Mild Winters and Early Spring Allergies

Spring allergies are usually something we don’t worry about until around April, but with the extended warm temperatures we've been having, it's been speculated that it will mean that people will experience seasonal allergy symptoms much earlier.

Researchers also say that mild winters can make allergy season last longer. Additionally, drier weather in early spring can actually make allergies worse, since there's less rain to clean pollen out of the air.

The best way to help spring allergy symptoms naturally is to begin treating them before allergy symptoms start, or at least before they get severe.

We have several great supplements to help with allergy symptoms, but a big customer favorite for allergies is our raw local honey. We saved some of the spring honey from last year for spring allergy season this year, since that light colored honey is a rare honey that has only a limited supply since it's from the bee's first harvest of spring flowers and trees. All raw local honey can be helpful for allergies, but the spring honey may people find to be the most effective.

Stop by the store to pick up a jar while supplies last. We have plenty of the late summer local honey harvest, but a much smaller quantity of the spring honey from last year, so stop in to pick up a jar while you can.

One supplement we would especially recommend for allergy symptoms is quercetin, an antioxidant found in certain fruits and vegetables. It's beneficial for respiratory health in general, but is great for allergy symptoms because quercetin works to reduce inflammation in the respiratory system and can also help with reducing the body's overproduction of histamine in response to allergy triggers.

For the best results in people with spring allergies, we'd recommend starting to take quercetin now, before allergy symptoms start. Quercetin has also been researched with impressive results against a variety of different respiratory viruses, with studies showing that quercetin may help to prevent viruses from being able to enter and infect cells as well as slowing viral replication, so it's also a good supplement to take to help stay healthy during this time when it seems like many people are still fighting a variety of different viruses. We have an extensive selection of quercetin at the store, but we'd recommend using a liposomal quercetin if possible (I wrote about quercetin in our newsletter last month) since it is significantly better absorbed.

Stinging nettle is another natural antihistamine that works well for allergy sufferers, without the drowsiness and other side effects common to over-the-counter antihistamines. We have a great supplement at the store by Mt. Angel that has both quercetin and nettle that's a favorite for seasonal allergies.

A neti pot can also be helpful to help wash pollen and other irritants from the sinuses. Stop by the store if you have any questions and so we can help you to find the right products to help this allergy season.

Natural Help for Spring Allergies

We all love spring, but along with the world coming to life, the beautiful buds and blooms beginning to open can cause allergy problems for many.

For people who have problems with spring allergies, it's actually an inflammatory immune response to the tiny grains of pollen that are being released by everything bursting into bloom. With seasonal allergies, your body actually sees that harmless pollen as a damaging invader, causing immune inflammation and the symptoms we all hate: itchy, watery eyes and a stuffed, runny nose. Your body is actually trying to protect you, it’s just a little misguided.

For many people, it's hard to tell the difference to figure out if its allergies or a cold, though unfortunately allergies usually last a lot longer than cold symptoms.

Most people turn to over the counter medications for allergies, but those medications often come with side effects and many people find their effectiveness can wane over time.

Thankfully, there are natural products that can really help with allergies, without the side effects of conventional medications. One great supplement for allergies is quercetin. Quercetin has become much more well known in the past couple years, since it's great for the immune system and has potent antiviral properties.

Quercetin is great for allergies since research has shown its ability to help modulate the immune system and calm down the body’s overactive response to seasonal allergens like pollen. It also reduces histamine levels naturally- histamine is the chemical in the body responsible for symptoms like runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and more. Quercetin is especially effective since it inhibits numerous anti-allergenic and inflammatory processes in response to allergens, not just histamine.

The anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties of quercetin have been shown in numerous studies, finding that quercetin has a significant inhibitory effect on histamine release. One study found that quercetin affected histamine release by 95% to 97%! Quercetin has also been shown to benefit asthma and allergic asthma since it works in part to help relax swollen airways.

For allergies, a typical dose that most people see benefit from is 500mg of quercetin twice daily. We have capsules by Solaray in that dosage that are on sale at Pass Health Foods. Quercetin is a plant pigment found in citrus and other foods and has a great safety profile.

Another (delicious) remedy for allergies is local honey. We have many customers who’ve seen great results from eating small amounts of local honey each day, for both kids and adults. Our honey is sourced from local beekeeping families and we do have a limited quantity of honey harvested last spring  that we’ve been saving for allergy season. All of our local honey is great, but the spring harvested honey we especially recommend for allergies since the spring honey was made from the spring pollen from blooms in our area, the exact pollen that causes spring allergies.

Happy spring!

Healthy Q & A: Allergies

Q:  I have horrible, horrible allergies.  I am basically miserable going outside, which is terrible.  Is there anything that can help?  I hate drugging myself with over the counter stuff.

A:  Allergies can be awful, and as pretty as the buds and flowers opening can be, it can make many people miserable.  Thankfully, there are several things which can make a big difference in allergy symptoms.

The first thing I’d recommend is something to irrigate and rinse out the sinuses.  The most commonly known thing for doing so is a neti pot, which basically looks like a small teapot.  Neti pots are wonderful, though we have a newer product for rinsing out the sinuses, called Nasopure, which is even easier to use to rinse pollen, pollutants, and excess mucus from the sinuses.  Here’s a quick video on how to use it.  It can even be used by children.

Next, there are two supplements which can really help with allergy symptoms, stinging nettle and quercetin, both of which work as natural antihistimes.  Quercetin, a potent antioxidant closely related to vitamin C, works to inhibit the release of histamine while also boosting the immune system.  Quercetin is often combined with the pineapple enzyme bromelain, which increases its effectiveness.  The other natural allergy remedy I’d recommend is stinging nettle capsules, which help to reduce sinus inflammation.  We do have one product at the store which combines all of the above, called Quercetin Nettle Plus by Mt. Angel.  It’s a really fantastic combination, which helps to relieve symptoms and get you through spring with a minimum of suffering!

There are also some lifestyle changes which can make a difference in allergy symptoms: keeping windows closed, changing clothes and bathing frequently, washing bedding.  Here is a great article with simple tips to get through allergy season a little easier.

Healthy Q & A: Seasonal Allergies

Q:

For me it seems like allergy season started last weekend.  I’ve had it for years and dread it.  I think I blew my nose 500 times yesterday.  I usually take over the counter allergy medicine, but I feel like it can’t be good to take that forever.  What would you recommend for allergies that really works?

A:

Seasonal allergies can be awful, it can seem almost like you have a never-ending cold.  Medicating yourself for weeks on end is not ideal however.  Thankfully, there are a number of effective ways to help ease allergy symptoms.

The first thing I’d mention is a neti pot, a small ceramic container that looks like a teapot.  It’s wonderful for cleaning out the sinuses on a daily basis.  You fill it up with room temperature filtered water with a bit of salt to make a saline solution, and then use the neti pot to flush water in one nostril and out the other.  It sounds really odd, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a wonderful way to keep your sinuses free of allergens (it’s also great for colds and sinus problems in general).  This is a video on how to use a neti pot if my description is somewhat lacking.

Quercetin is a bioflavanoid which is great for allergy season.  It prevents the body from releasing histamine (the cause of your runny nose and watery eyes).  1,000mg per day between meals is a good dosage to start with.  Stinging nettle is another natural antihistamine that works well for allergy sufferers, without the drowsiness and other side effects common to over the counter antihistamines.

Another impressive natural antihistamine which has had positive recent research is butterbur.  In one recent Swiss study, butterbur extract was found to be as effective as the active ingredient in Zirtec (a popular seasonal allergy drug), without the side effects.

A product we especially recommend for allergies is Jarrow’s AllerTame.  It contains both butterbur and quercetin as well as omega 3 fatty acids and rosemary to help with reducing inflammation.  I’d definitely recommend giving it a try this allergy season.