Do you suffer from Hayfever?
I am also, like many people a hayfever sufferer.
If this is you, I sympathise: itchy, red or watery eyes, runny or blocked nose, sneezing and coughing, itchy throat, mouth, nose, and ears, loss of smell, earache, headache, and feeling exhausted.
It might surprise you to know that changing what you eat can have a big impact on the severity of your symptoms.
There are some foods that will make the symptoms worse, so try to cut these out or reduce them as much as you can during the hayfever season.
Foods containing high levels of histamine can intensify symptoms. These include chocolate (sorry about that), tomatoes, aubergines, and many fermented foods like vinegar, sauerkraut, yoghurt, miso, soy sauce, and canned fish.
There are also foods that, while they are not high in histamine themselves, are ‘histamine liberators’ and can trigger your cells to release histamine. These include strawberries, pineapple, bananas, citrus fruits, and egg whites.
Foods containing wheat, like bread and pasta, cakes, and pastries, can also be problematic for people with grass pollen allergies.
Dairy products like milk and cheese stimulate the body to produce more mucus, making blocked noses or ears much worse. Matured cheeses also tend to contain high levels of histamine. And sugar, which causes your body to produce more histamine, can further exacerbate your symptoms.
But… you might not react to all of the foods I’ve just mentioned, don’t forget you are unique, so some foods may have no effect, you just need to be vigilant. If you work with me you could use my food, mood, and symptom diary to spot your triggers.
What foods can you add in or increase to help with symptoms when you have hayfever?
Some foods are anti-histamine foods and disrupt or block histamine receptors, helping to reduce allergy symptoms. These include foods that contain the plant chemicals quercetin and beta carotene, and those high in vitamin C (see below).
Local honey also may be helpful because, although it contains trace elements of pollen, over time it may help your body become more familiar with the pollen entering your system and reduce the inflammatory response it makes.
Quercetin containing foods include:
Onions, garlic, goji berries, asparagus, all berry fruits, apples, kale, okra, peppers, plums, and red grapes.
Beta carotene containing foods include:
Sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, red and yellow peppers, apricots, peas, broccoli, dark leafy greens like kale, and romaine lettuce.
Vitamin C containing foods:
Blackcurrants, blueberries, peppers, kale, collard leaves, broccoli, kiwis, mango, courgettes, and cauliflower.
Of course, for low FODMAP people, you still need to avoid your trigger foods…
What to drink
Drink plenty of water. Keeping well hydrated is helpful for all aspects of health. In the case of hayfever, it thins the mucous membranes and reduces that ‘blocked up’ feeling.
Green tea is packed full of antioxidants, which are helpful for the immune system generally. It has also been proven to block one of the receptors involved in immune responses.
Ginger tea has been shown to help reduce allergic reactions by lowering your body’s IgE levels (the antibody involved in the specific immune reaction associated with hayfever).
Peppermint tea is worth trying because peppermint contains menthol, a natural decongestant that may help improve sinus symptoms.
Nettle tea may relieve inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and ease nasal congestion, sneezing, and itching.
If you would like to work with me over the Spring and Summer, to identify your hay fever triggers so you can enjoy the summer to the full, CONTACT ME via my website, message me on FB or Instagram, pop into Head to Toe Health, Tonbridge on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon to say hi, or even ring me!
So many ways
Enjoy spring
Jacx
