It wouldn’t be wrong to say that your allergies are winding you up and frustrating you to the limit, especially when all you want to do is enjoy the bloomy spring or exciting summer seasons.
Well, you are not alone in this struggle.
Many of us undergo seasonal allergies, and are constrained to gulp down doses of anti-allergic tablets, use eye drops and several other medications to get instant relief from sneezing, coughing, suffocation, sulky eyes and clogged throats.
Basically, this is because of our immune system which reacts disruptively whenever encountered with climate change. The result is then a serious allergic reaction which may worsen with time according to experts.
To add to allergy woes, a few common foods which we usually consume are also secretly aggravating our allergies.
Therefore, it is essential to know which foods are alleviating your allergies and which are worsening them.
THE BEST: Allergy-Soothing Foods
The following foods help reduce the symptoms of allergy:
1. Fish and Salmon
2. Fruits like apples, oranges etc.
3. Vegetables like onion, cabbage etc.
4. Soups
Fish and salmon contain Omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory properties to placate allergic reactions. Many studies have proved that people who consume more fish and less red meat products rarely encounter allergic and asthmatic diseases.
Baltimore’s naturopathic doctor has also said:
“Fish is rich in Omega-3s, make up an anti-inflammatory diet that can help beat back allergy symptoms”
According to a physician and allergy specialist of Rutgers University’s Center for Environmental Prediction; Leonard Bielory, “Apples, oranges, tomatoes, onions and strawberries are also very beneficial to alleviate allergy especially pollen allergy as they are rich in nutrients, vitamin C and antioxidants.”
A study was conducted in 2007 in Crete in which children who consume only conventional Mediterranean diet of apples, grapes, tomatoes and oranges were reported to show infrequent symptoms of sniffling, wheezing and nasal allergy as compared to children not on the Mediterranean diet.
Green veggies like sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli contain Vitamin C which is a natural antihistamine that helps curb your allergies and provide you nutritious health. In addition, cabbage and onions have reddish compound “quercetin” which stabilizes the mast cells that push out histamines when your body reacts to any allergen. If you regularly ingest these inflammation-soothing nutrients, you can keep seasonal allergies at bay.
Warm and steamy liquids like soups or hot tea can also ease your congestion and relieve you from sniffing hard. The hot liquid is essential for thinning out the mucus which causes coughs and congestion. So, include healthy soups and warm herbal teas in your diet to combat your allergic reactions.
THE WORST: Allergy-Inducing Foods
These are allergy-worsening foods which you should avoid to prevent allergies:
1. Spicy Foods
2. Dairy products
3. Alcoholic products
4. Bread
Spicy foods have capsaicin, a compound which reacts with spiced components and triggers allergic symptoms whenever you munch on hot and spicy items. You may yourself have felt sinuses feeling full, experienced running nose, teary eyes and sneezing when you eat these foods, especially during allergy season.
Besides this, grains, dairy products, and bread escalates inflammation and triggers the mucus which is already rampant in allergies.
Alcohol is your enemy and an allergy ally as it exacerbates your histamine pathways, worsening the condition of sniffles in allergy. New York Times reported that alcohol is the virulent liquid that intensifies allergy symptoms, asthma, hay fever and sneezing.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2117278/