An allergy is an inappropriate response by your body's immune system to a normally benign substance. Almost any substance can cause an allergic reaction, and allergy symptoms may include nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, itching, shortness of breath, fatigue, hives, headaches and skin rash. Clinical studies have found that certain supplements can help to prevent or reduce allergy symptoms. As always, you should talk to your health-care practitioner before taking any new supplement.
Butterbur
Allergic rhinitis, also referred to as hay fever, is an allergic inflammation of the nasal airways resulting in symptoms such as nasal congestion, and itchy nose, throat and/or eyes, sneezing and watery eyes. Petasites hybridus, commonly referred to as butterbur, is an herbal supplement that the June 2002 edition of "International Immunopharmacology" examined for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. After five days of treatment, the patients experienced a marked reduction in nasal inflammation and reported a notable improvement in symptoms and quality of life. The study found that butterbur helps to treat allergic rhinitis by reducing the production of histamine, which is an inflammatory neurotransmitter that is responsible for many allergy symptoms.
Guduchi
Tinospora cordifolia, commonly referred to as guduchi, is another useful herbal supplement for the management of allergy symptoms. The January 2005 edition of "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" assessed the effects of an extract of guduchi on allergies, in an eight week placebo-controlled study. The patients were given 300 mg of the extract, three times daily, and at the end of the study, they reported a significant reduction in allergy-related sneezing, nasal itching, nasal discharge and nasal obstruction.
Probiotics
Probiotics are supplements that provide your gut with beneficial bacteria. Phyllis Balch, CNC, and James Balch, MD, state in their book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" that probiotics may help to manage allergies by promoting immune system health. Probiotics also aid in digestion and may therefore be beneficial for the management of food-induced allergies, which often result from improperly digested large food particles being absorbed into your bloodstream. In addition, the November 2005 edition of "The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society" journal reports that giving probiotics to newborns has been found to prevent allergies later in life. Probiotics also appear to help manage allergy symptoms such as atopic eczema, which is an allergic skin condition, and cow's milk allergy in infants and children up to the age of 13.
Additional Supplements
According to "Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database," preliminary clinical research suggests that pycnogenol, phleum pratense and thymus extract supplements may help to treat hay fever. Thymus extract may also help to treat food allergies. In addition, astragalus, capsicum, stinging nettle and vitamin C may help to manage allergy symptoms; however, more research needs to be done to confirm the efficacy of these supplements for the treatment of allergies.
References
- "Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database"; Therapeutic Research Faculty; 2011
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A Balch, CNC, and James F. Balch, MD; 2003
- "International Immunopharmacology"; Anti-Inflammatory Activity of an Extract of Petasites Hybridus in Allergic Rhinitis; Thomet OA et al; June 2002
- "Journal of Ethnopharmacology"; Efficacy of Tinospora Cordifolia in Allergic Rhinitis; Badar VA et al; January 2005
- "The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society"; Probiotics and Allergy; Furrie E et al; November 2005
