Histamine intolerance, oxalates & lectins

This blog post discusses the connection between oxalates, lectins, and histamine intolerance. Intolerance to these two substances can also occur, potentially leading to symptoms in addition to histamine intolerance.

Oxalates/oxalic acid

Oxalic acid, in the form of oxalates, is found primarily in plant-based foods. These include mainly fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and dried spices and herbs.

4 Facts About Oxalates in the Context of Histamine Intolerance

1. Most foods high in oxalate also have a high histamine content or are histamine liberators.

2. Oxalates can promote inflammation when there is an imbalance in the gut. Inflammation in the body, in turn, promotes the release of histamine, creating a vicious cycle.

3. If a leaky gut (permeable intestinal lining) exists, oxalates (just like histamine) can spread throughout the body and cause discomfort.

4. In many cases, the cause of oxalate intolerance is an imbalanced gut (more information follows below).

If you suspect you are intolerant to oxalates, an elimination diet is a good option, in which you initially only avoid foods that have a very high oxalic acid content.

Illustration of an intestine

Oxalate-rich foods

  • Almonds (1)
  • Wild herbs
  • Beetroot
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Sesame (1)
  • Rhubarb (1)
  • Chard (1)
  • Spinach (2)
  • Starfruit
  • Cocoa (2)
  • Fig (1)
  • Tomato (2)
  • Pulses (beans, lentils, peas) (2)
  • Wheat (1) & Rye (1)

Furthermore, it is produced naturally through metabolism within the body. Oxalates are the end products of ascorbate, glyoxylate, and glycine metabolism in the human body and are primarily formed through the breakdown of amino acids and ascorbic acid. Oxalates do not pose a problem for a healthy gut.

However, if dysbiosis (imbalance of the gut flora), leaky gut (increased intestinal permeability), SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), or inflammation in the intestine is present, oxalates can often be insufficiently broken down because the necessary bacterial strains are reduced or absent. A deficiency in vitamins B6, B1, and magnesium can also lead to elevated oxalate levels.


Lectins and histamine intolerance

Lectin intolerance or lectin poisoning can coexist with histamine intolerance and often occurs when the intestine is in a dysbiosis or when there is a leaky gut (permeable intestinal mucosa).

Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins found in plants that protect them from predators by causing poisoning symptoms after ingestion. For this reason, animals tend to avoid plants containing lectins.

Lectins cannot harm us humans as long as our metabolism is balanced and our intestines are healthy, since the intestinal barrier is normally strong enough to prevent the insufficiently digested molecules from passing through the intestinal mucosa into the bloodstream.

However, if there is an imbalance in the gut flora, the intestinal lining is often more permeable or even leaky, which allows not only histamine to spread throughout the body, but also undigested lectin molecules. If this occurs, lectins can cause the following symptoms:

  • nausea
  • Vomit
  • Flatulence
  • Feeling of fullness
  • heartburn
  • Diarrhea
Woman has stomach pain and is lying on the sofa

Since the symptoms are once again identical to those of histamine intolerance (HIT), it is important to keep a food and symptom diary and avoid the following foods for a period of 4-6 weeks:

🥔 Nightshade plants: e.g. potatoes or peppers
🥜 Legumes (generally high in histamine)
e.g. chickpeas, beans, lentils, peanuts
🌾 Grain
e.g. wheat(1), rice, maize
🌰 Nuts, almonds & seeds
e.g. flaxseed, sesame (1) or pumpkin seeds
Furthermore, lectins should also be avoided in cases of celiac disease, as they can promote the atrophy of the intestinal villi if the intestine is already inflamed or weakened. The Paleo diet or the AIP protocol diet are suitable options for a diet low in lectins and oxalates.
This diet can help reduce food-induced inflammation and irritation, and relieve stress on your metabolism.


Sources

Oxalates:
  • Charrier, Marina JS; Savage, Geoffrey P; Vanhanen, Leo; Oxalate content and calcium binding capacity of tea and herbal teas, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 11(4), 2002, pp. 298-301.
  • Burgerstein, Lothar, Handbook of Nutrients, 12th ed., pp. 570f.
  • Hoenow, Ruth; Gu, Ke-Liang Reinhold; Hesse, Albrecht; Siener, Roswitha, Oxalate content of green tea of ​​different origin, quality, preparation and time of harvest, Urological Research, Volume 38 (5), Springer Journals, Oct 1, 2010, pp. 377-381.
  • Weiss, Claudia; Oxalic acid, Ernährungs-Umschau, 11/2009, pp. 636-639.
  • Noonan, SC., Savage, GP, Oxalate content of foods and its effect on humans. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 8(1), 1999, pp. 64-74.
  • Regarding the bacterial strain: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11532105/

Lectins :

Recently viewed