Achoo! Allergies can be caused by animal dander, dust, food, mold, and pollen. Antibodies are produced by the body in response to an allergen. It’s these histamines that cause the common symptoms of itchy eyes and sneezing. The best strategies for allergies include avoiding the allergen, strengthening the immune system, and easing the symptoms. Here’s how.
SOOTHING HERBS FOR ALLERGIES
Herbs that can soothe allergies include elderflower and elderberry because both are anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, and expectorants, and they reduce bronchial and upper respiratory phlegm. Ginger improves circulation and respiratory capacity thanks to its anti-inflammatory activity, which can reduce swelling in the respiratory passages. Take in tea, tincture, or capsule form three times a day.
Dandelion root and leaf improve liver and spleen function and are helpful for skin problems related to allergies, including rashes and itchiness. They are also anti-inflammatory, expectorants, and immunosupportive. Take in tea, tincture, or capsule form three times a day.
Marshmallow root contains flavonoids and helps to reduce the inflammation of the skin and digestive tract by moistening dry tissue. For this reason, it is good for coughs and scratchy throats. Take it as a tea up to three times daily.
Nettle is a natural antihistamine and expectorant, so it helps to dissolve mucus in the lungs. It’s also naturally high in vitamin C and chlorophyll and relieves allergic reactions. Research published in the German medical journal, Arzneimittel Forschung in 1990 showed its effectiveness in treating allergic rhinitis. Take in tea, tincture, or capsule form three times a day.
Cures from Grandma’s Kitchen
Eyebright herb (whose tiny flowers resemble a bloodshot eye) contains flavonoids, an antioxidant that strengthens mucus membranes of the nose and eyes. Eyebright clears heat and dries excess mucus. It relieves catarrh, congestion, hay fever, rhinitis, and sinusitis. You can use it as compress over your eyes to relieve swelling.
GOOD TO GROW!
Chickweed is an herb that often comes up as a weed in people’s garden. Gather this anti-allergenic herb fresh from an unsprayed yard in the early spring and use it as a salad green. It will keep for up to a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
ANTI-ALLERGY VITAMINS
Nutrients can prevent and minimize allergy symptoms:
• Vitamin A or beta-carotene strengthens mucus membranes and helps prevent allergenic substances from entering cell walls. Take 10,000 IU daily.
• Vitamin C lowers blood histamine levels according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition in 1980. It also detoxifies foreign substances and strengthens adrenal glands and immune system. Take 1,000 mg daily.
• Flavonoids, including quercetin and catechin, which are considered antioxidants, stabilize mast cell membranes, thereby decreasing histamine release and are thus an alternative to anti-histamine drugs. Take one 500-mg capsule two to three times daily.
BEST FOODS FOR ALLERGIES
Eat a wholesome diet focusing on fish, seeds (for their essential oil content and adrenal strengthening properties), and antioxidant-rich fresh vegetables. Especially beneficial are green leafy vegetables like kale and collards and dark orange vegetables like carrots and winter squashes for their beta-carotene and flavonoid content, which help promote immunity against infection. Seaweed can help you resist allergens by providing a plethora of minerals. Simply sprinkle a teaspoon (5 g) of kelp or dulse from a shaker on food.
Small amounts of organic lemon or orange peel nibbled throughout the day provide bioflavonoids, which lower histamine response according to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 1984. When you eat an orange or squeeze a lemon, just chew on an inch or two. They can even be soaked in some honey for two to three days, and then eaten as a treat.
Consume plenty of fluids. Diluted green, leafy vegetable juices such as carrot, beet, cucumber, horseradish, parsley, and spinach can also bring some temporary relief when allergies are severe. If you have a juicer, you can make these juices at home. Otherwise, visit a juice bar that makes its own juice and dilute the juice with half water so it is less concentrated.
DEALING WITH FOOD ALLERGIES
Food intolerance, allergies, or hypersensitivity is a response triggered by the immune system. The most common food allergens are cow’s milk, eggs, wheat, gluten, corn, soy, and peanuts. Allergies can manifest in many ways. Respiratory congestion, excess phlegm, and a runny nose are common symptoms. There are many other ways allergies can affect us, though, including digestive distress, skin reactions, even mental fogginess. Shopping at health food stores can make food allergies easier to deal with as you’ll find substitutes for just about every allergen.
Skip This!
Avoid foods that tax the liver, such as fried foods, margarine, chemical additives, caffeine, and refined sugars. The liver helps to break down allergens, and if its function is impaired, it simply can’t do its job.
Aspartame sweeteners, monosodium glutamate, and artificial food coloring can be problematic for some people. Many people react adversely to unripe fruit. Don’t eat it—it’s not good for you and doesn’t taste good anyway. Sulfites, which are sometimes added to preserve the color of fruits and vegetables, can cause bronchial spasms in sensitive people.
To diagnose a food allergy, omit suspected foods for at least three weeks to allow allergic symptoms to diminish. Reintroduce a food every three to seven days and see if there is a reaction. Keep a food journal and rate your symptoms as mild, medium, or severe.
Read labels and be careful of the hidden factors. You might know you’re allergic to eggs, so you never eat them, but what about that egg-laden salad dressing, mayonnaise in the sandwich, or egg added to a muffin mix? Manufacturers also often use equipment for multiple purposes, which can expose you to soy or peanuts, for example.
GOOD TO KNOW!
Gluten is used in food products to give elasticity to flour and is present in wheat, semolina, rye, oats, barley, spelt, and kamut. But the gliadin in gluten flattens out the mucosal lining of the intestines and makes it difficult to assimilate nutrients. Instead, use gluten-free grains such as amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, quinoa, rice, and teff. Soaking and sprouting grains and beans before cooking can help them be less likely to aggravate allergies and more digestible for anyone.
This Soothing Herbs For Allergies article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
