Each year over 6,000 people in England are admitted to hospital with allergy-related ailments. Over a quarter of these patients are suffering from anaphylaxis - a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction involving breathing difficulties. Allergic reactions are caused by substances in the environment known as allergens, of which the most common are pollen from trees and grasses, house dust mites, wasps, bees and food such as milk and eggs. The lack of effective advice about allergies is part of the problem - which manifests itself as a huge strain on the NHS.
Allergic reactions are all inflammatory states. If your diet feeds your body’s inflammatory state, the worse your allergy symptoms will be. And if you eat anti-inflammatory foods, you’ll help calm symptoms down. So cut down on alcohol, smoking, coffee, sugar, white bread and junk food which all encourage inflammation. Instead eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds with several servings of oily fish a week – as these are packed with anti-inflammatory Omega-3 oils.
Hay fever sufferers should try a wheat and dairy-free diet for a few months to see if their symptoms improve. Pollen, wheat and milk all originally come from grass. It may be that some hay fever sufferers become sensitive to proteins that are common to grains, grasses and possibly milk. If you suffer from hay fever or other allergies and have irregular or irritated bowel movements, consider taking a probiotic supplement such as Acidophilus Plus+. Researchers in Finland have linked high levels of good gut bacteria to a reduced risk of allergies. These bacteria also strengthen and balance your overall immunity, which is vital for allergy sufferers. Large amounts of Vitamin C, a natural anti-histamine, are useful too – researchers in Italy found hay fever sufferers who took 2000mg daily, had less congestion and wheezing than those who didn’t.
The complete version of this article can be found in our Health Articles library (dated 3rd June 2007): http://www.justvitamins.co.uk/HealthArticles/Default.aspx
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