Rheumatism and histamine intolerance

Rheumatism is also called rheumatoid arthritis . Arthritis is the general term for inflammatory joint diseases . Rheumatism and arthritis can occur simultaneously, as arthritis can be triggered by rheumatoid arthritis.

In this case, there is a disorder of the immune system . Arthritis should not be confused with osteoarthritis (damage to the joint cartilage).

What is rheumatism?

The pain is often accompanied by extreme fatigue . Other symptoms may include:

• reddened, swollen, or warm joints
• Morning stiffness of the joints
• Joint deformation
• Stiffening of the joints
• firm lumps under the skin (rheumatoid nodules)
• Fever (rare)

Not all symptoms occur in every case of existing rheumatic disease. However, the more advanced the disease, the more intense the symptoms.

The disease usually begins in the base joints of the fingers and toes . Typically, the joints are affected symmetrically, for example, both thumb joints. Older patients generally experience a more severe course of the disease.

Is there a connection between rheumatism and histamine?

Histamine plays an important role as an inflammatory mediator in the immune response, in connection with inflammatory reactions, and in allergic reactions. It is produced in mast cells and eventually enters the bloodstream. But is there a connection between rheumatoid arthritis and histamine-producing mast cells?

Mast cells are also found in the so-called pannus tissue, the inflamed joint tissue of rheumatoid arthritis patients. This essentially confirms that histamine is the crucial factor. Researchers have succeeded in identifying the protein, among the four different proteins in the human body that can bind histamine, that is essential for the development of the disease. This protein is the so-called histamine receptor 4 .

Stimulation of this receptor regularly triggered rheumatic flare-ups in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, whereas the symptoms disappeared when histamine blockers were administered. Histamine thus had a correspondingly negative effect on the physical symptoms of those affected by rheumatoid arthritis . However, further research is still being conducted in this specific area .

What is the connection between rheumatism and histamine intolerance? If you already have an imbalanced gut flora, i.e., intestinal dysbiosis , for example due to food intolerances such as histamine intolerance, your immune system can become unbalanced .

This, in turn , promotes diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia (a chronic pain condition). In these cases, you should, among other things, work on your gut health .

Rheumatism and nutrition

It's becoming increasingly clear that a low-histamine and anti-inflammatory diet isn't just recommended for those with histamine intolerance. A low-histamine diet is relevant to everyone! If you have a rheumatic condition, your first step should be to counteract inflammation and stabilize your mast cells . Foods that are not only low in histamine but also have mast cell-stabilizing properties include the moringa plant, apples, and watercress. Further tips for an anti-inflammatory diet :

• High-quality fats such as flaxseed or olive oil, salmon (omega-3 fatty acids)
• Low-sugar fruits such as blackberries, red currants, blueberries, peaches, apricots
• Antioxidants in herbs, vegetables and spices
• B vitamins (especially B1 and B6): whole grain products, oatmeal, asparagus, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, parsley
• Vitamin E : Rosehips, kale, leeks, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, black currants, flaxseeds, almonds
• Magnesium : Nuts and seeds , oatmeal, whole grain products
• Selenium : Brazil nuts, broccoli, mushrooms, kale, white cabbage, oats, brown rice, sesame seeds, chia seeds, pistachios
• Copper : Whole grains, salmon, sweet potatoes, artichokes, black salsify, garlic, parsley

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