Wissenswertes

Iron deficiency and histamine intolerance

Did you know that approximately 20% of the world's population suffers from iron deficiency? This primarily affects women. This blog post will explain how iron deficiency can be linked to histamine intolerance and what symptoms are possible.

What exactly is an "iron deficiency"?

Iron is one of the essential trace elements. Our bodies cannot produce iron themselves; we must obtain it through food or supplements. This is essential, as we need iron to maintain our performance.
If the body receives too little iron, the body 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, such as soy, legumes, wheat bran, and especially animal products.

Low-histamine iron sources include pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds (1), flax seeds, quinoa or pistachios.

Unfortunately, iron from vegetarian foods is less readily absorbed by the body. This is because plant fiber inhibits its absorption.

pumpkin seeds

How much iron should I consume?

For adequate iron intake, 10-18 mg of iron are recommended in the daily diet. Pregnant women are advised to consume even more: approximately 30 mg of iron daily.

As you just read, it's not so easy to meet your daily iron requirements with a strict low-histamine diet. This is especially true if you also follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

What are the causes of iron deficiency?

Iron deficiency can be caused by:

  • Insufficient iron intake over a longer period (too little bioavailable iron in the diet)
  • Iron is lost from the body
  • The body's iron requirement increases

The two most common causes are low iron intake and increased iron loss. This is primarily due to significant blood loss, for example through heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic bleeding, blood donation, or also through accidents and surgeries.

Women are particularly prone to iron deficiency due to their regular menstrual bleeding. However, we often refer to this as early-stage iron deficiency, not yet iron deficiency anemia. It is therefore important to address iron levels quickly.

What symptoms are possible with an iron deficiency?

There are three stages of iron deficiency: iron storage deficiency, impaired red blood cell production, and iron deficiency anemia (iron deficiency anemia). It can take several months for the body's iron stores to be depleted. Therefore, symptoms may not appear until later.

The first signs of iron deficiency are often exhaustion and fatigue. Forgetfulness, nervousness, listlessness, and irritability can also occur.

Other possible symptoms:

  • Pale (mucous) skin
  • dizziness
  • Headache
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • sensation of cold
  • Burning tongue
  • dry skin
  • chapped lips
  • Lack of concentration
  • Performance decline
  • Restless Leg Syndrome
  • shortness of breath
  • Loss of appetite
  • Swallowing difficulties
  • Brittle nails
  • Dull hair, even hair loss

In cases of severe anemia, i.e., iron deficiency anemia, the following symptoms may occur:

  • Tinnitus
  • Vision problems
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Heart palpitations
  • Absence of menstruation

The connection between iron deficiency and histamine intolerance lies primarily in the fact that those affected find it more difficult to absorb iron from food. Furthermore, iron absorption and iron stores can be reduced by disturbances in intestinal and liver metabolism. Since histamine intolerance is very often associated with an overload and dysfunction of the intestines and liver, possible conclusions can be drawn here.

Iron deficiency and allergies – an important connection

Iron deficiency can promote the development of allergies. Conversely, adequate iron intake can improve some allergies. This is because, when our proteins have too low an iron content, pollen, for example, can transform into allergens. This phenomenon has been observed particularly with birch pollen, as this pollen protein can bind iron. Thus, insufficient iron in the body can cause the pollen protein to become an allergen and trigger immune reactions. Typical allergic symptoms include: runny nose, swollen, itchy, or watery eyes, coughing, swollen mucous membranes, or headaches.

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