SHOW NOTES

Previous allergy episodes:

• Food Allergy Podcast
  • https://drrobertpastore.com/podcasts/070-food-allergies

• On Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome
  • https://drrobertpastore.com/podcasts/071-pollen-food-allergy

The functions of hormones [1:00]

• Beyond sex chariteratisics
• “Estrogen” generalized with women
  • Different types of estrogen - 4 main types
  • Estrone (E1)
  • Estradiol (E2)
  • Estriol (E3)
  • Estrone sulfate (E1S)
  • Running an “estrogen total” blood test is not as thorough as running all 4 types of estrogen

• Hormones responsible for how we use, burn & store fat & energy sources
• Hormone imbalances can lead to poor regulation of how mitochondrion will function
  • Glycolysis & electron transport chain
  • Disrupts cellular energy
  • Can cause negative relationship with some foods

• Women & men diagnosed with imbalance or high estrogen
  • Men - should be testosterone dominant, high estrogen can increase risk of type 2 diabetes, more sensitive to processed/high sugar foods
    • Increased glucose/blood sugar/insulin response

• Hormones play a role in tissue healing, recovery
• Play a massive role in immunology
• Smooth muscle relaxation inside arteries
• Risk factor for cardiovascular disease
• Age related mental decline
• Bone health
• Many types of hormones

Connection between hormones and negative food reactions [4:10]

• Estrogen receptors widely distributed throughout immune system cells
• Estrogens (4 types) can promote the release of histamine
  • Histamine is the chemical responsible for many allergy symptoms
  • Watery eyes, sinus congestions, coughing

• Women who have high levels or imbalance of estrogen (more estrogens than progesterone) are more susceptible to…
  • Food allergies
  • Asthma-type allergies to environment & food
  • Pollen-based allergies

• Food allergies themselves can generate hormone imbalances
  • Eating foods you react to can stimulate a negative hormone dominance or imbalance
  • Caused by food allergy creating pro-inflammatory response
  • Hormones “come to the rescue” when we’re faced with inflammation
  • Hormones promote building block of cell membranes
    • Cholesterol increases, will up-regulate hormone production so cholesterol & hormones can orchestrate growing & repairing of cells & tissues

• Diagnosed with high estrogen & high cholesterol could mean you’re eating a food you’re reacting to [6:35]
  • Food reactions are the first thing that come to mind when Dr. Pastore sees a patient with a hormone imbalance
    • Low estrogens, elevated progesterone
  • The 4 types of estrogens all have different behavioural functions
    • Estrone
    • Estradiol
    • Estriol
    • Estrone sulfate does nothing but take up a receptor site, can block a good-hormone from doing something if estrone sulphate is too high
      • Causes pro-inflammatory response
  • Never had food allergies in the past, hormones changed (menopause, pregnancy, menstrual cycle changes), now have food allergies
  • Dr. Pastore’s biggest role in patients with hormone imbalance, finding secondary food reactions that are making the imbalance worse

New hormone imbalance & new food reactions can appear at the same time [8:10]

• Can have both at the same time
• Estrogens cause inflammatory cells (mast cells) to react more sensitively to allergens
• Higher amount of total estrogens in serum + allergy-prone individual (family history of food allergies, suspected food reaction)
  • Having excess estrogens can make you hyper-react to the allergen
  • React to a smaller quantity of the allergen
  • Need less for a reaction, more of the allergen creates more severe reaction
• +1 test result on immunoglobulin IgG rast reactions
  • Mild IgE to a food gets brushed off quite quickly
  • Estrogens are likely out of whack, progesterone low
    • + synthetic birth control, dominant in estrogen (burden on liver)
    • + drinking excess alcohol

Drinking excess alcohol contributes to hormone imbalances [10:10]

• National Cancer Institute defines excess alcohol as more than 1 glass of wine per day for women
• Causes delay in body metabolizing/utilizing estrogen
• Alcohol uses same pathway as estrogen, prolongs the circulating estrogen metabolites, delays the metabolism of estrogen
  • Microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) is an alternate pathway of ethanol metabolism
  • System will focus on alcohol/ethanol first even though it’s a direct pathway of estrogen metabolism
• Can make a “+1” food reaction a “+3”
• Favors processing alcohol before anything else
  • Clogs system down
  • Allows estrogens to circulate in system longer
• Heavy male alcohol consumers can develop female sex charateristics (breast tissue, thick/full head of hair) becuase of higher circulating estradiol & lower testosterone
• Alcohol-related elevated estrogens will cause a hyper-sensitivity to your environment
  • Family history of allergies, personal allergies/food reactions - at risk

Is it just food allergies, or can it be food intolerances and sensitivities too? [13:50]

• Can be both
• Not just immunoglobulin memory-type immune response
• Immune system receptors for estrogen
  • Can create histamine response
  • But also can exacerbate clinical intolerances
• Lactose intolerance - lacks the lactase enzyme to digest lactose
  • Elevated levels of estrogen magnifies steps of true lactose intolerance
  • If someone is estrogen dominant or has a hormone imbalance favoring estrogen, there is an increase in the amount of methane & hydrogen produced in the large intestine from the inability to process lactose
  • Hormones can negatively interfere with microbiota (gut bacteria balance)
    • Good bacteria helps process these sugars
    • Increased flatulence & abdominal pain
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) women with lactose intolerance had a higher level of the osmotic effect of lactose intolerance
  • Osmotic effect = flushing of water within the large intestine
  • Adding water in large intestine, should be removing
  • Chloride ion channels widen & open
  • Wherever chloride goes, water goes
  • Diarrhea - uncomfortable, washes out minerals, can feel very sick

• PMS women with elevated spikes of estrogen showed evidence of suppressed (lower) tryptophan metabolism due to the lactose intake
  • Can cause negative mood changes, depression
  • Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin
  • Bulk of brain chemistry made in gut
  • Suppressed tryptophan = feel lousy for 2-7 days after consumption

• Avoid chocolate & ice cream during period cravings if you’re lactose intolerant, will make symptoms worse
  • Don’t consume something that will exasborate your symptoms

Hormones & immunity - how do hormones contribute to new food allergies? [18:40]

• Dr. Pastore living in “toxic” New York City high in pollutants
• Boys had higher risk of developing asthma due to pollutants & allergies up to the age of 10
• Girls - estrogen increased during puberty - become more vulnerable to asthma and allergies after
• Up to the age of 15, boys more affected by general conditions (asthma until 10, 15 for food allergies, then reaction gets less severe)
• After 15, girls would be more affected by general conditions
• Clinical literature shows prevalence of food intolerances at the onset of puberty is 60% women, 40% men
  • More prone to having an allergic reaction
• Another study showed women aged 13-21 more affected by food complaints
  • 24% women, 14% men
• 10% increased risk for women

Path of physiology [20:50]

• Direct affect of sex hormones on allergic diseases
• Estrogens are a natural enhancer of humoral immunity / antibody production
• Immune system stimulates b-cells to make antibodies when exposed to antigen (food threat/allergen)
• Estrogen enhances the b-cell antibody stimulation
  • Mild reaction to food/environmental containment may become severe
• Estrogen receptors are found on lymphocytes, monocytes, mast cells & immune system cells
  • Can drive the stimulation of immune-system memory
  • Constant exposure to a food/pollen you negatively react to can form a food allergy
  • Reaction & symptoms can get worse over time

Birth control pill/hormone replacement therapy & allergies [24:10]

• Fluctuation & intensity of allergic diseases (asthma, eczema, food allergies) is linked to the intake of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, in addition to menstrual cycle changes
• Food-based reactions + hormone imbalance + synthetic hormones
  • “But your period seems fine” despite suffering with IBS, or adult-onset-asthma
• Food allergies should be considered before starting prescribed birth control pill or hormone replacement therapy
  • Measure estrogens before starting to get an understanding
  • Find the right form of hormones for them
• Progesterone & testosterone dampen (lessen) the immune system response
  • Can suppress histamine
• Ideally remove all immunological food reactions & re-test hormones before starting synthetic hormones
• Adipose sites (fat tissue) have their own closed endocrine system
  • Adipose sites (fat) changes balance of hormones
  • Morbidly obese people have a change in circulating hormones
    • Can cause facial hair
  • As weight normalizes, hormones will start to normalize too
• Calcium d-glucarate & cruciferous brassica genius vegetables (cooked broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, asparagus) will provide indole-3-carbinol
  • Hydrochloric acid converts that to diindolylmethane
  • Removes negative estrogens & lowers allergy burden

The reaction to histamine can be most intensive on days 12–16 of the cycle [31:45]

• Have a conversation with your doctor about this
• Important for food reaction testing
  • When in their cycle did you test them
  • What was their reaction
  • When re-testing, should be tested at same time in cycle with similar estrogen levels

Elevated levels of artificial hormones - body stops producing the hormone you’re synthetically giving it [33:50]

• Men & testosterone replacement - body lowers testosterone output from testes
  • DHEA sulfate or DHEA can cause breast tissue or food reactions
  • DHEA can convert into estradiol (estrogen) & testosterone
    • Which it converts to depends on the individual’s enzyme system & ability to convert hormones

• Serum diamine oxidase (DAO) [36:40]
  • Extremely important in women with a potential estrogen imbalance
  • Tell your physician: “I am aware that serum diamine oxidase causes histamine release if my levels are too low. And I am aware that that is the enzyme that metabolizes histamine, particularly in the presence of a negative estrogen imbalance. Can you please measure my serum levels?”
  • DOA & allergenicity are connected
    • Histamine intolerance
    • Then track down what’s causing the histamine response
  • Low DOA is bad - want enzyme to be high in blood to show capability to break down histamine

• Medical statistical fact that allergies & autoimmune diseases are more common in women
  • Due to hormone & estrogen levels in women compared to men
  • Regulate womens’ hormones & get estrogen levels to healthy range, can turn off immunological switches

What other medication can make allergies worse, or spark the immune system to develop new allergies? [42:00]

• Non-hormone related
• Prescribed for reflux, GERD, heartburn
• Over the counter or prescription acid blockers
  • Proton pump inhibitors
  • Stomach acid suppressor
• Drugs that suppress the normal quantity/production of hydrochloric acids & gastric juices for optimal digestion
• Men & women who take gastric/acid suppressing drugs suppress efficient protein digestion
  • Allows protein to be larger molecules
  • Any history of food allergy or hormone imbalance can worsen immune response
• Acid blockers are not benign
  • If you do need to go on them, should be medically warranted with smart medicine
• Put you at risk for upper respiratory tract infection
• Increase risk of mineral deficiency like calcium & magnesium
  • Osteopenia (thinning of bones)
• Important to find and correct root-cause of acid reflux (food reaction) & get off drug as soon as possible

List to bring to your doctor regarding hormones & food allergies [47:45]

• Write down a list before going to a physician
• What you’re experiencing & why
• Record family history
• Record experience with certain foods
• Menstrual regularity

• As a women, ask for hormone evaluation
  • Total Estrogen
  • Estrone (E1)
  • Estradiol (E2)
  • Estriol (E3)
  • Estrone sulfate (ES1)
  • Progesterone
  • Testosterone
  • Precursors, depending on the case
    • Dehydroepiandrosterone
    • Androstenedione
    • Pregnenolone
  • Sex homrone binding globulin
    • Ties up certain hormones & makes them useless
    • High testosterone, but binding is insufficient so can’t use testosterone
  • Serum diamine oxidase (DAO)
    • Normal, or will show irregular histamine
      • Follow up with skin-prick test and/or IGE immunoglobulin rast assay of suspected foods & top 9 allergens

• If having abnormal menstrual cycle - check estrogens & DAO

• Use our podcast as a resource to educate your physician

Can you be allergic to hormones? [52:40]

• Yes, you can
• Can be undone
• University of Texas research showed
  • Estrogen & progesterone can combine with food proteins you negatively react to
  • Hormone component is locked into moleculary
  • Body starts reacting to hormones

• For example - a negative-estrogen-dominance syndrome induced allergen….
  • You’re allergic to wheat
  • Estrogen upregulates as a response to wheat consumption
  • IgE stimulation - antibody attaches to the protein component of wheat fragment (antigen/threat)
  • You now have an antibody-antigen complex
  • Estrogen gets stuck in the middle
  • Immune system recognizes hormone as temporary allergen
  • Key is to identify what is stimulating the estrogen response
  • Absence makes the immune system grow fonder

Wrap Up [58:45]

• Be an advocate for your own health
• Record your symptoms, gather as much data as possible
• Share this information with your doctor
• www.drrobertpastore.com
• help@poweronpoweroff.com
• @drrobertpastore

LINKS

Food Allergy Podcast

https://drrobertpastore.com/podcasts/070-food-allergies

On Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome

https://drrobertpastore.com/podcasts/071-pollen-food-allergy

Speak to your doctor regarding:

• Serum diamine oxidase (DAO) [36:40]
  • Extremely important in women with a potential estrogen imbalance
  • Tell your physician: “I am aware that serum diamine oxidase causes histamine release if my levels are too low. And I am aware that that is the enzyme that metabolize histamine, particularly in the presence of a negative estrogen imbalance. Can you please measure my serum levels?”

If the DOA does flag something isn’t right, Food Allergy Tests (not for sensitivities or intolerances)

• A skin prick test
  • Stimulates to see if there is a histamine response

• A total IgE
  • To ensure you have enough IgE to test for
  • If your body is not producing enough IgE, can lead to false negatives
  • Total IgE = how much IgE you produce at any given time, you should be producing some
  • Cutoff is 187, if less than 5 means you may be IgE deficient

• IgE food allergy blood test against specific foods
  • IgE panel should be aggressive as possible, as many foods & environmental allergens as possible
  • Definitely run for the top 9 & any other suspected foods

• If something was flagged, practice an elimination diet for at least two weeks
  • Then, if symptoms are not as severe as anaphylaxis, in the presence of your physician attempt an oral food challenging
    • Eating the suspected allergen to see if it causes a direct response
  • NOT appropriate for everyone, but is definitely helpful in revealing cause and effect