ALLERGIES
The Most Important Secrets
You Must Learn
In Order to Look and Feel Great
Some People Suffer From Seasonal Allergies, Some People Suffer From Allergies All Year Long – What Ever the Case May Be – We Can Help
“Learn how to get rid or prevent allergies from entering your life – the natural way”
Did You Know…?
Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to a normally harmless substance, such as pollen. Although there are many, different types of allergies, including food and skin allergies, allergic rhinitis (allergies to airborne particles). Pollen allergies are medically known as hay fever. Approximately 20 percent of North Americans are affected by hay fever but the overall percentage of people who suffer from any type of allergy is extremely high.
How do you know if you suffer from allergies?
If you suffer from allergies, you probably suffer from one or more of the symptoms below…
· runny nose, nasal congestion
· sneezing
· itchy, watery eyes, nose or throat
· coughing
· skin itching or rash
· fatigue
Allergy symptoms can range from mild to severe. The above symptoms are generally considered mild. Although it often begins with itching of the eyes or face, within minutes it can progress to such severe swelling that makes it difficult to breathe and swallow. Abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment.
How your diet can affect your allergies
The foods you eat can boost your immune system and prevent symptoms. A Japanese study assessed the possible protective effect of the traditional Japanese diet on allergies. They looked at 1002 Japanese pregnant women, and found that calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus were associated with a decreased prevalence of allergies. The typical North American diet tends to be lower in magnesium and calcium. By increasing your magnesium and phosphorus intake, making sure you get enough of calcium in your diet you can improve your allergy condition significantly.
People with allergies may also have sensitivity to certain foods. For example, several studies have found that people allergic to grass pollens also react to tomatoes, peanuts, wheat, apple, carrot, celery, peach, melon, eggs and pork. To find out which foods aggravate symptoms of allergies in a particular individual, an elimination-and-challenge diet is recommended. This diet involves the removal of suspected foods from the diet for at least a week followed by systematic re-introduction of those foods in order to isolate the foods that may aggravate certain symptoms. It should be done under the guidance of a health professional.
How herbals and vitamin supplements can help
- Vitamin C - stops histamine and can decrease the severity of your allergies
- Magnesium - has helped relieve bronchospasm, or constricted airways in the lungs. It has even helped people with asthma
· Vitamin A - because these nutrients play important roles in the health of mucous membranes, your body's internal skin If you have healthy mucous membranes, your chances of having significant allergy problems will be less.
- Bromelain - is an enzyme found naturally in the stem of the pineapple plant. When taken with food, bromelain aids digestion. Precautions: If it is taken with water between meals on an empty stomach (one hour prior to or two hours after a meal), bromelain is believed to have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can help to decrease mucus and other allergy symptoms.
- Nettle Leaf (Urtica dioica) - also called stinging nettles, are a popular remedy for allergies. This herb is believed to have an anti-inflammatory effect. In a double blind, randomized study of 69 people, 58 percent rated a nettle extract effective in relieving symptoms after one week. In addition, 48 percent found it equally or more effective than previous medicine.
- Quercetin - is a compound found naturally in vegetables, such as onions and berries. People with allergies may benefit from quercetin because it has been found to inhibit the release of histamine and reduce inflammation. Quercetin is believed to work by stabilizing cell membranes so they are less reactive to allergens.
- Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) - A randomized, double-blind study, 330 hay fever patients at 11 clinics in Switzerland and Germany received either a tablet of butterbur herbal extract three times a day (providing a total of 8 mg of the active petasine a day), the antihistamine Allegra once a day, or a placebo. The researchers found that the butterbur was as effective as the antihistamine at relieving sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, and other hay fever symptoms.
How acupuncture can help
A German study published in the journal Allergy found that acupuncture may an effective and safe option for people with seasonal allergies. Patients in the study were randomly assigned to two groups. One group received a semi-standardized treatment of acupuncture once a week and a Chinese herbal tea three times a day and the other, control, group received acupuncture needles that weren't really in acupuncture points and a non-specific Chinese herbal formula. Patients who received the acupuncture and herbal treatment noticed an 85 percent improvement on a global assessment of change scale compared to 40 percent in the control group. They also noticed a significant improvement in the quality of life questionnaire.
