With hay fever season just around the corner I thought I would share a few nutrition tips that can help relieve the symptoms. Eating a well balanced diet that is free from foods high in histamine is important before and during the hay fever seasons. There are many foods that can be increased during this time that have natural antihistamines and will help reduce the effects. Below are some of the top foods containing hay fever fighting nutrients that I would recommend adding to your diet to help relieve the symptoms.
Red Onions - ‘An onion a day, keeps hay fever away.’ Onions contain a high amount of quercetin which is a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. Onions have been proven to help stabilise the levels of histamine in our bodies which can increase when we have an allergy.
Oily Fish - There are positive links between increasing oily fish consumption during hay fever season. This could be due to the anti-inflammatory effects of the omega-3
Raw Garlic - Garlic is another source of quecertin (natural antihistamine) It also acts as am immune booster and natural decongestant.
Turmeric - Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It can also help stop the release of histamine in the body.
Ginger - Another powerful anti-inflammatory, ginger helps reduce nasal swelling associated with hay fever. Additionally it boosts the immune system and acts as a natural antihistamine.
Pineapples - Pineapples are an excellent source of an enzyme called bromelain. The highest concentration of it is found in the core of the pineapple. Bromelain has strong anti-inflammatory properties and studies have shown it to be effective for treating inflammation associated with hay fever. (Bromelain is destroyed when heated, so make sure you eat your pineapple raw)
Raw Honey - It might be an old wives tail, with no scientific backing. But many people swear by taking a tablespoon of raw honey a day from their local area in the months leading up to and during the hay fever season. The theory is that because the raw honey contains pollen this will be helping your immune system build up a resistance to the pollen in the area that you live which causes hay fever.
As you can see above you can get these nutrients from the foods you eat. Whilst this is great news, sometimes the amount of each specific nutrient isn’t high enough in the food we eat, so we need to eat larger quantities of it. This isn’t always possible so thats when supplements come in. See my next post for the top 3 supplements that can help ward off hay fever symptoms.
