Black cumin oil has an especially favorable effect with asthma, and calcium combined with vitamin C alleviates allergy symptoms and strengthens the immunity. Nettles leaves will help with allergic rhinitis, and probiotics will act preventively when fighting the allergies.
Allergy therapy is usually reduced to alleviating the symptoms, so the best strategy is strengthening the immune system with regular fruit, vegetable, bee product intake and balanced diet in general, also with avoiding stress, resting and healthy lifestyle.
One of the most common allergic difficulties that occur in spring is allergic rhinitis, that has a frequency of 1,4 up to 39,7 percent in various Western countries. For example, it has been discovered that frequency of allergic rhinitis has grown 4 times in England in the last 30 years. Here is the overview of the most popular food supplements for fighting against allergies.
Milk vetch (Astragalus membranaceus)
Astragalus has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine for general wellbeing of the organism and as an extremely powerful medium for strengthening the body. Astragalus helps against harmful influences from the environment by stimulating production and circulation of the immunological T-cells that represent one of the key lines of defending the organism from diseases.
For allergy symptoms occurence, researches have shown that medicinal plant Astragalus membranaceus is useful, especially for symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Black cumin oil
Black cumin oil (Nigella sativa) is a natural composition that is used for preventing and alleviating allergic reactions because it has an influence on the level of histamine. Researches have shown that it has an especially favorable effect on symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Moreover, some studies show that black cumin compositions are the ones to take when you have allergic rhinitis, especially in individuals which need the allergy medication to be avoided.
Green barley powder
Over the last 20 years, a team of scientists led by dr. Yoshihide Hagiwarom, has conducted a series of researches with which they have pointed to a certain antioxidative and detoxification power of green barley. Green barley juice contains abundance of chlorophyll, antioxidants, enzymes and numerous phytochemicals, substances that play an important role in the fight against free radicals and the detoxification of certain chemicals, such as pesticides and preservatives.
Green barley juice is a practical beverage that provides the body with an abundance of chlorophyll, and also contains beta-carotene, vitamins C, E, B1, B2, B3 and B6, amino acids, enzymes and minerals. With this well-known nutrients, green barley juice also contains less known, but extremely powerful molecules with antioxidative activity.
Namely, scientists from the University of California have identified a powerful antioxidant – superoxide dismutase and 2”-O-glycosyl izoviteksin (2 “-O-GIV) in green barley. It is considered that these molecules are responsible for superior effect of green barley on the human health.
Nettles leaves
Anti-inflammatory activity of nettle leaf in indicates that this medicinal plant may be useful for various kinds of allergic diseases. For example, one study, which involved 69 patients with allergic rhinitis showed that 600 mg of freeze-dried nettle leaf powder effectively alleviates the symptoms.
Even 58 percent of respondents said that the composition facilitated most of the symptoms, and 48 percent of respondents said they believe that formulation of nettle is more effective than OTC allergy medicine. However, it is necessary to conduct more researches to confirm the above action.
Calcium and vitamin C
For decades it has been recommended to take calcium in combination with vitamin C, which has a beneficial effect on the symptoms of allergies and the strengthening of immunity. Higher dosage formulations (1000 – 2000 mg / day) of vitamin C in a variety of studies have been successfully used in the eradication of the symptoms of certain allergies.
It was found that it lowers the level of histamine in the body, reduces the permeability of the cell wall and successfully fights foreign substances that enter the body. In addition, vitamin C reduces the risk of developing bronchial spasm pathways, making it a welcome adjuvant to relieve an asthma attack.
Due to the fact that in the allergic process effects of histamine leads to an increase in vascular permeability, it is useful to ingest calcium as well, because it reduces and normalizes this phenomenon precisely.
Quercetin
Quercetin is the bioflavonoid with strong antioxidative action, especially with respiratory allergies (allergic rhinitis). Quercetin is a natural antihistamine, that protects vitamin C and strengthens collagen. It has a strong affinity for mast cells and basophils – cells that play an important role in allergic reactions.
Quercetin stabilizes membranes of these cells, and thus prevents the inflammatory activity and the release of histamine. It is recommended to take relatively high doses – even up to 1000 – 2000 mg/day, which is almost impossible to achieve just by taking food, so it is necessary to take supplements. Even in extremely high concentrations no unwanted effects were noticed.
Probiotics
With daily intake of probiotics through fermented milk products and food supplements we act beneficially to the balance of intestinal microflora that has an important role in strengthening the immunity, being that 60 percent of the immune system cells is located in bowels.
Thanks to a complex interplay of good and bad bacteria in our intestines countless reactions take place every day, and favorable balance among the residents of our intestines may be violated by stress, fever, taking medications, especially antibiotics and wrong diet. Intestinal microflora has an important role in keeping a human being healthy, due to the impact of nutritive, immunological and physiological functions.
Imbalance of the intestinal microflora is related to increased risk of specific diseases so a significant interest is present for substances and microorganisms that have a favorable effect on growth and activity of useful bacteria in the digestive system.
According to studies, the benefit of taking a probiotic against allergy is manifested very early, in the womb already. One Finnish study shows that exposing of a mother and a child to probiotics stimulates development of the immune system of the child and so it has a role in allergy prevention.
The study involved women with allergies and pregnant women whose partners were suffering from allergies to look at the effect of probiotics in children with a higher risk because it is known that inheritance plays an important role in the development of allergies. Pregnant women have started taking probiotics in the 8th month of pregnancy, and their children had a 30 percent lower likelihood of atopic eczema, which is often an early manifestation of allergy.
Propolis
Propolis is a bee product that is in recent years tested more and more and applied in medicine. The solutions of propolis act antiviral, antibacterial and lightly anesthetic. Propolis, in a treatment of certain diseases and conditions, is usually applied with honey or other bee products.
Chemical composition of propolis has not been clarified completely yet, but it is known that it contains various resin and resin like things, balsams and essential oils, waxes, pollen, aromatic compounds, minerals, phytohormones … Also, the content of active ingredients in propolis varies significantly depending on the geographical origin, and therefore it is difficult to standardize.
Today we can probably say that there is no area of activity in which propolis has no role. Recognized and confirmed is its therapeutic aid in the treatment of allergies, asthma, arthritis, acne, bronchitis, burns, colds, dental problems and gum problems, eczema, gastrointestinal symptoms and even a multitude of others. In particular, its beneficial effects on the immune system should be noted and its strengthening the organism resilience.
Also, a clinical study in patients with mild to moderate asthma determined that propolis reduces the number of night seizures and significantly improves lung ventilatory functions.