What do seasonal allergies and PMS have in common?

Last Updated: March 18, 2024

Suffering from itchy, watery eyes this spring? Or, have you noticed an uptick in female cycle-related symptoms (cramping, PMS, etc.)? Might be time to show your liver some love. I used to think my allergies and PMS were just “genetic," but as soon as I learned about the liver/histamine/hormone connection, and started supporting my liver, my seasonal allergies and intense premenstrual mood swings became a thing of the past. 

Here’s why:

The liver is our major cleansing and detoxification organ, and has the vital role of safely removing harmful toxins, chemicals and waste products from the body. When the liver is overloaded with toxins from the environment, the food you eat, toxic cleaning and personal care products, pain medication, alcohol, and so forth, it becomes congested and unable to do its many jobs properly.

The liver is also responsible for breaking down excess histamine in a process called methylation. Histamine, a signaling chemical released by the immune system, has several functions, but is mainly known for its role in causing allergic symptoms. This is why many people turn to antihistamines in the spring! If the liver is sluggish, histamine is not broken down properly and builds up in the body, awaiting its time to “attack.” As soon as pollen or another allergen (mold, pet dander, dust, etc.) enters the system, both the immune system and the liver pump out histamine in response. When this happens, symptoms of seasonal allergies flare up. But for many people, that’s not all...

What do seasonal allergies have to do with hormones?

Histamine also stimulates the ovaries to release estrogen - and estrogen stimulates mast cells to release histamine - and guess what organ is responsible for removing excess estrogen from the body? You guessed it - the liver. Can you see how this can become a viscous cycle? 

If, with the change of seasons, you’ve noticed an uptick in hormonal imbalances (PMS, cramps, heavy or irregular periods), or symptoms such as migraines, nausea, sleep issues, digestive and skin problems, anxiety, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, or worsening sensitivities to food/environmental toxins… your histamine "bucket" may be overflowing.

Potential signs of histamine-related imbalances on your Ruti scan:  

• Stress in the digestive, endocrine, liver/gallbladder, lymph, and/or immune systems
• Lots of food/environmental sensitivities
• Resonating mold, parasites, and/or viruses
• Low zinc and/or copper

  **circulating copper may actually be high, but unusable to the body and therefore bioenergetically low**

• Low hydrochloric acid
• Low cysteine
• High estrogen
• Remedies focused on liver, adrenal, and/or methylation support (may include products with ingredients such as nettle, curcumin, milk thistle, dandelion root, quercetin, NAC, glutathione, etc.) 

What to do about it? 

Aside from following your bio-individual protocol at the end of your Ruti report, there are lots of things we can do from a lifestyle perspective to support the liver. 

1. If you haven’t already, eliminate unnecessary toxins from your diet and environment, as these all compound to negatively impact the liver’s ability to do its jobs. Avoiding alcohol, processed foods (especially refined sugars and processed carbohydrates), unfiltered water, pain medications, and toxic chemicals in cleaning and personal care products will lessen the burden on the liver. 
2. From a nutritional perspective, the liver needs specific nutrients to perform optimally. Focus on a colorful diet (from plants… not skittles and fruit loops) containing plenty of cruciferous veggies like arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus and other liver-friendly foods such as berries, grapefruit, grass fed beef liver, wild caught fatty fish, and olive oil. Some people may also benefit from a “low histamine diet”.
3. Maintaining a balanced blood sugar is also key, as sharp spikes and dips in blood glucose will place extra stress on the liver. Support blood sugar balance by eating a protein dense breakfast and avoiding “naked carbs” by consuming whole food sources of protein, fat, and fiber with every meal/snack! Taking a walk or moving your body after eating will also help move glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cell.
4. We also love castor oil packs for gentle liver support. You can start by wearing it for an hour or two before bed, and work up to wearing overnight 3-5 times a week. 
5. There are lots of amazing herbal and homeopathic supports for the liver which you may see resonate on your Ruti report, but you can also gently incorporate some of these (milk thistle, nettle, dandelion root, tulsi, burdock root, and more) by sipping on tea containing these liver-friendly herbs!