You are here: Q&A->
Page 63->Vegetable antihistamines
Vegetable antihistamines
I suffer badly from hayfever every spring and wondered which vegetables, if any, would work as natural antihistamines in the body. Can you suggest which plants and herbs I should be growing to help alleviate my symptoms?
Hay Fever or allergic rhinitis - is a reaction of the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and airways to seasonal pollens and other everyday allergens, including dust, feathers, animal hairs and environmental pollutants. When this happens, the body releases large numbers of antibodies to fight the perceived allergen but these antibodies also produce the histamine that causes swelling and irritation to the body’s own tissues.
As a sufferer, the best harvest you can plan from your garden should include fruits, vegetables and herbs that are rich in two nutrients - vitamin C and a bioflavanoid called quercetin. (Bioflavanoids are the substances that give fruits and vegetables their rich colours and these two nutrients are synergistic which means they enhance the action of each other in the body.)
Vitamin C not only supports the immune system, but helps the body defend itself against the consequences of having too much histamine released. It can also help reduce the release of histamine. In a study by scientists at the Arizona State University, researchers gave allergy sufferers, including patients with hayfever, increasing doses of vitamin C, starting with 500mg daily and increasing to 2,000 mg per day over a period of six weeks. They found that by the time the higher levels of vitamin C were reached, volunteers’ histamine levels had dropped by 40%.
Quercetin helps stabilise the cell membranes of those cells that would otherwise discharge their supply of histamine into the surrounding blood and tissue when there is an allergic attack. A natural antihistamine which will work in the body to specifically reduce any allergic inflammation of the nasal passages, the bronchial airways and the throat, it is found in red and yellow onions, shallots, squash, courgettes and broccoli so your vegetable patch should include all these.
You may not fancy nettles in your garden but the humble stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is not only a hotbed of herbal pharmacological activity but one of the most effective remedies for hayfever. It contains both vitamins C and K, as well as immune-boosting proteins and an anti-inflammatory agent called scopoletin that will counter the action of the body’s histamine discharge.
A strong immune system should help protect from allergic reactions, including hayfever and Echinacea, which has become the best-selling immune-boosting herb in both Europe and America, can easily be grown in herb gardens here. With its vivid pink petals and spikey centre it is a stunning addition to even the smallest garden and is easy to harvest and make into your own home-grown herbal tincture.
*If growing your own is too much trouble, Country Life’s Aller-Max formulation includes stinging nettles, bromelain, quercetin, vitamin C, grapeseed extract and vitamin A. The latter works to maintain the membrane surfaces of the body. 50 capsules cost £11.95. Take 2 a day. If you cannot find this at your local health store, mail order from Revital (0800-252875).