Over the last few weeks friends, family and clients have suffered with blocked or runny noses, itchy eyes and scratchy throats and lots and lots of sneezing!
These are all symptoms often associated with hay fever, which, in some areas was particularly bad last week.
Hay fever is a common allergic condition, which can occur seasonally. You might start noticing symptoms in March when the tree pollen season starts. Then there’s the grass pollen season which we are now in, followed by the weed pollen season, which can go on into September.
Most of us know about histamine through antihistamine drugs that relieve our suffering from allergies to pollen, insect bites, and even foods.
Histamine is a molecule released by immune cells in the circulation and in tissues as part of an immune response and is essential for us to function properly and fight off invading toxins.
But when histamine accumulates faster than we can break it down, it triggers inflammation in dreaded patterns of histamine intolerance unique to each person and episode. High histamine may be caused by poor detoxification of histamine or high histamine loading from diet.
So, could changing what you eat can have an impact on the severity of your symptoms?
Some foods will make the symptoms of hay fever worse, so try to cut these out or reduce them during hay fever season.
Foods containing high levels of histamine can intensify symptoms. These include chocolate (sorry about that!), bacon, salamis, tomatoes, aubergines, spinach and many fermented foods like vinegar, sauerkraut, yoghurt, kefir, miso, soy sauce, and canned fish.
There are also foods that, while they are not high in histamine themselves, can trigger your cells to release histamine, we call them histamine liberators. These include strawberries, bananas, citrus fruits and egg whites.
Foods containing wheat – like bread and pasta, cakes and pastries – can also be problematic for people with grass pollen allergies.
Dairy products like milk and cheese stimulate the body to produce more mucus, making blocked noses or ears much worse. Matured cheeses also tend to contain high levels of histamine.
Sugar, causes your body to produce more histamine and can further exacerbate your symptoms.
Other foods are naturally anti-inflammatory, so you’ll want to ensure you’re getting plenty of these in your diet:
* Quercetin is an antioxidant found in many fruit and vegetables, namely apples. It possesses anti-inflammatory properties and is a natural anti-histamine, other sources include: onions, garlic, goji berries, asparagus, all berry fruits, kale, okra, peppers, plums and red grapes.
* Bromelain is a protein-digesting enzyme derived from pineapples, mostly the stem/core. It has anti-inflammatory and immune balancing properties, directly acting on immune cells.
* Vitamin C supports histamine detoxification, aiding with clearing it from the body. Foods rich in vitamin C include: blackcurrants, blueberries, peppers, kale, collard leaves, broccoli, kiwis, mango, courgettes, and cauliflower
* Beta carotene, as precursor to vitamin A, helps to support your immune system: sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, red and yellow peppers, apricots, peas, broccoli, dark leafy greens like kale, and romaine lettuce.
* Essential fats, such as omega-3 also help to reduce inflammation and are involved in the production of anti-inflammatory immune molecules. These can be found in foods such as oily fish (e.g. salmon), freshly ground flaxseeds and walnuts.
* Nettle has the ability to block histamine activity, and relieve inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and ease nasal congestion, sneezing and itching. Best enjoyed as a tea though!
* Local honey may also be helpful because, although it contains trace elements of pollen, over time it may help your body become more familiar with the pollen entering your system and reduce the inflammatory response it makes.
Keeping well hydrated is of course helpful for all aspects of health. Drink plenty of water as it thins the mucous membranes and reduces that ‘blocked up’ feeling. Herbal teas are also helpful:
* Green tea is packed full of antioxidants, which are helpful for the immune system generally. It has also been proven to block one of the receptors involved in immune responses.
* Ginger tea has been shown to help reduce allergic reactions by lowering your body’s IgE levels (the antibody involved in the specific immune reaction associated with hayfever).
Oh, I forgot to mention that alcohol (sorry, again!), and specifically wine and beer, is rich in histamine which will inflame your symptoms further, however, there is a bright side……Gin is low in histamine and sulphites, so let us go and enjoy a G&T! I'm taking mine with mint and cucumber of course!!
