PUBLISHED 08/16/2006
While prescription and over-the-counter remedies help treat allergies and asthma, these natural approaches can also be effective.
Anti-inflammatory diet: Fried foods and refined carbohydrates prompt the body to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals that can exacerbate allergies, according to a Brigham and Women's Hospital study. Eating Omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon, flaxseed, and walnuts) helps quell that response. A study of nearly 600 adults at the Technical University of Munich in Germany showed those with high levels of alpha-linoleic acid (a fatty acid the body converts to Omega-3s) had reduced hay-fever symptoms.
Petasin: Found in the leaves of the butterbur shrub, petasin inhibits the production of histamines released after allergen exposure. Research by clinics in Switzerland and Germany suggests that petasin-based tablets (available at health-food stores) may be as effective in alleviating hay-fever symptoms as over-the-counter allergy medications.
Honey: Many allergy-sufferers claim that eating raw, unpasteurized honey produced at local hives can help desensitize you to the pollen at the root of your allergies (start at a teaspoon per day). In addition, propolis, a resin-like substance collected by bees to build honeycombs, has mild antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties.
Yoga: A study from Khon Kaen University in Thailand found that respiratory function improved in people who completed yoga sessions focusing on chest-opening postures.
