plums and pickled Sloe, Hawthorne berries (in Chinese medicine, Shan Zha). The pith of citrus fruits is also high in flavonoids, as are blueberries, quinoa, cherries, raspberries, cabbage, turnip greens, watermelon, broccoli, brussels sprouts and tropical fruits. Flavonoids also help stop mast cell degranulation, another contributing factor in atopic dermatitis. Also, research shows that Coleus forskohlii strongly increases cAMP, which may mean this is a useful supplement for treating eczema, but I don’t have a recommendation on that yet.