When Histamine Gets Too High and Mast Cells Go Haywire…. Can Essential Oils Help?

Is It Too Much Histamine?

Do these symptoms sound familiar?

• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Digestive distress
• Food sensitivities
• Brain fog
• Fatigue
• Cyclical pain
• Hives
• Skin irritations
• Menstrual issues
• Inflammation
• Fluid retention
• Headaches
• ….and other wide-spread bodily woes

If you have answered yes to several of these symptoms, you may be among the many people struggling with excess histamine in their body. (source, source, source, source)

In this video post, I share with you what happens when too much histamine overwhelms your body. I also introduce how essential oils can be a key modality to include in a wellness protocol to assist with its balance.

Topics include:

• What is histamine and what are mast cells?
• What is histamine intolerance?
• What is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)?
• Why is histamine overreaction on the rise?
• The first steps to treating histamine intolerance and MCAS
• Essential oils for balancing histamine

In an upcoming vlog, I’ll dive deeper into using essential oils for histamine balance and discuss more about how they impact immune resiliency.

As always, all the references, articles, and studies will be available in the resource section and within the links in this accompanying post.

So, let’s get started.

 

What is Histamine and What Are Mast Cells?

Histamine is not the bad guy. It is a natural immune modulator, as well as a chemical signal for regulating digestion, sleep, mood, heart rate, hormones, and various bodily processes. It is such an important molecule that it is synthesized in several immune cells (i.e., mast cells, basophils, and eosinophils), histaminergic neurons, and in our gastrointestinal track.

Histamine is a natural vasodilator and its release is part of the inflammatory response. Histamine effects are wide-spread because receptors for it exist throughout the body including in the gut, skin, respiratory system, nervous system, and reproductive tract.(source, source, source, source, source, source)

Mast cells are immune cells that release histamine and many other chemical mediators. They play a central role in your defense of foreign substances and are often associated with allergies and anaphylaxis. They also are involved in immune activation, autoimmunity, and increased inflammation.

Mast cells are on the border of almost all your organs, because they are one of the “first responders” to threats. They are especially populated in the skin, gut, lungs, sinuses, nervous system, and reproductive tract. (source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source)

Although histamine is a major chemical compound released by activated mast cells, they also spew out other inflammatory signaling molecules. These include: (source, source, source, source, source, source)

• Tryptase
• Chymase
• Interleukins
• Prostaglandins
• Cytokines
• Chemokine
• Proteases

Normally, the body can use these biochemical mediators to initiate a healing response and shut down inflammation. However, if these chemicals linger, they can trigger late-phase and systemic effects. This can lead to histamine intolerance or mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).

Both histamine intolerance and MCAS are related to imbalanced histamine levels. This means there can be an overproduction of histamine, problems with eliminating or metabolizing it correctly, or an external factor (environmental, pathogen, etc.) that causes the immune system to go into disarray. (source, source, source, source)

 

What is Histamine Intolerance?

Histamine intolerance occurs when your body cannot properly break down histamine. This can lead to a range of symptoms including allergies, congestion, headaches, hives, skin issues, fatigue, digestive problems, blood pressure changes, flushing, vertigo, hormonal imbalances, and asthma attacks.

High histamine levels are often a result of having a slower activity in an enzyme that breaks it down (lower amine oxidase activity). This can be due to genetics, nutrient deficiencies, excess immune triggers, metabolic issues, environmental exposures, pathogens, and other factors.

Diamine oxidase (DAO) is the key enzyme for metabolizing ingested histamine. Slow or low levels of DAO can often lead to food sensitivities, intestinal permeability, and digestive issues. Some holistic doctors prescribe DAO to alleviate histamine overload in the gut. (source, source, source, source, source)

HNMT (Histamine N-methyltransferase) is another enzyme that helps break down and mop up excessive histamine in cellular spaces. It can be influenced by nutrient co-factors.

 

What is Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)?

Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is an immune disorder and a type of mast cell activation disease. Unlike other forms, MCAS does not involve excess mast cells or infections. Rather, normal mast cells become overactive and malfunction.

MCAS can result in many of the same symptoms of histamine intolerance and lead to debilitating sensitivity and paradoxical responses to treatments. (source, source, source, source, source, source)

 

What is Causing The Rise in Numbers of Those with Histamine Intolerance and MCAS?

Recently, I’ve noticed that many of my clients and loved ones are more “reactive” to environmental triggers than they were in the past. They have been reporting that they are experiencing heightened symptoms such as more robust allergic responses, menstrual issues, gut disturbances, skin eruptions, mood shifts, allergic reactions, and sleep issues. Oftentimes, these concerns have been tied to an imbalance in histamine. Many fellow integrative practitioners have reported similar findings in their patients.

It is believed these exaggerated responses can be linked to the rising levels of environmental toxins, the pandemic, and excess physical or emotional stressors. For example, mold and the spike protein are both increasing in our world and each can potentiate excess histamine responses and highly reactive mast cell responses. (source, source, source, source, source, source, source, source)

For this reason, histamine intolerance and MCAS have become more popular topics in the integrative wellness sphere and more people are looking for holistic solutions. (source, source)

 

The First Steps to Treating Excess Histamine Responses

Treatment can get complicated, due to the wide range of systemic effects of histamine and the reactivity of mast cells. For this reason, the first step is often symptomatic relief (this can include using OTC or natural histamine blockers). This should be done in conjunction with limbic retraining. Once the limbic system is calmed down, the body can then address the root cause in a calm manner. (source, source)

In all the phases of healing from histamine excess, essential oils can be allies and help to balance the mind-body.

 

Essential Oils for Balancing Histamine

Essential oils have the potential to harmonize various aspects of the immune system, including influencing histamine and mast cells. Based on their chemical properties, they can mediate many of the responses to excess histamine and aid in regulating histamine signals to various organ systems. (source, source, source)

The aroma and biochemical compounds in essential oils can also can directly affect the limbic system. This influence can calm the “fight and flight” or “freeze” response of the nervous system, which is crucial to bring about a feeling of safety and decrease reactivity to external cues. (source, source, source)

In the next part of this series, I’ll give specific examples of how essential oils can help to balance histamine and dive into the details on their positive effects on the immune system.

 

Summary on Histamine, Excess Histamine Symptoms, and Essential Oils for Histamine Balance

Histamine is a vital chemical messenger for igniting an effective immune response and impacts many other bodily functions. Sometimes our body’s natural defenses can go array due to various environmental and emotional triggers. This can cause an excessively high amount of histamine that can cause havoc in the body.

Elevated levels of histamine can lead to histamine intolerance and be found in MCAS. In both instances, the immune system becomes dysregulated and multiple, systemic responses can occur.

Although treating histamine intolerance and MCAS can be complex, essential oils can be allies in aiding balanced histamine levels and relieving symptoms.

In the next post, I’ll dig into the link between histamine and essential oils more deeply.

I hope you found this article helpful.

Do you have experience with histamine intolerance, MCAS, and/or using oils for histamine? I would love to have your feedback in the comment section.

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about this important topic and how essential oils can help you be more proactive in your healthcare.

Sending many blessings.

 

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Resources:

• Histamine in Health and Disease. (Clin Allergy Immunol. 2002)
• Too Much Histamine? How to Naturally Boost Your Diamine Oxidase (DAO) Levels (Dr. Jill Carnahan, 2023)
• Impact of Mold on Mast Cell-Cytokine Immune Response (J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2018)
• Mold, Mycotoxins and a Dysregulated Immune System: A Combination of Concern? (Int J Mol Sci, November 2021)
• Characterization of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (Am J Med Sci. 2017)
• Histamine and Histamine Intolerance (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2007)
• Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Beyond (Nutrients, 2024)
• Mold, Histamine Intolerance, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: Everything You Need to Know. (Becky Campell, MD)
• Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: Here’s What You Need to Know When Histamine Goes Haywire (Dr. Jill Carnahan, 2016)
• Histamine Potentiates SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Entry Into Endothelial Cells (Front Pharmacol, April 2022)
• The Complex Interplay between Immunonutrition, Mast Cells, and Histamine Signaling in COVID-19 (Nutrients. 2021)
• Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (Clin Rev Allergy Immunol, June 2018)
• Mast Cell Activation and Histamine Intolerance (Jodi Cohen, VBO)
• Essential Oils for Seasonal Allergies (Jodi Cohen, VBO)
• Essential Oils Considered Antihistamine For Allergic Reactions (Creators Apothecary, 2022) (cross referenced)
• Mast Cells Explained: Biohacking Inflammation, Allergies, and Brain Fog (The Human Upgrade Podcast, September 2025)
• Understanding Histamine Intolerance and MCAS with Michelle Shapiro
  (Conversations for Health, September 2025)
• How Essential Oils Directly Aid Detoxification and Cleansing and Protect Us from Harmful Toxins (My video article with references)
• Limbic Retraining: 10 Strategies to Improve Limbic Function (Dr. Jockers Website)