Seasonal allergies: 5 natural remedies to keep smiling
Runny nose, itchy eyes, itchy throat... during seasonal allergies, your body can be on red alert. Here are 5 home remedies that will help you keep smiling even when pollen are everywhere!
A nettle and peppermint herbal tea
Nettle is not an immediately engaging plant but it is nevertheless one of the most incredible plants that can both relieve the pain of arthritis, help fight insomnia and, of course, fight seasonal allergies.
Peppermint, on the other hand, contains rosmarinic acid (a natural polyphenol antioxidant found in many Lamiaceae herbs used commonly as culinary herbs such as lemon balm, rosemary, oregano, sage, etc.) which has been shown to reduce allergy symptoms, such as sneezing and runny nose and can help inhibit the activity and secretion of enzymes such as histamine that causes the inflammatory response when in contact with allergens.
The homemade recipe: put 1 teaspoon of dried mint or 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint and 1 teaspoon of dried nettle leaves in a cup. Cover with boiling water and let it infuse for 15 minutes. Drink this tea twice a day.
Fresh citrus juice
This drink extremely rich in vitamin C will help you provide energy to your immune system, especially stressed when it is in contact with allergens. In addition, vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine and can block the white blood cells from secreting too much histamine.
The homemade recipe: squeeze the juice of half a lemon and 2 oranges. Refrigerate for a few hours. Before drinking this citrus juice, add 1/2 to a full teaspoon of organic honey produced in your area. This will help you strengthen your immunity against pollens that your nasal mucous membranes will cross path with in the coming weeks.
Onion juice
As unappetizing as it may seem, onion juice is an effective remedy to fight against allergic rhinitis (moreover in homeopathy the remedy Allium cepa used for runny noses is derived from the onion). The onion is indeed made up of sulfur compounds with anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in vitamin C, whose virtues have just been praised above.
The homemade recipe: slice a red onion and infuse in a liter of mineral water for 8 to 12 hours. The drink can be stored for four days in the refrigerator: drink it once or twice a day. If the taste puts you off, you can add up to a ½ teaspoon of honey to each glass.
An apple-nut snack
This mixture of fresh and dried fruits will allow you to relieve the symptoms of allergy. Rich in magnesium, nuts help reduce bouts of coughing or wheezing and their vitamin E content protects your body from reacting to allergens. Apples (like onions) contain quercetin, a flavonoid that reduces histamine production (thus decreasing allergic reactions).
The homemade recipe: chop a handful of nuts and cut the apple into small pieces. Place everything in an airtight box and shake well. In times of allergy, this small snack will advantageously replace the 11am cookie or the 5pm chocolate bar.
Ginger tea or ginger & lemon concoction
For thousands of years, ginger has been used as a natural remedy for a number of health problems, like nausea and joint pain. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, which means it reduces swelling and also contains anti-oxidative compounds. A 2016 animal study showed ginger suppressed production of certain cytokines that cause mast cell activation, thereby leading to prevention and alleviation of allergic rhinitis symptoms.
The homemade recipe: Grate a thumb size of ginger and place in a saucepan with one lemon or lime sliced and 500 mls of filtered water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Add either a pinch of salt or some honey for taste and let it cool down. Strain and keep in a bottle or jar in the fridge and drink a glass daily, using a straw if needed as it can be too much on the teeth enamel. This concoction is also an effective natural home remedy for colon cleanse. For ginger tea, simply infuse fresh pieces of ginger in hot water and drink.
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