Allergies are one of the most common health conditions affecting millions of people around the world. For starters, an allergy is simply an immune response by the body to a substance to which it is allergic(intolerant). Dust, fur, pollen, and particular foods are some examples of substances that can trigger an allergy when they come into contact with the body’s immune system. This response can be damaging to a person’s health with various symptoms. Some symptoms include sneezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, having an itchy, blocked, or runny nose, as well as having itchy, red, watery eyes.
The good news is that allergies can be effectively treated naturally with food. Care to know some foods that can help with these damaging immune responses? If so, here are them:
Ginger
In a study carried out in 2016 to determine the effect of ginger on the pro-inflammatory proteins in the blood of mice, ginger inhibited the production of these proteins in the mice. This resulted in reduced allergy symptoms in these rodents. Ginger can help reduce many unpleasant allergy symptoms such as irritation and swelling in the eyes, nasal passages, as well as throat in hum an beings. It suppresses these symptoms naturally, using the anti-inflammatory, antioxidative phytochemical compounds found in it.
Citrus Fruits
Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, citrons, melons, strawberries, and tomatoes are all examples of citrus fruits. Notably, these fruits are rich in vitamin C, which has been shown to help alleviate some symptoms of allergies. One of these symptoms is the irritation of the upper respiratory tract linked to pollen. Furthermore, citrus fruits can be a good natural remedy for allergy-related conditions such as the common cold.
Salmon and Other Oily Fish
Oily fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout, and anchovy are high in a very important compound known as “Omega-3 fatty acids”. This compound has strong immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory characteristics, which can go a long way in alleviating allergy symptoms. After all, a weak immune system is a risk factor for allergies. On the other hand, inflammation is a common symptom in several forms of allergies. With that said, including oily fish in your diet can be a great way to battle many forms of allergies naturally without taking any drugs.
Onions
Onions are high in a substance known as “quercetin.” This bioflavonoid serves as a natural antihistamine with allergy-alleviating characteristics. The fact that these bulb vegetables also contain several other antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds makes them an effective remedy for allergy symptoms.
The best onions for allergies are red onions, white onions, followed by scallions. These onions boast the highest concentrations of quercetin. Having said that, the best way to benefit from onions if you suffer from any form of allergy is to consume them raw. Otherwise, cooking your onions subjects the bioflavonoid to heat, which consequently weakens its allergy-alleviating effects. Speaking of which, there are many ways in which you can consume your onions raw, including in salads and smoothies.
Turmeric
Turmeric has a positive effect on many symptoms of allergies, thanks to a special substance in it known as “curcumin.” This substance can help minimize the irritation as well as swelling caused by hay fever, a type of allergy that causes itchy, watery eyes, sneezing among other symptoms.
Sun Basket offers a flavor-rich, allergy-alleviating turmeric tonic recipe with a gentle spicy kick that’s easy to drink all day long. And if you prefer a turmeric-made main course to a tonic, Hello Fresh has got you covered with a warm and sunny-flavored ginger-turmeric tilapia with buttery coconut rice & green beans recipe. The two allergy-alleviating ingredients i.e ginger and turmeric in this recipe are sure to help relieve your allergy symptoms. Torn between the two meal delivery services? No worries, here’s an insightful differentiation about these services. I hope this helps you make a better decision.
Last but not least is Home Chef, which is a great alternative to the two online meal vendors above. This meal delivery service offers several mouthwatering, allergy-fighting recipes that contain turmeric as an ingredient. The smoky, spicy tandoori chicken with turmeric rice and cucumber plus tomato sambal is just one of them!
Kefir Milk or Kefir Water
For starters, kefir milk is a form of milk that’s fermented with a sour taste. A culture of bacteria and yeasts make it. These probiotics have strong characteristics that may help get rid of allergies. The difference between kefir milk and kefir water is that the former entails fermented milk while the latter consists of mainly of fermented sugar water with kefir grains
Wondering about where you can source kefir milk or kefir water? You need to wonder no more because these fermented drinks are readily available in supermarkets and local grocery stores. Alternatively, you may make your own milk or water at home, using the right recipes online. Speaking of which Hello Fresh offers an easy-to-follow recipe for making kefir water, which is certainly worth checking out.
Walnuts
Last but not least is walnuts as far as the list of the top seven best foods to help combat allergies goes. Walnuts can be a very healthy alternative to snacks with a significant benefit to people who suffer from allergies. That’s because these nuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids. As said earlier, these acids play an important role in alleviating allergy symptoms.
Final Thoughts
Allergies can cause significant discomfort with unpleasant symptoms like chest tightness, shortness of breath, having an itchy, blocked, or runny nose, or having itchy eyes. These symptoms can push someone to desperately look for a remedy that will provide immediate relief. The good news is that with the right foods like ginger, citrus fruits, oily fish, onions, turmeric, fermented milk or water, and walnuts, they can be suppressed and dominated effectively. With that said, it’s time to alleviate your allergy symptoms by consuming these foods more often.