Seasonal Allergies

 

As allergy season is quickly approaching or may already be active for some of you, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss different ways in which we can work to prevent and treat your seasonal allergies with nutrition.

Contrary to popular belief, seasonal allergies are actually very treatable without prescription or over-the counter (OTC) medications. With the proper support and care, the immune system can grow strong enough to react less to common seasonal allergens. I can personally attest to this – as I used to get seasonal allergies that would completely debilitate me, unless I took medication.

What are seasonal allergies?

Referring back to the naturopathic principles, it is important to not just ask how do we treat allergies - but why do we get seasonal allergies in the first place? Why is it harmful for pollen to enter the body?

To put it simply, an allergy is an overly aggressive immune response. This can be triggered via food ingestion, inhalation, or touch. When the body is exposed to these different substances, it releases histamine. Histamine is what is responsible for the common allergy symptoms of sneezing, excessive mucous production, itchiness, headache, etc.

Pollens from different varieties of grasses, weeds, and trees are examples of substances that shouldn’t pose the same threat to your body that some other toxins do. Basically, there really is no need for your body to activate a strong histamine response when there is exposure to pollens.

I have come to believe that seasonal allergies result from a hypersensitive or low-functioning immune system. Many lifestyle choices play a huge role in a person’s susceptibility to seasonal allergies

• Too much stress or poor stress management
• Lack of rest
• Poor food choices (sugar, processed foods, trans-fats, too much caffeine and alcohol)
• Exposure to toxins (pollution, body-care products, hair-dyes, pesticides, cleaning supplies, food additives, cigarette smoke) 

Essentially, a great deal of whether you experience seasonal allergies, or how severely you experience seasonal allergies, is dependent upon the health of 3 things in your body:

1 Immune system

2. Digestive tract

3. Adrenal glands (glands that sit at the top of the kidneys which are responsible for helping you react to stress).

When looking at the health of these different components, the first place we need to look at is the digestive tract.

The digestive tract holds a whopping 80% of your body’s immunity. If your digestive tract is damaged, the ability for your body to get rid of toxins and also to absorb nutrients will be greatly lessened. This means that many of the nutrients that your immune system needs to function properly will not be available.

 

There are a variety of ways in which we can support the body throughout allergy season with nutrition, herbs, and lifestyle factors.

Nutrition

•  Drink ½ of your body weight in ounces per day. Drink more if you are highly physically active.
• Consume dark green leafy vegetables daily (spinach, kale, collard greens, chard).
•  Load up on garlic and onions. They are high in a flavonoid (a type of plant pigment), called quercetin. Quercetin is extremely helpful in reducing allergy symptoms and overall inflammation. 
•  Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which is helpful in helping the body utilize quercetin more effectively. Stick to the whole plant and not the juice, as the juice contains a large amount of sugar.
• If you are suffering from excess mucous, particularly in your throat, ginger, cayenne, horseradish, and wasabi all work wonders for breaking down mucous.
• Healthy Fats are found in wild-caught fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, grass-fed meats, coconut milk or oil, and olive oil. Healthy fat is very effective in keeping inflammation low.

Many people who suffer from seasonal allergies are unaware that they may be sensitive to certain foods, particularly wheat, dairy, corn, or soy. If you are someone who regularly gets sinus infections during allergy season, there is a good chance you have a food sensitivity, particularly to dairy or gluten.

To keep your allergy symptoms minimal I would suggest to eliminate, or greatly reduce, the following from your diet:

• Wheat
• Dairy (if you cannot give up dairy try to stick to unsweetened yogurt – sweeten yourself with berries or local honey)
• Sugar – keep a close eye on sugar. It is in many unexpected places, even things that are marketed as “healthy.”
• Red Meat
• Excess alcohol and caffeine
• Fried and processed foods, particularly those with food coloring.

Supplements and Herbs

• Nettles: Nettles can be consumed through teas, tinctures, capsules, or just by eating them. They are one of the key natural defense mechanisms in keeping allergies at bay. Supplementing with nettles around 2 weeks before allergy season starts is best. You can find nettles at any health food store.
• Probiotics: Probiotics are healthy bacteria that help to keep our body’s immune system in balance. Probiotics can be consumed through fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, yogurt, and kefir. You can also supplement with capsules or liquid drinks. If you are not accustomed to eating fermented foods or taking probiotic supplements, start with a small dose and work your way up.
• Vitamin C
• A whole foods based multi-vitamin
• Omega 3s: Fish oil or flaxseed oil
• Oregano Oil can be taken through capsules or through tinctures. It is fairly potent, but is very helpful in keeping bacteria and inflammation at bay.
• Unfiltered apple cider vinegar is one of my most common remedies for many things, especially with allergies. Mix 1 tablespoon of unfiltered apple cider vinegar with water and a little bit of local honey twice a day. If it makes you feel a little queezy on an empty stomach, try taking it right after you eat. Braggs is the most common brand for unfiltered apple cider vinegar, but sometimes you can find other brands that are cheaper.

I hope that this information allows all of you allergy sufferers to get off the couch from your allergy medication drugged up state to enjoying the nice Spring weather.

Sources

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/allergy-relief/

http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/03/natural-remedies-for-seasonal-allergies/ 
 
http://commonwealthherbs.com/2011/04/herbal-relief-from-seasonal-allergies/

http://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/breathe-easy-this-spring.aspx