What do Obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression chronic allergies, hostilility,  defiance, perfectionism and other personality traits and disorders all have in common? They are disorders that could all be caused by a process of undermethylation – which is a result of elevated histamine levels.

Slightly elevated histamine levels may result in strong motivation, attention to detail, or wonderful detail and organizational abilities,but these postive traits become disordered with increased histamine levels and can present as obsessive compulsive behavior, perfectionism, over-competitiveness or other behavioral problems.

An adult who is an undermethylator, might in fact achieve levels of success, but may also be an over-achiever who struggles with addictions or other compulsive behaviours. Children may be self-motivated and goal-oriented, but may have problems with authority, social skills, or develop an obsession for certain activities.

The biochemistry of undermethylation:

“Methylation” is a process where chemicals called “methyl groups” are added to various elements of DNA, proteins and other molecules to help keep them in good working condition. Histamine is one of the chemicals which requires methylation to be metabolised correctly.

If histamine is “undermethylated”, it can stagnate and build up in the system. When blood contains high levels of histamine the excess histamine is stored in the blood basophils (a type of white blood cell involved with inflammatory reactions in your body) and brain neurons.

This in turn can result in low levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine – the chemicals responsible for making us feel good. Despite a high energy drive, those suffering from excess histamine can often also show symptoms of depression due to low serotonin levels.

Treatment options for Undermethylation

Undermethylation has a tendency towards disrupting other nutrients such as: low levels of calcium, magnesium, methionine and B6, and an excess of folic acid, so dietary changes and correct supplementation are the key to correcting undermethylation.

Of course, before rushing out to stock up on vitamins and minerals, it is important to correctly diagnose undermethylation which can be done with a diagnostic blood test available to identify histamine levels – one marker for the methylation process. The correct dosage and combination of nutrients can then be assessed based on your specific needs and what else is going on in your body, and progress can be monitored not only through symptoms, but also blood testing.

Contact us if you would like more information regarding testing and treatment of high histamine levels.