Ray Peat on histamine

Serotonin production and the body's defense mechanisms

"By far the largest part of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut, where the tissue is constantly exposed to foreign material such as endotoxins; but all cells in the body can produce serotonin and histamine under stress, and platelets are one of the body's defense mechanisms against serotonin: they can bind it and transport it to the lungs for destruction. The lungs have a large capacity to oxidize it."

September 2019 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The role of parathyroid hormone and its effects on aging

"Phosphate, which is predominant in grains, beans, nuts, meat, and fish, increases our production of parathyroid hormone, while calcium and magnesium inhibit its production. This hormone, which increases with age, suppresses immunity, and in excess it causes insomnia, seizures, dementia, psychoses, cancer, heart disease, shortness of breath and pulmonary hypertension, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, histamine release, inflammation and soft tissue calcification, as well as many other problems."

September 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Hans Selye's view on stress and tissue activation

"According to Hans Selye, the activation or damage of tissue is the beginning of stress. The more cells involved, the greater the stress. An injury to a leg connected only by blood vessels triggers a stress response in the animal; the stress signal can therefore be transmitted via the blood, even though nerves are usually also involved. Adenine nucleotides have been suggested as a cause of shock (because they have a vasodilatory effect, like many other stress products, including phosphate), but other possibilities include histamine, various polyamines, and low blood sugar."

Nutrition For Women

Digestion of seeds and associated allergic reactions

"When we eat seeds in their raw form, our digestive enzymes process the gluten differently, producing some rather toxic peptides (chemically related to histamine) as well as some ammonia; these, along with the starch, can cause bloating and a variety of allergic reactions."

Nutrition For Women

Stress, metabolic energy and system integration

"In good health, the stimulation of CRH production by histamine, serotonin, endorphins, IL-1, nitric oxide, and/or estrogen leads to the activation of complex and appropriate anti-stress responses. However, when stress is very intense or prolonged, or when nutrition has been inadequate, all the activating signals, CRH itself, and the anti-stress glucocorticoids can produce effects that are not integrated into the organism's functions as it copes with its problems—causing symptoms and ultimately degenerative processes and aging. This failure of integration is almost always the result of insufficient metabolic energy."

May 2019 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Oxidative processes and factors of enzyme regulation

"The oxidative processes that support the targeted, creative functioning of the organism optimize CO2 by inhibiting carbonic anhydrase; this enzyme is inhibited by the thyroid hormone T3, progesterone, urea, caffeine, antipsychotics, and aspirin. Factors that tend to cause a return to primitive anaerobic energy production activate the enzyme—for example, serotonin, tryptophan, cysteine, histamine, estrogen, aldosterone, HIF, SSRIs, angiotensin, and parathyroid hormone."

March 2020 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The role of endotoxin in the activation of inflammatory processes

"Endotoxin, a lipopolysaccharide, has a generally excitatory effect that activates cellular inflammatory processes and impairs energy production – mediated by cell products such as nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, serotonin, histamine, prostaglandins, estrogens, and various cytokines (interleukins and tumor necrosis factor, TNF). Some of these substances pass from the intestine into the bloodstream, others are produced elsewhere in the body, and some are produced in the brain itself when endotoxin is taken up into the brain."

March 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Estrogen's influence on histamine, serotonin, and edema

"Histamine and serotonin, as well as other pro-inflammatory factors released by estrogen, are known to contribute to its ability to cause edema. The excess nitric oxide produced under the influence of estrogen likely contributes to some edematous, inflammatory, and degenerative conditions."

January 2000 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Excitotoxic damage and the protective role of carbon dioxide

"Histamine release, nitric oxide and carbon monoxide are widely involved in excitotoxic damage, and carbon dioxide also tends to have a protective effect against them."

December 1999 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Cell damage, repair and adaptive responses in the organism

"When a cell is damaged (for example, by radiation or toxins), its inefficiency creates a small, localized disturbance in the fields, which—to the extent that the organism's resources allow—stimulates repair processes or removal and replacement. When stress is so great that the entire organism is exposed to lactic acid, the organism's adaptive resources are challenged, and potentially harmful reactions are triggered. For example, a sluggish liver during stress can cause the lactate concentration in the blood to rise, and this can lead to the release of endorphins and pituitary hormones (Elias et al., 1997). The endorphins can increase histamine release, and growth hormone increases free fatty acids; increased vascular permeability can allow proteins and fats to leave the bloodstream—with cumulatively harmful effects."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 2

Estrogen effects beyond receptors in the cancer development process

"Many of the most important effects of estrogen do not involve the receptors. A direct excitatory effect on prostate cells and indirect effects via the pituitary gland, pancreas, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, fatty acids, prostaglandins, histamine and the circulatory system are likely essential components of the cancer development process."

May 1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The role of calcium in cell damage and energy deficiency

"Calcium is a universal activator, but excess calcium is the central link in most types of cell damage. Calcium uptake and storage are promoted by adrenaline, histamine, vasopressin, energy deficiency, and lipid peroxidation, as well as by phospholipase activity; since calcium can activate phospholipases and lipid peroxidation and disrupt energy production, vicious cycles can ensue."

June 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Comprehensive list of protective nutrients and chemical protective factors

"A complete list of protective nutrient chemicals and natural agents or analogs of our body's own protective factors would be very long, but we should pay special attention to certain substances, including succinic acid, which stimulates respiration and the synthesis of protective steroids; thyroid hormone and vitamin E, which promote normal oxidation while preventing abnormal oxidation; magnesium; sodium and lithium, which help retain magnesium; tropical fruits containing GHB; coconut oil, which protects against cardiac necrosis, lipid peroxidation, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, and histamine damage; Valium agonists, natural antihistamines; adenosine and uridine. Stays at higher altitudes and exposure to bright, long-wavelength light can cause the body to optimize its own anti-stress chemistry. Avoiding the feeling of being trapped is a high-level adaptive factor."

June 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Energy deficiency, histamine production and the effects of unsaturated fats

"When energy is withdrawn from various cell types (mast cells are frequently studied), they tend to produce and release histamine (among other substances). Unsaturated fats promote the release of histamine, while short-chain saturated fats and glucose inhibit it."

January 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

High histamine levels in mice with different causes of death

"When mice are killed in various ways, very high histamine levels are found in their tissue; the high histamine phenomenon thus appears to be about as common as shock."

January 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Inhibitory brain cells and the relationship between acetylcholine and histamine

"Some inhibitory cells in the brain (including those involved in the comatose state of protective inhibition) secrete acetylcholine. The similarity in the effects of histamine and acetylcholine is so great that many people previously considered histamine to be the systemic cholinergic hormone—the counterpart to acetylcholine. Because of this similarity, any chemical that disrupts one of these neurotransmitters is likely to affect the other as well, though not necessarily in the same way."

January 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Estrogen-related thyroid problems and compensatory hormonal adjustments

"Estrogen-induced hypothyroidism can be compensated to some extent by various hormonal adjustments; an increased release of adrenaline and cortisol is common. If the compensation is insufficient, hypoglycemia and a tendency to produce too much histamine often occur. Too much adrenaline leads to cold hands and feet, too little leads to orthostatic hypotension (dizziness upon standing too quickly) and intestinal cramps."

August/September 1990 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Histamine has diverse immunosuppressive effects.

"Histamine tends to worsen hypoglycemia (e.g., through its acetylcholine-like effects), and it acts directly as an immunosuppressant in many ways. It inhibits lymphocyte proliferation in response to stimulation, it inhibits antibody production and lymphocytotoxicity, it suppresses delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity and lymphokine release, and it suppresses both T helper cell production and their effector function."

November 1989 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Inhibition of histamine release and strategies for immune protection

"Besides the usual antihistamines and receptor blockers, the release of histamine can be inhibited by many other immunoprotective substances, such as epsilon-aminocaproic acid, as well as by saturated fatty acids from pentanoic acid to dodecanoic acid."

November 1989 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Histamine's role in tumor immunotherapy

"Since tumors often contain very large quantities of mast cells, immunotherapy for tumors should take histamine into account."

November 1989 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

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