Did you know that there is an alternative to relying solely on allergy medications? The good news is that this alternative isn’t as strenuous as tearing out carpeting or giving your bedroom an overhaul. What is this miracle cure, you ask? – the answer is food! It’s amazing how what you eat can have a substantial impact on your allergies.

 

According to Andrew Weil, MD, director of the Program in Integrative Medicine and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson: “Diet is easier to work with, and it can influence immune reactiveness profoundly." Not only can a few simply changes in your usual meals improve your allergies, it may also help prevent new ones from developing.

Of course, diet should only be one consideration in your allergy treatment, but here’s what you can expect from making a few minor changes to the way you eat:

 

Apples:  Eating 5 apples a week can increase your lung function. This is because of the amount of quercetin found in apples—quercetin works as a natural anti-histamine. Quercetin can also be found in parsley, tea, tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce and wine.

Canola Oil:  Omega-3 fatty acids are heavy duty allergy fighters that fight inflammation. Other sources for Omega-3 are soybean oil, flaxseed oil, walnuts and wheat germ. 

Salmon:  Another tasty source of Omega-3 fatty acid. These cold-water fish are packed with Omega-3 as well—mackerel, anchovies, herring, salmon, sardines, lake trout, Atlantic sturgeon, and tuna.

Fresh Spinach:  Magnesium is a big player in the diets of those who have allergies. Typically people with allergies are consistently magnesium deficient. Other sources—navy beans, pinto beans, sunflower seeds, tofu, halibut, cashews, artichokes and black-eyed peas.

Olive Oil:  Use olive oil as your main source of fat.

Spices:  Ginger and turmeric have anti-inflammatory qualities which can help to naturally alleviate allergy symptoms to make you more comfortable.

Yogurt:  Foods that contain high amounts of zinc are especially helpful to those who have asthma, because usually asthmatics are zinc-deficient. Other source of zinc are tofu, lean ground beef, lean ham, oysters, crab, and the dark meat of turkey and chicken.