Cravings and histamine intolerance
Do you also often have sudden cravings for something specific, usually sweet or fatty? In the worst case, for something not low in histamine? "Cravings" are not uncommon with histamine intolerance. Quite the contrary, because histamine is closely linked to the feeling of hunger. That is why we would like to give you a few tips on how you can break the histamine-craving cycle.
How many low-histamine meals should you eat per day?
It is important to treat yourself to a low-histamine and satiating meal in between so that cravings do not arise in the first place.
How many meals one should eat per day is very individual.
As a rule, it is 3 full meals + a few small snacks. However, if you have a sensitive stomach, it is advisable to eat several small meals throughout the day instead.
The connection between histamine and cravings
Histamine has an influence on our appetite and our feeling of hunger via the H3 receptor. Histamine actually has an appetite-suppressing effect.
The following processes then take place in our body:
- If our histamine level is too high, our appetite decreases and we are therefore more likely to eat less.
- When our "histamine bucket" empties again, the appetite returns. Usually double or triple, because we took in too little energy through food during the time before. This energy must be regained.
Due to these processes, we are more prone to "cravings" with histamine intolerance. These are particularly treacherous, as the danger is higher that histamine-rich foods will sneak into our diet. Thus, the cycle begins all over again.
Also hormones, a nutrient deficiency, and an overloaded liver can encourage cravings. In this case, you then have more frequent desires for sugar-rich, fatty, or salty foods, such as chocolate, chips, or pizza.
The connection between histamine, cravings, and the liver
The liver also plays an important role in histamine intolerance, as the second most important enzyme for histamine degradation is located there: HNMT (histamine-N-methyltransferase). If the liver is overloaded or the metabolism is out of balance, it can no longer perform its natural function, and thus the degradation of histamine can be disrupted. This can also have an influence on the histamine-craving cycle.
Matching the topic of the liver, we have developed our MetaFit. The formula combines selected herbal ingredients such as milk thistle, dandelion, and coriander with natural vitamin C from acerola and choline, which contributes to the maintenance of normal liver function. MetaFit is vegan and suitable for a low-histamine, low-fructose, gluten-free, and lactose-free diet.
Tips on how to break the histamine-craving cycle:
1. Eat at least 3 meals at fixed times a day – regardless of what your appetite says. The amount can then vary depending on hunger and appetite. Perhaps you can develop a routine from this?
2. Maintain a strictly low-histamine diet so as not to trigger cravings. A diet higher in histamine in the case of histamine intolerance can also promote inflammation and should be urgently avoided.
3. Drink still, low-sulfate water or low-histamine herbal teas between meals.
4. When cravings strike, consume bitter substances first. These not only have a positive influence on digestion and detoxification, but they can also ensure that our appetite is suppressed. Sufficient bitter substances can lead to a decrease in the desire for sweets.
You can get low-histamine bitter substances via:
- Chicory
- Broccoli (e.g., contained in our organic smoothie powder)
- Radicchio
- Olive oil
- Turmeric (e.g., contained in our KumaFit)
- Fennel (e.g., contained in our organic herbal salt)
- Celery
- Radishes
- Milk thistle (e.g., contained in our MetaFit)
- Ginger (1)
