It’s been the week of sneezing and runny noses in my part of the world. No it’s not a summer cold, it’s the dreaded hayfever. The plane trees in London are dispatching their torpedo pollen that gets everywhere, up the nose, in the eyes, even in the throat. It’s really quite nasty, making the mistake of rubbing your eyes can be detrimental to your day.
Hayfever is a reaction to pollen of grass, plants or trees, the membranes of the nose and eyes become inflamed and itchy causing a number of symptoms including puffy skin around the eye area, breathing problems, constant runny noses and sneezing.
The traditional treatment is with anti-histamines tablets, nasal sprays or homeopathic remedies, but none seem to eradicate it completely.
With the on-set of increased stress and poor diet, the body’s natural defences are ill-equipped to deal with the battering of the pollen onslaught; increased pollution levels also can have a detrimental effect on the body’s ability to fight – it’s protective response? Inflammation. However, there are a number of things you can do diet-wise to help build your body’s natural defences and support it in the fight against this summer’s buzz-kill.
Grains
As a food group, we only started eating grains 10,000 years ago, and our bodies have not evolved enough to digest them as well as vegetation and meat. Reducing the amount of dietary grains, especially wheat, has been found to help alleviate hayfever symptoms. Individuals who suffer most may have developed a sensitivity to gluten through cow’s or breast milk they were fed when young.
If you eat a lot of grains, start by replacing them for two weeks and see if you notice any difference to your symptoms:
For example:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs & spinach or mixed berry smoothie
Lunch: Beetroot, feta and lentil salad or vegetable and chickpea soup
Dinner: Roast chicken and steamed vegetables or grilled halloumi and asparagus
Vitamin C
A natural anti-histamine found by US study by Arizona State University to reduce hayfever symptoms by up to 40% when administered in doses up to 2,000mg over six weeks.
Pack your diet with a variety of vegetables and fruit, much easier in the summer with salads. You want to have as many different colours on your plate as possible to maximize the array of phyto-nutrients available.
Supplement with 1,000mg of mixed ascorbate vitamin C up to 3x per day can be beneficial. I recommend Emergen-C which comes in handy sachets, better than Berroca – just add water.
Quercetin
Increase the anti-histamine affect of vitamin C by combining it with Quercetin, a bioflavonoid found in onions, kale, broccoli, squash and courgettes. Medical herbalists recommend supplementing with a 500mg capsule of quercetin twice a day, 20 minutes before eating.
Fish Oils
Fish oils contain anti-inflammatory properties so increasing the amount of fish you eat may help to alleviate symptoms. Eating fish, unfortunately not of the fried kind, three times a week can help re-balance your immune system. A supplement may be useful here – choose a brand such as Eskimo 3 or Nordic Naturals, two excellent products that are rigourously tested for purity.
Tips to Keep a Healthy Gut
Keeping your gut healthy has a two-fold benefit i) it keeps potential allergens out of the blood stream and ii) increases the amount of nutrients absorbed from our food.
Reduce Mucus-forming Foods: Dairy, grains and bananas increase the amount of mucous the body produces making it harder for the body to absorb nutrients.
Keep hydrated: water makes up a large part of stomach acid which is essential for good digestion. Drink a glass of plan water 20 mins before eating.
Chew well: chewing is the first stage of digestion and signals to the stomach to prepare for food. Chew for 30-40 times or until your mouthful is liquid.
Take a probiotic: Good gut bacteria = a healthy gut = increased absorption. Taking two capsules of a probiotic supplement such as Biokult in the evening before you sleep can help support the immune system and fight off the infiltration of pollens into the blood stream.
Food for thought: Fennel and Jerusalem artichoke contain inulin which helps feed good bacteria. Shave the vegetables or slice thinly into a dish, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil, and freshly ground pepper. A perfect summer salad.
Image by R.K. Richardson