Foods that may relieve some of your summer allergies

By Tori Taylor, July 25 2019 —

Using food as a form of preventative medicine is an age-old practice for optimal health.  What we eat has a direct impact on how we feel and the state of our physical health. Many of us suffer from seasonal allergies. It is during the spring and summer months when allergens like dust, pollen and hay tend to bring about respiratory issues, congestion, itchy eyes and ears and a runny nose. Over-the-counter medications and doctor’s prescriptions can be a god-send for many of us that suffer beyond the usual level. However, there are foods you can add into your diet that may help alleviate symptoms by giving your body some extra fight.

Ginger:

Ginger has always been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory. It has been studied for its antioxidative compounds and is a proven remedy for nausea and inflammation. Often when a swing of allergies knock you off your game it has a lot to do with inflammation in different areas of the body. You can add ginger to tea, food or eat is dried as a snack. If you can try to mediate the swelling happening in your nasal passages, you might find some relief from the constant irritating congestion.

Bee pollen and raw honey:

Bee pollen and raw honey have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, as well as antifungal and immune boosting effects within the body. These are four crucial players when it comes to staving off excessive allergic reactions. Buying local raw honey or bee pollen is delicious and supports the beekeepers in your area. There is some thought regarding local honey being better for allergy relief than non-local honey. The reasoning behind this idea is that if you are using honey exposed to the allergens in your area, you can gradually build up an immunity to the pollen and seasonal allergies — they’re already in the honey you’re using.

Citrus fruits:

There are a lot of citrus fruits you can choose from when deciding your best vitamin C source.  Try oranges, grapefruits, tomatoes, lemons, limes, sweet peppers or berries. We all power back vitamin C when we are in the throws of a nasty cold. This is not necessarily because the vitamin C does anything to prevent an actual cold. It does, however, work to lower the symptoms and duration of allergic rhinitis by reducing inflammation.  

Turmeric:

Turmeric is the anti-inflammatory queen. This spice, when activated with black or white cracked pepper, has the ability to work wonders. Ensuring that pepper is used with turmeric will increase the bioavailability by up to 2,000 per cent. For that reason, any bodily issues that stem from inflammation can be reduced by adding the proper amount of turmeric to your diet. The active ingredient is called curcumin. It may help calm down the swelling involved in allergic rhinitis. Turmeric can be put into a latté or used in cooking. You can also purchase turmeric as a supplement in capsule form from any health food store. 

Salmon and omega supplements:

The essential fatty acids almost always come into play when health issues arise. Omega-3 is an anti-inflammatory. It can be found in salmon or other types of oily fish. It would seem that adding extra omega-3 to your diet when you are suffering from sinus issues or congestion may help by lowering the swelling. 

If you chronically suffer from spring and summer allergies it may be worth your time to experiment with your diet. Find out if adding any of these foods can bring some extra relief.  I am the first to hit the pharmacy and stock up on miracle-working allergy drugs but there is definitely power in using the food you eat to help you feel better.