Nettle Tea for Allergy Relief

Tags

allergy, allergy relief, congestion, hay fever, herbal tea, herbs, natural antihistamines, nettle plant, nettle tea

In my past entry, I mentioned foods that can help against allergy symptoms, but I didn’t mention the benefit of nettle tea for allergies.

nettle

The stinging nettle plant might be a thing to avoid during your hike, but they are a welcome sight for allergy sufferers when brewed as a tea. As a natural antihistamine, nettle helps against hay fever and allergy attacks by blocking the histamines in your body that are responsible for your allergy symptoms. Best, is that nettle tea has a pleasant sweetness that makes it enjoyable served cold and hot.

Brewing Directions: (serves one)

• Place one heaped teaspoon of dried Nettle leaves and add boiling water.
• Steep for 5 minutes, and enjoy.

NOTE: Many teas are heavily sprayed with pesticides which can worsen your allergies, so be sure to buy organic nettle leaf teas.

-NZ

Minimize Allergies with Your Diet

Tags

allergy, allergy relief, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, diet, fermented foods, foods, healthy eating, herbal, omega 3 fatty acids, probiotic, vitamin c, vitamin D

Spring time is not always a welcome time for those who are suffering from seasonal allergies. With allergy season now in full bloom, I want to take this opportunity to talk about how foods can help to relieve some of the allergy symptoms.

Below are 3 key food components that can help to make this allergy season more tolerable.

1. Studies have shown that probiotics can help to control allergy symptoms by regulating the immune system within the gut. This helps to control inflammation and lessen allergy symptoms. Probiotics can come from eating fermented foods and natural yogurt. Check out my fermented food entry for food suggestions.
2. Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and have shown to fight against the immune aggravation associated with allergies. Research shows omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines in your body, responsible for causing allergy symptoms. Foods rich in omega-3s include fish, egg yolk and krill oil.
3. Antioxidants, especially vitamin C, can help to minimize many seasonal allergy symptoms. Try to incorporate kale, tomatoes, berries and other foods high in vitamin C to help against congestion and inflammation. It is important to note that some allergy sufferers might have cross-sensitivity to foods as well. Be cautious of food allergies, especially if you have pollen and/or grass sensitivity.

Getting adequate vitamin D is also crucial for managing allergy symptoms, especially for those who have asthma. The best way to get vitamin D is through the sun, but vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplements might be necessary depending on where you live.

-NZ