Spring is here! That means longer, brighter, warmer days—and a whole bunch of pollen to stir up those allergies and make life miserable when it could be beautiful. Most people turn to over-the-counter antihistamines to alleviate discomfort until they need something stronger. Conventional doctors prescribe more powerful drugs to mask symptoms, but these drugs have a multitude of significant negative side effects. Fortunately, there are natural ways to block histamine, support your immune system, and make you feel better.
Here are four simple steps you can take to alleviate allergies this spring–and year round.
1. Take a potent daily multivitamin to ensure you are getting adequate antioxidant and mineral support. You may also want to consider adding extra magnesium (for a total of 500-1,000 mg) and vitamin C (up to 5,000 mg), both of which are natural antihistamines. Additionally, antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium have been shown to decrease sensitivity to potential allergens. I recommend 300-400 IU vitamin E and 200 mcg selenium daily.
2. Minimize exposure to airborne allergens. The most common offenders are dander from household pets, dust, pollen, mold, smoke, and strong odors. Easy ways to do this include installing an air purifier with a HEPA filter, cleaning your house thoroughly and removing as many carpets and rugs as possible, and encasing your mattress and pillows in hypoallergenic materials. You should also wash your bedding at least once a week.
3. Drink 8, eight-ounce glasses of water daily and 12 per day during allergy season. When your body’s water stores are low, histamine production increases in an attempt to preserve existing water supplies. These elevated histamine levels increase your allergic symptoms. Drinking adequate amounts of water will result in reduced production of histamine and fewer symptoms.
4. Try these targeted natural therapies.
- Quercetin and bromelain: 100-250 mg of each, between meals, two to three times a day. Quercetin, a bioflavonoid, combats allergies and inflammation and inhibits the release of histamine and other inflammatory compounds. Absorption can be improved by combining it with an equal amount of bromelain, an enzyme that is also an excellent anti-inflammatory agent.
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an amino acid that has been used in Europe since 1963 to treat asthma and allergies. It liquefies mucus in air passages and increases the production of glutathione, an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals. I recommend 400-500 mg daily.
- Stinging nettle, or “itch weed,” actually blocks the formation of inflammatory compounds in your airways. Take 200-400 mg per day, in divided doses.
I hope you find this information useful. If you have other natural solutions for tackling allergies, feel free to post them in the comments section below.
