The foods that may help your hay fever
Posted: 23rd June 2021 | Posted by Costa
The foods that may help your hay fever
For those suffering from hay fever, summer can be a miserable time. Instead of enjoying the sun, you’re constantly checking for updates on pollen levels. The constant disruptive symptoms can put us off wanting to do anything outdoors altogether.
But some studies have linked certain foods with helping to alleviate hay fever symptoms. Let’s look at some of the studies and see what they say. As always, talk to your doctor or allergy specialist first before making any big changes!
Vitamin C
Foods high in vitamin C have been shown to reduce symptoms of allergic rhinitis. So to combat that pesky pollen, it could be a good idea to load up on vitamin C. And you aren’t just limited to oranges. There are many foods high in vitamin C, including:
- Grapefruit
- Lemon
- Lime
- Peppers
- Strawberries
- Blackcurrants
- Broccoli
- Sprouts
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
Tomatoes aren’t just high in vitamin C; they also have plenty of lycopene. This is an antioxidant compound that gives food its red colour. As well as reducing allergy symptoms, lycopene may also help reduce the effects of asthma.
Anti-inflammatories
A runny nose and itchy eyes are the result of inflammation and swelling in the lining of your nose and the protective tissue of your eyes. So increasing your consumption of anti-inflammatories could help reduce your hay fever symptoms. Anti-inflammatory foods include:
- Tomatoes
- Leafy greens like kale and spinach
- Fatty fish like salmon, tuna and sardines
- Avocados
- Oranges
- Cherries
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Purple grapes
- Olive oil
- Pumpkin seed oil
- Flaxseed oil
- Turmeric
- Ginger
Probiotics
The gut is incredibly important to our overall health. In fact, around 70% of our immune system is housed in our guts. We can’t be healthy without a healthy gut. And probiotics have been proven to ease allergy symptoms in those with birch pollen allergy. So if you’re a sufferer, simply adding probiotics to your diet could help. Probiotic foods include:
- Kombucha
- Sauerkraut
- Pickles
- Miso
- Kefir
- Yoghurt
- Tempeh
- Kimchi
- Some types of cheese, including mozzarella, cheddar and gouda
We understand if hay fever season is driving you crazy. As well as potentially helping with your allergies, some of these are great options for a healthy diet. Before you do anything related to your allergies, talk with your doctor first.
Need help managing your allergy symptoms? London Allergy & Immunology Centre has a dedicated team of professionals who can help you regain control of your allergies. Call us now on 02031 433 449.