There has been a dramatic increase in the delving out of the label of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. A label that often comes with a strong antihistamine prescription, like Benadryl times ten, and a “we don’t have a cure for this” statement. Per usual, I hold a different perspective. Let’s dive into this together.
Basic Function of Mast Cells
We need to start at the beginning by understanding what mast cells are here to do for us, before we start hating on them. Mast cells are a type of white blood cell that act as part of our first line of defense. They are here to protect us from organisms that wish to conquer or injure our body. As a part of that defense, mast cells carry the ability to release granules rich in mediators that activate the immune system and incite the inflammation process. Mediator is an overarching term that includes: histamines, tryptase, heparin, leukotrienes, prostaglandins, cytokines, and chemokines. When the body is balanced and functioning healthfully, it will gratefully embrace this appropriate initiation to defend itself. Once the organism has been dismantled or destroyed, the body will follow up with the second half of this process. It will downregulate the inflammation response, deactivate the immune system and clear dead pieces of the organism as well as any toxins it released as it died. We need and want healthy mast cells! They are our protectors.
Mast cells can be found in connective tissue and mucosal regions of the body, think anywhere the body comes into contact with external or environmental elements and needs to take action to protect you. This includes your skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and brain. These organs are hot spots for mast cell habitation and as a result the main areas we observe and feel their activity.
Okay, so how did we go from protector to aggravator and receive the label or the symptoms of mast cell activation syndrome?
Mast Cell Dysfunction & Overactivation
Just like any part of the body, normal healthy function can go array when there is a natural vulnerability in your physical make up or you have navigated years of emotional weight, environmental toxins, and lifestyle stressors or you are meant to experience this for the benefit of yourself and others or the most likely case if you’re reading this… all the above.
Mast cells can overreact, overprotect, overrespond. This can create a heavy soup of mediators in your system that soak your body in all the symptoms of immune alarm and inflammation. If your body is not able to move through the second half of this cycle and counterbalance by downregulating and closing out the activation, you will be stuck in the first half of this response.
Symptoms of being stuck in hyper or continuous mast cell release (known as degranulation):
Vasodilation (lowered blood pressure)
Dramatic internal temperature changes
Itching
Hives
Rashes
Nerve tingling
Flushing
Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
GI symptoms, like cramping
Tissue remodeling
Coughing, wheezing & shortness of breath
Anxiety
Over time due to chronic inflammation: hair loss, brain fog, neurotransmitter malfunction leading to major mood changes, aching swollen joint, skin conditions like acne, numbness, autoimmune activity, rapid aging, cancer, etc.
Causes of Mast Cell Dysfunction
When you’re in this state it can feel maddening, exhausting, and frightening because you have no control and every time you think you’ve identified and mapped out what’s causing your reactions something surprises you. The reason for this is that there are many many many factors that activate mast cells and when your capacity bucket as I call it is filled to the brim, the tiniest drop can send the bucket into overflow. Foods that are “healthy”, homes that you swear are mold-free, clothes that are toxin-free, supplements that are anti-inflammatory… you know what I’m talking about. I lived this for years too and to be honest when I’m not reducing my bucket regularly, I still occasionally can see glimpses of it.
When your capacity bucket is filled to the brim, your mast cells become extremely and unnecessarily reactive. Meaning that elements that should not trigger mediator release can and often will, because the mast cells are in such a heightened alert state that they’re easily startled, even by helpful new guests (think supplements) and safe regular visitors (think food) or upset and irritated by normal and natural functions (think hormone fluctuations throughout your menstrual cycle).
This is a very pulled back view of the dysfunction, but I find it helpful to not get caught up in the weeds, because the reality is we (the scientific community) don’t fully grasp the biological functions of the human body, despite the fact that we love to act like we do. The one thing we do know for sure, is that the causations of immune dysregulation vary from person to person based on their past and current state. We call this epigenetics. In other words, exactly what I said above. This is why we release labels in my practice and focus on the make-up and contents of your capacity bucket. This is how I find success, maintain hope, and enjoy a freedom from western constraints on what is and is not possible for the body. The body is brilliant and I’ve watched, experienced, and guided it towards recovery from “uncurable” mysterious states many times.
So how did we get here and how can we reverse and reduce this overactive response of our protector cells?
Uncovering Your Layers & Triggers
Whenever we are looking at the body for clues as to why it’s sending us messages, we have to start at the beginning. How are you wired? What is your physical map? I personally use your astrological and human design charts paired with your family and personal health history to uncover this. Your astrological and human design charts show us where you are strong and where you have vulnerabilities. We look at what signs, elements, digestive tendencies, and planets dominate your body to determine for example whether you are naturally more firey or cool, able to detox effectively or struggle to clear, prone to digestive efficiency or sluggishness, quick to recover from infection or linger and lean towards chronic conditions.
Once we know your starting point, then we add your parents relationship with their bodies (what you came into the world carrying), the environment you grew up in, the toxin exposures your body has had to navigate, whether or not you possess the trait of natural and/or developed sensitivity, and the burdens you are currently carrying to indicate the fullness of your body’s capacity bucket. I also see great value in ordering insightful labs to provide data that further backs all of this up. It’s always good to see yourself from multiple angles, especially when you’ve been drowning in confusion and have lost trust in yourself and medical providers. I like to pull panels that evaluate your blood levels, mediator release, gastrointestinal state, neurotransmitter expression, mycotoxin presence and more.
By assessing all the above I can get a strong understanding of you and why you’ve arrived here, then together we can confirm a roadmap to reduce reactions and enable recovery.
A General Roadmap & Recommendations for Reaction Reduction
I always prefer to work 1:1 so that I can be very targeted and involved, in order to make this process seamless and efficient, which is why I created my Concierge Reset offering that keeps me in continual conversation with you. To me, it’s vital that you navigate this tender and hypersensitive experience with sensitivity and quick support.
FUNCTION & DETOX
This is where I do the deepest work. We get your body back up and running by opening up your detox pathways so that your body can start clearing its bucket on its own, without pushing. This is very important. Never push your body until you know you can clear effectively. Then we’ll step in with sweepers to start gently moving all the built-up toxins, inflammation, and overall debris out. As your digestive engines start rolling again, we’ll work on increasing your capacity from whatever angle is best for you based on what we’ve learned. As your bucket empties further and we have space to safely and gently move, we can begin to address some of the burdens your body has taken on and make larger steps. This often looks like a gut microbiome reset, followed by toxin clearance, and if still needed, thyroid, adrenal, and brain recovery. Everyone’s journey is different, but the downstream effect of this work is that your reactions will subside (usually within 1-2 months) and all the other imbalances that you want to see resolve, like your hormones, will happen naturally as a downstream effect of a lowered bucket, increased capacity, clear internal communication and healthy function.
DIET
You can soften your reactions by incorporating a histamine-free and reducing diet. There are foods that contain histamines and foods that do not, but do activate mediator release in the body once consumed, so avoiding both is key here. The caveat I have here is that I don’t consistently see this making a huge difference. For some, it is dramatic and for others, it doesn’t seem to do much other than stress them out further. So please consider your personal state and situation before jumping on a restrictive diet. If the burden of navigating foods is high for you, then the stress of it all can be just as activating for you as eating histamine-rich food… If you want my personal guidance around this, book a single session and put in the request your desire for histamine diet guidance and I can walk you through it.
SUPPLEMENTATION
Supplementation is so nuanced, especially with MCAS. You need to choose the most impactful forms and appropriate dosing titrations. Not all supplements are the same. In fact, most do not work when you have an overflowing capacity bucket, due the height of internal dysfunction this represents. You really need to know what you’re doing if you venture alone.
Also, these supplements will not resolve MCAS, they will only give relief when you take them. True recovery requires addressing your capacity bucket and resetting your body so that you are resilient and able to eat anything, live anywhere, and be amongst any type of person without a reaction.
Okay, now that I’ve said my piece here is my general list of natural supplements that can stand alone or be paired with medication for acute relief. May it offer you relief. If you need support with dosing, book here or join my concierge reset for my full involvement and care.
DAO (Diamine Oxidase)
Mechanism:
Enzyme that breaks down histamine in the small intestine before it enters the bloodstream. Only really works if you have mast cell reactions in the gut.
Helps prevent histamine overload from high-histamine foods.
Does not affect mast cell release of histamine or systemic histamine already circulating.
Especially useful for histamine intolerance, MCAS with GI symptoms, and reducing flares from food triggers.
Comparable to:
Digestive enzyme therapy, but specifically for histamine degradation in the gut.
Acts like a localized antihistamine in the gut, reducing histamine uptake rather than blocking receptors.
Complements H1 blockers (like loratadine) and mast cell stabilizers (like quercetin), but works through a different mechanism—histamine breakdown instead of receptor modulation or inhibition.
Ideal Form: very high-dose porcine-based capsule
QUERCETIN
Mechanism:
Mast cell stabilizer.
Inhibits histamine release and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α).
Modulates intracellular Ca²⁺ by blocking VGCCs.
Comparable to: Cromolyn sodium, H1 antihistamines.
Ideal Form: liposomal (the option below has low citrus oils, which normally I don’t recommend, but this blend work well for even my most sensitive clients)
Synergy: Works well with Vitamin C and CoQ10
VITAMIN C
Mechanism:
Stabilizes mast cells.
Antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress from EMFs.
Decreases histamine levels (both synthesis and blood concentration).
Comparable to: Antihistamines and anti-inflammatories.
Ideal Form: Camu Camu AND ascorbic acid, not just ascorbic, liposomal, avoid citrus oils
MAGNESIUM (especially Magnesium Threonate or Glycinate)
Mechanism:
Natural calcium antagonist – competes with Ca²⁺ entry via VGCCs.
Relaxes smooth muscle, supports nerve function, reduces hyperexcitability.
Comparable to: Calcium channel blockers (e.g., verapamil).
Ideal Form: Capsule, plus liquid. Bonus: body and foot baths with magnesium flakes
OMEGA FATTY ACIDS (EPA/DHA)
Mechanism:
Suppress inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes (balance against arachidonic acid).
Reduce IL-6, TNF-α.
Stabilize cellular membranes, including mast cells.
Comparable to: Leukotriene inhibitors (e.g., montelukast).
Ideal Form: fresh cod liver oil
RESERVATOL
Mechanism:
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenol.
Inhibits NF-κB activation and cytokine release.
Protective against EMF-induced oxidative damage.
Comparable to: NF-κB inhibitors, anti-inflammatory drugs.
Ideal Form: liposomal or liquid
CURCUMIN
Mechanism:
Potent inhibitor of histamine, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes.
Downregulates NF-κB and COX-2.
Comparable to: NSAIDs, anti-inflammatory biologics.
Ideal Form: Liquid, high bio-availability, avoid citrus oils and black pepper
GLUTATHIONE
Mechanism:
Master antioxidant.
Detox support and scavenging of reactive oxygen species.
Downregulate mast cell hyperactivity.
Comparable to: multiple IVs (these only last 15 minutes in the body…)
Ideal Form: topical spray (I LOVE AuroWellness) or high-dose liposomal
VITAMIN D3, K2 & A
Mechanism:
Immunomodulatory: helps balance Th1/Th2 response.
Can reduce mast cell-related inflammation and barrier dysfunction.
Comparable to: Immune modulators.
Ideal Form: High-bioavailability liposomal
MELATONIN
Mechanism:
Powerful antioxidant.
Modulates immune responses and protects against oxidative stress, especially in CNS.
May calm mast cell activation in brain tissue.
Ideal Form: plant-based and very low-dose