Natural Allergy Remedies

Why use natural allergy remedies instead of OTC products? Both over-the-counter and prescription allergy drugs come with a host of side effects that pose serious health risks. You may have experienced some of them, including:

1. blood pressure elevated
2. constipation
3. drowsiness
4. dry mouth
5. erectile dysfunction
6. heartbeat becomes rapid or irregular
7. kidney damage
8. liver damage
9. memory (short-term) loss
10. muscle spasms
11. thinking becomes foggy
12. urine retention
13. vision blurred

There are many natural allergy remedies that can help to relieve coughing, itching, sneezing and congestion by controlling histamine levels and/or battling the effects of inflammation. These include:

Bromelain from pineapple tree roots counters inflammation and helps absorption of quercetin.

Burdock root and seeds help soothe mucous membranes and thus is also good to treat colds and sore throats.

Capsicum stimulates circulation and is high in vitamin C and quercetin.

Greens (green leafy vegetables) contain large amounts of magnesium, which is a natural inflammation fighter and are also loaded with nutrients.

Marshmallow root relieves irritated mucous membranes and helps expel excess mucus.

Quercetin is found in apples, various berries, broccoli, squash, some nuts and seeds and, notably, in the leaves of faba beans. Quercetin is especially important as it targets the cells that make histamine. Studies have shown that it helps prevent allergies before they start; can stop allergic reactions, and works very quickly. (Middleton, E. et al "Quercetin: an inhibitor of antigen-induced human basophil histamine release." Journal of Immunology. 1981. 127:546-50.)

Stinging nettle helps prevent the release of histamines and is a very useful herb for many purposes.

Vitamin C is abundant in many fruits and vegetables. Acerola cherry has much more than an orange and is an excellent natural antihistamine. Vitamin C boosts the immune system and is a potent natural antihistamine affecting its production and speeding the breakdown on histamine already in circulation. It has been shown that taking two grams of vitamin C per day lowered histamine levels by 38% in healthy adults in just one week. (Johnston, C. et al "Antihistamine effect of supplemental ascorbic acid and neutrophil chemotaxis." Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 1992. II(2):172-76.)

White Pine (or pine bark) is a powerful antioxidant which eases congestion and stimulates circulation.

LeafGreens^TM deserves special mention in case you are looking for a supplement to help battle the symptoms of allergies. LeafGreens is a concentrated mix of high-quality greens and a powerful supplement that provides high amounts of natural quercetin and has many other key ingredients as well.

Other Notes:
Avoid anything that tends to increase inflammation as this will only worsen allergies and asthma. Processed foods, many medications and environmental pollutants often contain chemicals that cause inflammation.

In addition to food and pollen allergies, many people have an allergic reaction to sunscreens. There are better ways to protect from the sun, that avoid allergic reactions and other problems associated with sunscreens.