Foods That Help Alleviate Seasonal Allergies and Boost Your Immune System During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Seasonal allergies can leave us drained and drippy, with their symptoms ranging from sneezing, having a runny nose, watery eyes, to more severe issues like headaches, shortage of breath, and wheezing. Seasonal allergies end up getting triggered by seasonal changes, such as in spring, when the pollen from local trees makes people react allergically to it, or in the summer when grass cutting starts to trigger hay fever. Among avoidances such as keeping our windows shut and limiting our time outdoors, we can include a dietary measure to alleviate seasonal allergies. These foods will not cure your seasonal allergies. However, they are anti-allergenic foods that can help mitigate the miseries of seasonal allergies.  And they have the added benefit of helping to boost your immune system in general, which is doubly important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Of course, if you are allergic or sensitive to any of these foods, please avoid them.  Or call us to get treated for them.

 

Anti-Allergenic Foods

1. Ginger 

One of the prime reasons for the symptoms of allergies is inflammation in the eyes, throat, mouth, and nasal passages. Ginger, besides having dozens of health benefits, also helps in alleviating inflammatory symptoms, including allergy symptoms.  Ginger, other than being an anti-allergenic food, has also been used effectively in treating stomach issues, nausea, joint pain, muscle pain, and is effective at improving your blood sugar.

Ginger contains anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory chemicals that give it its healing characteristics. Furthermore, new studies show that ginger is good for treating seasonal allergies by reducing the production of pro-inflammatory proteins in the blood.

You can include ginger in your diet by way of ginger tea, baked items, ginger-infused candies and curries, and even stir-fried ginger with potato fries.

 

2. Bee Pollen

Bee pollen is edible and contains a lot of nutrients, enzymes, and minerals as well as honey, nectar, and flower pollen. It is a very potent treatment for hay fever symptoms. It’s not just for bees. Humans consume it in numerous ways, such as by mixing it into yogurt, sprinkling it on cereal, blending it into a shake, or eating it raw.

There are many advantages of bee pollen, the most notable being its anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties, which serve to fight inflammation, fungi, and microbes, respectively. There are herbal benefits to consuming bee pollen in addition to its anti-allergy effects. Since bee pollen is rich in honey and nutrients, people eat it with their food for an energy boost throughout the day. It’s much healthier than energy drinks.  By grinding and mashing it into a fine powder, you can even use it as an alternative to sugar for your tea and beverages.

A word of caution about the internet sites that tout the anti-viral benefits of bee pollen during this COVID-19 pandemic.  Bee pollen is not a cure for COVID-19.

 

3. Citrus Fruits and Berries

Although there’s no evidence that vitamin C prevents the common cold, there is plenty of evidence that it alleviates the symptoms of a cold and reduces the duration of a cold. There are many other benefits of vitamin C present in citrus fruits and berries for people suffering from seasonal allergies. The possibilities of food combinations for citrus fruits are endless. You can eat them raw, or make a smoothie with them, toss them in a salad, or even use their juice to mix in your cooking. Some examples of health-benefiting fruits are oranges, grapefruits, berries, sweet peppers, limes, and lemons. The presence of vitamin C in these fruits is effective in decreasing allergic rhinitis. Rhinitis is the inflammation and irritation of your respiratory tract caused by allergenic agents such as pollen or molds or dust, especially in spring and summer.

 

4. Turmeric

If you like Indian food, you know about turmeric.  Turmeric belongs to the same category of foods as the ones mentioned above since it is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent. The main ingredient of turmeric is curcumin, which reduces inflammation and inflammation-induced illnesses. Curcumin also minimizes and reduces the effects of rhinitis.  Current research shows that turmeric is also effective in reducing other allergy symptoms.

You can get turmeric in many forms, including pills. If you don’t want to take pills, you can infuse it in your tea, or take a tincture. If drinking it or taking pills is not for you, then just use it as an herb when cooking. It adds a unique flavor to your food, and if combined with black pepper, it enhances that flavor even more. Also, black pepper, when mixed with turmeric, serves to catalyze curcumin consumption in the body.

 

5. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are another excellent source of vitamin C. In addition to vitamin C, tomatoes contain other antioxidants that serve to fight inflammation. As you know, there are too many ways to count that you can use tomatoes.   Just remember, it’s great anti-allergenic food.

 

6. Salmon

The omega-3 fatty acids present in salmon and other oily fish bolsters our body’s resistance to allergies. It improves our stamina, provides us with an energy boost, and reduces the risk of allergies. Another amazing benefit of eating fish is the opening of airways that are blocked in seasonal allergy-induced asthma. The fatty acids present in salmon contain other anti-inflammatory properties as well.

 

7. Onions

Onions are rich in quercetin. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid. It acts as an antihistamine. It is sold as a supplement for this purpose. Onions also contain other anti-inflammatory and antioxidant chemicals that help prevent and alleviate allergies.

Using onions in dips, salads, sandwiches, and as sides are popular ways to eat them as part of your diet. Keep in mind, though, that cooking an onion lowers its quercetin count, so eating it raw would be a better option for you.

 

In addition to the above mentioned anti-allergenic foods, you should consider eating kiwis, pineapples, kefir, honey, broccoli, mushrooms, apples, potatoes, and kale. All these foods have the necessary chemical agents in them to help reduce your summer and springtime allergies, leaving you to enjoy the weather without worries. Besides, all these foods have excellent nutritional values on their own, so eating them is going to not only help you with your seasonal allergies but they’ll also help make you healthier in general.  And during this COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a good time to take your health seriously.

 

If you suffer from food allergies, and you have been unsuccessful with allergy treatments or are looking for something different, St. Louis Allergy Relief Center treats allergies holistically without the use of pain or pills. We are an allergy wellness center specializing in natural treatments. We specialize in holistic, natural allergy treatments using Advanced Allergy Therapeutics (AAT). We provide you with a detailed treatment plan after completing a comprehensive assessment to determine environmental stressors that may be triggering allergies or allergy-like symptoms. Visit our website https://stlouisallergyrelief.com/ to learn more or call us at 314-384-9304.