Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) has become a hot topic in functional medicine. Mast cells are an integral part of the body’s immune system. They can be found in areas of exposure such as mucosal membranes, the lining of the GI tract, skin, and airways. Mast cells are responsible for storing important chemical mediators like histamine and others which help to instigate allergic responses. Mast cell disorders arise when there are too many mast cells, or they become hyperreactive. That being said, these conditions are often misunderstood, and diagnoses are sometimes misused. 

In today’s episode, we focus on the role of mast cells and histamine in the immune response. We discuss the different mast cell activation disorders, how to diagnose them, and what you can do about it.  

Today on The Lab Report:  

• 3:05 Mast Cell Activation Diseases
• 5:15 What is a mast cell? Why do we care?
• 7:05 Symptoms of histamine release
• 8:40 Histamine intolerance vs. MCAS
• 11:11 Foods: High Histamine or Low Histamine?
• 14:25 Non-food related histamine associations
• 15:30 Diagnosing and treating MCAS 
• 18:00 Question of the Day
  • What Genova profiles can help parse out histamine intolerance v. MCAS?

Additional Resources:

IgE Food Antibodies Profile

IgE Inhalants - Allergy Profile

IgE Mold - Allergy Profile

Methylation Panel

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