Suffer from spring allergies? Combat your runny nose and watery eyes with your diet – watch my segment on Breakfast Television here!
A study done in Crete (Mediterranean) found children have much less allergies due to Mediterranean diet, which includes: fruits and vegetables, bread and cereals (primarily whole grain), legumes and nuts. Olive oil serves as the principal source of fat.
Foods that help with spring allergies:
- Vegetables – antioxidants reduce symptoms
- Kids with asthma had lesser symptoms when they ate tomatoes, eggplant, cucumber, green beans, and zucchini.
- Reducing swelling in your airways by eating fruits and veggies high in vitamins C and E — such as spinach, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes.
- Stuffy and runny nose – foods with quercetin (antioxidant) can help – it’s found in onions, garlic, apples with skin, berries, red grapes and black tea, cauliflower, cabbage.
- Studies show Omega-3 fatty acids might lower your chances of getting allergies in the first place, especially at an early age – eating these foods once a week = 80% less hayfever. These foods include fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, fish oil supplements.
- Probiotics keeps your gut healthy (it’s where immune cells are to fight allergen)s. Live bacteria in yogurt, kefir and fermented products (miso). 2 cups yogurt daily = half histamine levels than those who drank milk.
- Foods rich in vitamin E and magnesium (immune booster) can lead to 30% less hay fever symptoms. These foods include nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit, dark chocolate.
Foods that worsen spring allergies:
- Skip foods high in histamines
- Alcohol – red wine
- Dairy = Milk /aged cheese – thickens mucus (have nut milk instead)
- Spicy foods – releases histamines – cayenne, hot peppers, hot sauce
- Pickled or fermented foods– natural occurring histamines during fermentation
- Smoked meats
- Shellfish
- Processed meals
- Artificial colours