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Iron deficiency and histamine intolerance

Did you know that approximately 20% of the world's population has an iron deficiency? This primarily affects women. How an iron deficiency can be related to histamine intolerance and which symptoms are possible, you will find out in this blog article.

What exactly is an "iron deficiency"?

Iron is one of the essential trace elements. Our body cannot produce its own iron; we must obtain it through food or dietary supplements. We rely on this because we need iron to remain energetic.
If the body receives too little iron, the body's cells often do not get enough oxygen and therefore cannot function properly.

Which foods contain iron?

Unfortunately, iron is found in many histamine-rich foods, e.g., soy, legumes, wheat bran, or especially animal-based foods.

Histamine-low iron sources include pumpkin seeds, sesame (1), flaxseeds, quinoa, or pistachios.

Iron from vegetarian foods is unfortunately absorbed less well by the body. This is because plant-based fiber inhibits absorption.

How much iron should I consume?

For an adequate supply to the organism, 10-18 mg of iron is recommended in the daily diet. For pregnant women, an even higher recommendation applies: about 30 mg of iron should be taken daily.

As you have just read, it is not that easy to meet the daily iron requirement with a strict low-histamine diet. Added to this may be a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

What are the causes of an iron deficiency?

An iron deficiency can arise due to:

insufficient intake of iron over a longer period (too little bioavailable iron in the diet)
iron is lost by the body
the body's iron requirement increases

The two most common causes are low intake and increased loss of iron. This primarily occurs with major blood loss, e.g., through heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic bleeding, blood donation, or through accidents and surgeries.

Women are particularly frequently affected by iron deficiency due to regular menstrual bleeding. However, we are often talking about iron deficiency in the first stage, so not yet iron deficiency anemia. It is therefore important that something is done quickly to balance the iron levels.

Which symptoms are possible with an iron deficiency?

Initially, there are three stages that are distinguished in an iron deficiency: storage iron deficiency, impaired formation of red blood cells, and iron deficiency anemia. It can easily take a few months for the body's iron stores to be empty. Therefore, potential symptoms may also only appear after a delay.

The first signs of an iron deficiency often manifest in the form of exhaustion and fatigue. Forgetfulness, nervousness, feeling listless, and irritability can also be side effects.

Further possible symptoms:

Pale (mucous) skin
Dizziness
Headaches
Gastrointestinal complaints
Feeling cold
Burning tongue
Dry skin
Cracked lips
Lack of concentration
Decline in performance
Restless Legs Syndrome
Shortness of breath
Loss of appetite
Difficulty swallowing
Brittle nails
Dull hair to hair loss

Do you recognize some of these symptoms in yourself? Then it may make sense to have your iron levels checked by a doctor. If there is an increased need for iron or if it cannot be sufficiently covered by diet, targeted supplementation may be useful.

Our EisenFit provides you with 14 mg of iron with just one capsule daily. Iron contributes to the normal formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin, to normal oxygen transport in the body, as well as to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

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With severe anemia, i.e., iron deficiency anemia, the following symptoms can occur:

Tinnitus
Vision problems
Shortness of breath
Dizziness/lightheadedness
Racing heart
Absence of menstrual bleeding

The connection between iron deficiency and histamine intolerance thus consists primarily in the fact that it is harder for those affected to absorb iron from food. Furthermore, iron absorption and iron stores can be reduced by disturbances in the intestinal and liver metabolism. Since histamine intolerance is very often accompanied by overloading and dysfunction of the gut and liver, possible conclusions can be drawn here.

Iron deficiency and allergies – an important connection

An iron deficiency can promote the development of allergies. Conversely, an iron intake tailored to needs can achieve an improvement in some allergies. This is because as soon as our proteins have an iron load that is too low, pollen, for example, can transform into allergens. This phenomenon was particularly observed with birch pollen, as this pollen protein can bind iron to itself. And thus, a lack of iron loading in the body can cause the pollen protein to become an allergen and thus trigger immune reactions. Typical allergic symptoms are: runny nose, swollen, itchy or watery eyes, coughing, swollen mucous membranes, or headaches.