Herbal Docs - Treating Seasonal Allergies with Food 🤧🌿 Summer Supplement Challenge Update
Learn what foods offer the best protection against summer allergies. Can local honey prevent allergic disease? An update on our supplement challenge.
Seasonal Allergies - Natures Best Antihistamines 🍍
Summer solstice is only one day away, which means from tomorrow the days will be getting shorter. But we do still have the majority of summer left and if like me, hay-fever and summer allergies cause you problems, keep reading!
Most of us take antihistamines bought from the local chemist e.g Loratadine, Cetirizine, Fexofenadine… but these come with the effects of drowsiness which can impact our performance throughout the day. I challenged myself to look for natures best antihistamines, which we can add to our diets to limit the effect of allergic disease.
You can watch the video here 👇
The transcript is written below.
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Must Know Anti-Allergic Foods
Pineapple 🍍
Full of immune boosting vitamin C, the fruits true allergy powerhouse is the enzyme bromelain. It fights respiratory distress and mucosal irritation brought on by pollen an other seasonal allergies.
Stinging Nettle 🌿
It works by reducing histamine and preventing mast cells releasing pro-inflammatory cells that cause symptoms of hay-fever. Nettle tea is surprisingly refreshing and easy to make. Freeze dried nettle extract at 500mg is the dose used in clinical studies.
Quercetin Sources 🍅🫐🍏
In short, pollen exposure in the nose and throat causes a series of reaction which release IgE. This is responsible for the itching, runny nose and mucus secretion in hayfever. Skin on fruits like cherry tomatoes, blueberries and apples are the tastiest seasonal sources of quercetin which is proven to reduce iGE in allergic disease.
Is Local Honey a Seasonal Allergy Treatment? 🍯
There’s a rumour circulating that eating a teaspoon of locally produced honey will limit the effect of seasonal allergies. The theory is that local bees collect local pollen. By regularly ingesting the local pollen you build a resistance to it, therefore dampening down the immune response to pollen. This by proxy would reduce the severity of hay-fever or season allergies.
Sounds good right?
Many people I asked on TikTok said this treatment worked for them. This is great, finding relief from hayfever without resorting to medication is a fantastic outcome. The issue I have with this theory is that local bees collect local flower pollen. They do not collect pollen from weeds, tress and grasses which cause the majority of seasonal allergies. It simply doesn’t stack up to me.
If you find relief from seasonal allergies by ingesting local honey, please comment on the post! I would be interested to hear your thoughts 💭
Summer Supplement Challenge 💯
Haris & I challenged ourselves a few months ago to create a supplement. We asked you all to fill out our survey to create a name for the brand. We can officially announce our brand name is:
Thank you all who voted in our survey! 👏
I asked a few months ago what is one area of your life you would like to improve. The most popular answers were:
inflammation & gut health
focus & concentration ✅
energy levels & fatigue ✅
immunity & resilience
We want to create as supplement specifically designed to meet your needs. Herb + will combine the benefits of medicinal plants, functional mushrooms and vitamins & minerals - everything missing from modern day health care. All into one healthy holistic bottle.
Energy Blend Ingredients 🚀
Next week, I will shortlist the ingredients which I feel are essential for any energy boosting supplement. There are several core vitamins & minerals which should be included in any product designed to combat fatigue. In addition, I will review a few medicinal plants & functional mushrooms which leave us feeling invigorated and ready to spring out of bed. These will be the secret sauce for the Herb + energy blend.
Until Next Week,
Dr Adam Sayedi
The Herbal Docs