Nutritional Alternatives for Allergy Season

Credit: Ryan Sheba

With winter quickly coming to an end and spring right around the corner, many people are looking forward to time in the great outdoors.  Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to feel upbeat about spring weather if you suffer from seasonal allergies.  An allergy commonly occurs when the immune system wrongly identifies a nontoxic substance as harmful and responds by launching an attack against it.  Basically, allergies are your body’s way of telling you that it does not like something you ate, drank, touched or inhaled. Basic symptoms include wheezing, skin rashes, runny nose, fatigue, hives, itching, coughing and congestion.  The challenging component of allergies is that almost any substance can potentially cause an allergic reaction. 

Over 50 million Americans currently suffer from allergies and they are the fifth leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. Nearly 55% of the U.S population tests positive for at least one allergen, which results in millions of workdays lost and an estimated $7.9 billion in annual costs to businesses and the health care system.  The good news is there are a variety of steps we can take – including specific nutritional support – that can help with the treatment and prevention of allergies. For the most part, these consist of compounds known to help manage the body’s natural inflammatory response, as well as
provide antioxidant defense.

Vitamin C – This essential nutrient has been shown to balance histamine levels at 1,000 mg daily.  Vitamin C has the ability to decrease the sensitivity and reactivity of our airways to histamines giving it a double-punch of allergy fighting power.

Fish Oil – Omega 3 fatty acids provide many benefits to the body, including inflammation control. Fish oils help to reduce the inflammation that leads to lower respiratory problems, and can also be helpful for dry eye symptoms that accompany seasonal allergies.

Turmeric – This natural anti-inflammatory helps reduce inflammation in airways that occurs during allergy season. Turmeric has been proven clinically to boost the immune system and strengthen its resistance to common allergies.

Pycnogenol® – This pine bark extract has been shown to lower the sensitivity level for triggering an immune response.  Pycnogenol has been shown in human clinical studies to block histamine release and thus decrease these allergic response symptoms.

Vitamin D – An organic chemical compound, vitamin D plays an important role in immune response and deficiencies have been linked to seasonal allergies. Studies have shown people who consume vitamin D while suffering from seasonal allergies experience less problem with sneezing, nasal congestion and runny noses.

Vitamin E – A powerful antioxidant source, vitamin E plays a critical role in preventing and combating seasonal allergies. Vitamin E acts as an anti-inflammatory by inhibiting the formation of molecules in the immune system that contribute to inflammation.  People with high levels of vitamin E have fewer occurrences of nasal symptoms and are less vulnerable to allergies.

Many of us know the symptoms and discomfort caused by seasonal allergies all too well.  If you have allergies, there are plenty of medications to choose from.  However, you may not want to take products that affect you with negative side effects.  Easy steps such as doing a little extra cleaning around the house and introducing nutritional support into your daily routine can go a long way towards managing seasonal allergies and allow you to enjoy the beauty and excitement of Spring.