Histamine Well Podcast: Exploring Histamine, Methylation & Holistic Health

In this episode of The Histamine Well, host Joanne speaks with Amanda Bradshaw, co-founder of Mood Sense, to explore the critical role methylation plays in mood, mental health, and hormonal transitions like perimenopause. Joanne shares her clinical insights and surprising test results showing that some patients assumed to be under-methylators were actually over-methylating—changing the course of their treatment.

Amanda opens up about her personal health journey through perimenopause and how balancing her methylation significantly improved symptoms like mood swings and hot flushes. Together, they unpack how methylation imbalances can impact not just mental health, but also re...

In this episode, Joanne Kennedy discusses a comprehensive case study of a patient with various symptoms like abdominal pain, migraines, and joint pain who was incorrectly suspected of having mold and oxalate problems. The root cause turned out to be gluten intolerance. 

Joanne explains the impact of gluten on the immune system, highlighting how it can cause significant inflammation and histamine issues. She differentiates between celiac disease, wheat allergy, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, explaining their symptoms, testing methods, and impacts on histamine production. 

Joanne also provides insights into diagnosing these conditions and emphasizes the importance of...

In this episode of the Histamine Well Podcast, Joanne is joined by Amber Romanic, an expert in emotional eating, digestion, and hormonal health.

Amber shares her personal journey overcoming emotional eating and discusses how it impacts gut health and increases histamine levels.

They explore common emotional eating triggers, the role of high cortisol, and the pitfalls of extreme diets like intermittent fasting.

Amber offers practical tips on managing emotional eating, the importance of healing one's relationship with food, and why self-care and setting healthy boundaries are crucial.

Additionally, they touch on...

In this episode of the Histamine Well Podcast, Joanne explores the surprising link between high histamine levels and hypoglycemia. 

She details how elevated histamine can disrupt blood sugar regulation through various mechanisms, including overstimulation of insulin production, suppression of glucagon, and cortisol dysregulation. 

Joanne also offers practical advice on managing high histamine and blood sugar levels through diet, stress management, and lifestyle changes. 

Tune in to learn more about identifying and addressing histamine-related blood sugar crashes.

Tired of treating symptoms instead of the root cause? 🎧

Join J...

In this episode of the Histamine Well Podcast, Joanne is joined by her colleague Melanie Peers to discuss the relationship between small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and histamine intolerance. 

They explore the complexities of SIBO, its causes, symptoms, and its impact on histamine levels in the body. Joanne and Melanie also delve into related issues such as the role of the migrating motor complex, the influence of stress, dietary impacts, and the significance of mold, oxalates, and sulfur in exacerbating histamine symptoms. 

Practical advice on diagnosis, dietary adjustments, and treatment options is provided, making this ep...

In this episode of the Histamine Well Podcast, host Joanne Kennedy delves into the significance of digestive enzyme deficiencies in managing histamine intolerance and chronic gut issues like SIBO. 

Joanne explains the critical roles of hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, and bile acids in maintaining a healthy digestive system, and how their insufficiencies can lead to increased histamine levels and poor gut health. 

The episode covers the symptoms, causes, and solutions for enzyme deficiencies, emphasizing the importance of proper enzyme supplementation. 

Joanne also shares insights into the impacts of stress, diet, and specific medications on...

In this episode of the Histamine Well podcast, Joanne dives into the connection between methylation, detoxification, and gallbladder health. Joined by nutritionist Olivia Haas, they discuss how impaired methylation affects bile flow, leading to gallbladder dysfunction and increased histamines. 

Olivia explains the essential role of the gallbladder in digestion, detoxification, and overall health. They cover early warning signs of gallbladder issues, appropriate testing, and the interplay between estrogen dominance, mold, and oxalate sensitivities. Practical recommendations for dietary and supplement support for gallbladder and liver health, both pre- and post-surgery, are also discussed. 

Olivia also speaks ab...

In this episode of the Histamine Well Podcast, Joanne does something a little different. She shares her step-by-step approach for rapidly lowering your histamine bucket while working toward identifying and treating the root cause. This episode is packed with clinical gems and practical strategies—perfect for both patients and practitioners.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

In this episode of the Histamine Well Podcast, Joanne is joined by Naturopath Mariela Gebhardt from Austria to discuss a fascinating and complex case. Initially thought to be related to SIBO, Mariela shares how, despite seeing early improvement in her patient's gut health, she remained in a heightened anxious state and developed an unusual symptom: toe pain.

Mariela identified this as an oxalate issue, which was later confirmed through Organic Acids testing. This discovery prompted Mariela to inquire further about mould exposure, which quickly became clear as a significant factor.

Mariela humbly acknowledges that the...

In this episode of the Histamine Well Podcast, host Joanne delves into the often-overlooked topic of low homocysteine levels. 

Joanne explains that while high homocysteine is commonly flagged for its cardiovascular risks, low homocysteine is seldom discussed despite its significant implications for health. 

She explores how low homocysteine can indicate sulfur depletion, often linked to issues such as oxalate toxicity and mold illness. 

The episode covers the methylation process, the importance of methionine, and the roles of cysteine, glutathione, and taurine. 

Joanne also discusses the impact of stress, diet, and poor abso...

In this episode of the Histamine Well, Joanne is joined by scientist James Bradshaw to discuss the complexities of methylation and its critical role in genetics, mood, and overall health. 

James shares his extensive background in biochemistry and cellular biology and introduces Mood Sense, the first saliva test for assessing methylation-related mood disruptions. 

They explore the essentials of methylation, its impact on neurotransmitter production, and the difference between over and under methylation. 

The episode also delves into genetic mutations, environmental factors affecting methylation, and practical approaches to managing methylation in clinical practice. 

Li...

In this episode of The Histamine Well Podcast, Joanne dives deep into the topic of MTHFR, an enzyme crucial for the process of methylation. Joanne explains the significance of methylation in various biochemical and genetic processes such as detoxification, neurotransmitter regulation, and genetic expression. The episode also addresses why methylfolate is essential, discusses common causes of methylfolate deficiency, and highlights why folic acid can be problematic for everyone.

Joanne provides insights into various types of folate testing and offers practical guidance for those with MTHFR mutations and other related conditions. This comprehensive episode is designed to provide...

In this episode of The Histamine Well, Joanne breaks down the complexities of multiple food intolerances.

She explains how SIBO and oxalates can drive up histamine, leading to oxalate, histamine, and FODMAP intolerances.

Oxalates also deplete sulfur. This can cause an overgrowth of sulfur-producing bacteria in the gut, triggering sulfur intolerance. A lack of sulfur can also contribute to salicylate intolerance.

Joanne explores the link between nervous system dysfunction and food intolerances, showing how they are deeply connected.

She also shares how to prioritize which intolerances to address first. Plus, she...

In this episode of the Histamine Well Podcast, Joanne is joined by naturopath Bridget Greenall to discuss Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), particularly focusing on how to diagnose and treat it without testing. 

They explore the intertwined issues of SIBO, inflammation, and blood sugar dysregulation and their impact on hormonal health, including PMS and hot flushes. 

The conversation provides practical insights for practitioners, students, and patients on managing SIBO, especially under financial or geographical constraints that prevent testing. 

Additionally, they touch upon the significance of methylation in addressing hormonal imbalances and introduce an at...

In this episode of the Histamine Well podcast, Joanne delves into the intricate relationship between histamine and oestrogen. She explores how histamine can stimulate excess oestrogen production and vice versa, leading to a range of symptoms such as migraines, dizziness, anxiety, and digestive issues. 

Joanne discusses the impact of factors like methylation, gut health, and enzyme functionality on this dynamic. She provides practical advice on managing these issues, including dietary adjustments and supplementation. 

Joanne also highlights the role of perimenopause in exacerbating histamine-oestrogen interactions and offers strategies for hormonal balance. Listeners are encouraged to explore de...

In this episode of the Histamine Well podcast, Joanne is joined by her colleague, Melanie Peers, an expert in oxalate issues. Together they explore the complex world of oxalates, their profound impact on histamine intolerance, methylation pathways, and overall health. 

They discuss how oxalates drive chronic inflammation, deplete sulfur levels, and disrupt both the methylation and transsulfuration pathways, causing low homocysteine levels.

The discussion also covers the extensive symptoms associated with oxalate toxicity, common high-oxalate foods, and the often-overlooked impact of mold on oxalate levels. 

They also offer valuable insights for practitioners and pa...

High histamine levels are often a signal of deeper imbalances, and in this episode of The Histamine Well, we’re uncovering the hidden root causes that could be driving your symptoms. From SIBO and gluten intolerance to leaky gut and methylation issues, we’ll explore why histamine intolerance is rarely just about food and how addressing the underlying factors can lead to real, lasting solutions. 

Whether you’re managing your own health, supporting others on their journey as practitioner, this episode will empower you with insights that go far beyond symptom management, helping you get to the “why” behi...

In the inaugural episode of the Histamine Well Podcast, Joanne, introduces the nuanced topic of histamine intolerance. Designed for both health practitioners and patients, the episode breaks down the science behind histamine, its role in the body, the widespread issue of chronic inflammation driving up histamine levels, and the symptoms it causes such as skin issues, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, migraines, insomnia and hormonal imbalances. 

Joanne emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to diagnose and treat histamine intolerance through understanding its root causes rather than just following restrictive low-histamine diets. She also shares her journey into understanding h...

Welcome to The Histamine Well with your host, Joanne Kennedy. In this introductory episode, Joanne shares the purpose behind the podcast and what you can expect in future episodes. Whether you’re a practitioner or someone living with chronic health challenges like gut issues, skin problems, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, or food intolerances, this podcast is here to provide clarity and support.

Joanne will break down complex science into easy-to-understand insights, exploring topics such as histamine intolerance, MTHFR, methylation, gut health, mold illness, women’s hormones, and much more. Tune in each week for in-depth episodes and expert inte...