![095: Can Histidine Supplementation Help Leaky Skin & Eczema? [RESEARCH]](https://www.skinterrupt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/95-top.png)
If you’re interested in a neat connection between nutrition and eczema, look no further!
I came across this interesting study that begins to illuminate the histidine-eczema connection.
If you’ve never heard of histidine before (or l-histidine), I’ll bring you up to speed in a moment on this really interesting amino acid.
This isn’t a miracle substance by any means, but there is interesting research that’s starting to explain the importance of protein in our diet (which you know I talk a lot about)!
Low protein diets can have a negative impact on health AND your skin.
Today’s episode will share with you how histidine may be a missing piece on your eczema and leaky skin journey!
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In this episode:
- Research on the histidine-eczema connection
- What is histidine (also more formally called l-histidine)?
- Food sources and supplements of l-histidine
- Can histidine supplementation increase histamine levels?
- Other nutrients needed to support histidine
Quotes:
According to the data, researchers found a dramatic improvement in eczema “similar to that of using mid-potency topical corticosteroids.”
Histidine is an amino acid that is not synthesized or made in the human body. This means that you must consume it in order to have access to it.
Can Histidine Supplementation Help Leaky Skin & Eczema? [RESEARCH] (FULL TRANSCRIPT)
Welcome back to episode #95 of the Healthy Skin Show!
In today's episode, I want to talk about whether supplementing with a very specific amino acid called l-histidine can help improve skin barrier function.
And if histidine can ultimately help you rebuild healthier skin when you're dealing with something like eczema.
This episode was inspired by a study that I came across a while ago and a number of clients have also asked about it. So I figured I would look deeper into this and give you a more complete overview of it.
Before we dive into this research, we must first talk about how this topic is even connected to the skin barrier function.
The focus here is on the gene called profilaggrin (which has been discussed on the Healthy Skin Show before by Dr. Lio).
The gene codes for a protein called filaggrin. Think of filaggrin like mortar mix that’s sandwiched between your skin cells.
It helps to create this really nice tight barrier with many purposes including moisture retention.
It turns out that filaggrin is actually very histidine-rich!
About 10% of filaggrin is made up of histidine. That's a good thing because histidine is considered to be hygroscopic, meaning that it readily absorbs moisture from its environment.
Filaggrin ultimately plays a role in creating what's called the Natural Moisturizing Factor supporting your skin’s hydration and appropriate acidification of the skin.(1)
Histidine-Eczema Connection
Let's talk about the research especially since we know that people who are deficient in histidine can develop rashes!
This study was a very small study of only 24 people and all of whom had a diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (eczema).
All participants were over the age of 18. No one was taking corticosteroids or immunosuppressant drugs nor pregnant. They did a good job finding appropriate candidates for this study.
But again, it is a small study so it doesn't necessarily mean that these results will work for everyone.
Each study participant was given 4 grams of l-histidine which they then dissolved in a morning drink. Ideally when taking free amino acids, you can maximize their absorption by taking them on an empty stomach away from other food.
The supplementation was over a period of four weeks.
According to the data, researchers found a dramatic improvement in eczema “similar to that of using mid-potency topical corticosteroids.”(1) This supplementation was able to elicit about a 40% drop in eczema scores.
For those of you wondering whether you have a SNP in your profilaggrin gene…
While Dr. Lio has shared that it doesn't really matter whether you have a profilaggrin SNP or not, the study authors mentioned it in relation to histidine supplementation. While they don’t have any hard data, they believe that adding the additional histidine would benefit people who are heterozygous or homozygous.
All in all, I'd say that it's a pretty neat piece of research right there. We certainly need to do more, but it's a great start!
All About Histidine To Support Skin Barrier Function
Now that we’ve covered the research, let’s talk about histidine!
Histidine is an amino acid that is not synthesized or made in the human body. This means that you must consume it in order to have access to it.
In infants, histidine is considered an essential amino acid because its supply is quite low at that point in development.(1) Therefore, it must be consumed through breastmilk or formulas.
FYI — before doing any supplementation in babies and children, speak with your pediatrician or practitioner first to make sure it's the right fit for your child.
Supplementation that can be helpful for adults may not be advisable for children and infants.
Sources of histidine include(3):
- Dairy products
- Meat products (beef, lamb, poultry, fish, gelatin)
- Tofu
- Beans (Navy beans, peanuts)
- Seeds (squash, pumpkin)
Your body does have a natural reservoir of histidine found in hemoglobin and carnosine.
Perhaps you may recall that hemoglobin is found inside of your red blood cells that help latch on to oxygen molecules to be carried around your body. Carnosine is found in skeletal muscles.
You can tap into your histidine reservoir if need be, but that doesn't mean that it will always be full.
If you do not consume any histidine, your stores will drop pretty quickly. For example, over a 48-day period, researchers discovered that storage levels will drop to “about 38% of the initial value”.(2)
That makes consuming histidine incredibly important!
Keep in mind that histidine isn’t only used for your skin. So as stores diminish, your body has to juggle what systems it will be used for.
Histidine is required for hemoglobin production (which is frankly more essential to life). Without adequate hemoglobin, it is difficult to transport oxygen throughout your body and simultaneously remove carbon dioxide.
And one last point about this study…
While no one seemed to experience any negative side effects, be aware that histidine breaks down naturally into histamine.
If you struggle with a lot of allergic issues, I would discuss histidine supplementation with your allergist or practitioner first to make sure that it's the right fit for you.
Other Nutrients To Support Histidine Levels
And last but not least, I wanted to point out that just histidine requires other nutrients in order for your entire body to be properly supported.
Other nutrients to consider supporting for healthy histidine levels:
- Folate
- Zinc
- Copper
- Riboflavin
Appropriate levels of folate are also required to support appropriate levels of histidine. It also helps prevents urinary loss of histidine since your kidneys have a difficult time reabsorbing this amino acid.(2)
Zinc can become be stripped from albumin and trigger depletion of tissue stores.(2)
To break down the histamine produced from histidine, there are two options available to your body which both require other nutrients.
Copper and riboflavin are both required for your liver to clear histamine.(2)
The other breakdown pathway of histamine is through methylation.(2) That’s a lengthy topic that I will not cover here.
Keep in mind that before you start any supplementation, you should always discuss it with your doctor or practitioner first. This way you make sure that there's no potential negative interaction that could cause a problem.
I'm curious to hear what you think of this particular study and if you're willing to give this a shot. Leave a comment below!
Share this episode with someone you know who's dealing with really dry skin from eczema. Or they're using a lot of topical steroid creams and they'd love to start tapering off and be less reliant on them. This could really help them!
I appreciate you for tuning in and I look forward to seeing you in the next episode.
REFERENCES
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5634381/
- Lord RS, Bralley JA. Laboratory Evaluations For Integrative And Functional Medicine. Revised 2nd Ed. Duluth, GA: Genova Diagnostics; 2012. Pg 209-211.
- https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-histidine-foods.php
I’ve been listening to your program now for many months. I have learned a lot and so appreciate your blog posts and pieces of information given. I keep looking for a blog post(s) dedicated to the “root causes” of bacterial skin infections. My skin infections began around age 12/13 (obviously a time of hormonal surging for a female.) My earliest symptoms were styes (at my eyes) and inflamed boils (at my knees.) Thus began my lifelong journey with antibiotics. Fast-forward 50 plus years later I am still fighting these boils who now turn into very painful and infected abscesses. Four years ago I began to work with a Functional Medicine Physciain FMF and I began to change my diet (AIP) and lifestyle, optimized my vitamins/minerals and hormones and began to balance my hormones.. My skin has improved quite a bit but I still fight these boils that turn into deep and painful abcesses. My most current “attempt” is a Candida Protocol (my IGa test was initially 165, working it way down to 145.) My FMP suspects biofilms and I am working on those films as well as the Candida fungus using Biocidin LSF and G.I. Detox. ANY interviews with a FMP or Functional Dermalotogist discussing chronic bacteral skin infections (mostly Staph bacteria with occasional Psumonos and MERSA) would be most welcome. I have been tested (mouth swab) as a staph carrier and the test came back negative.)
I have just started taking L-Histidine to see if it will help my eczema. I am adding this supplement to a long list of other supplements and medicines, including Claritin and Quercetin/Bromelain, both of which provide antihistamine effects. Will the L-Histidine be compatible with the other two antihistamines, or will they counteract each other. I’ve been searching the internet but there is such scant information about L-Histidine and no mention of interaction with antihistamines.
Unfortunately I can’t say, Lawrence. I really don’t know. Generally, I don’t recommend l-histidine to clients if they need a lot of antihistamine support since histidine can be converted to histamine.
I’m histamine intolerant. Many people with severe eczema are. Since histadine is a precursor to histamine would it not increase histamine in the body? Maybe it is supposed to help with the skin barrier profilaggrin but will it also aggravate more rashes? Confused…
Hi Tina, that’s actually not true and more current research is finding that itch in eczema is driven by other factors… and that there less is actually histamine-driven. Perhaps you didn’t catch the interview I did with Dr. Shawn Kwatra who is an expert in itch and researches this actively at Johns Hopkins, I’d recommend that you check it out here: https://www.skinterrupt.com/why-youre-so-itchy/. And in my clinical opinion, you cannot use the presence of itch (no matter how bad it is) as a sign of being histamine intolerant (and I say this to anyone reading this article and asking similar questions).
As for your question, I do not recommend l-histidine supplementation in those with histamine intolerance because it can be converted to histamine (which ultimately would add to the excess histamine in the body). However, if you do not have histamine intolerance, it could be helpful. It is not magical, but it can be helpful for some. It’s important to keep in mind that excessive inflammation in the body will impact the quality of filaggrin produced in the body. So identifying what’s driving up cytokines (and thus triggering that internal inflammation) is a crucial piece of the puzzle.