I can’t emphasize enough the importance of what I call “the world’s most depleted mineral.” It’s the first to go in order to protect our adrenals from mental, physical, or emotional stress. While it is known as the ‘calming mineral’ and can help with anxiety, insomnia, or even muscle spasms – many people don’t know that it’s ALSO required for phase II liver detoxification (which means it can boost the excretion of histamine!)
Remember, histamines are released by your body in response to allergens. They are the cause of allergy symptoms and must exit the body through the liver’s pathways. To read more about this mechanism and how ginger tea can help, check out this post.
- One study found that lab animals who were severely deficient in magnesium had higher blood levels of histamine when exposed to allergens than animals who were getting enough magnesium (source).
- Another study found that intracellular levels of magnesium were significantly lower in asthma patients compared to controls.
- Additional research reveals that magnesium can help with keeping the smooth muscles of the airway relaxed and can also help to dilate bronchioles. In addition, magnesium keeps histamine levels down and reduces inflammation in the lungs and the airway overall.
- A paper published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that when the diets of 2,566 children ages 11-19 were studied, less than 14% of boys and 12% of girls had adequate intakes of magnesium!
Foods that I consume to boost magnesium levels include: leafy, almonds, avocado, brown rice, and lots of seaweed.
