Natural Home Remedies for Allergies, Asthma, + Histamine
April and May tend to be very windy in Albania and as a result a lot of heavy dust is thrown around. A friend in Greece once told me it is a version of African dust and is very hard on the body. The other day we came home and my lungs hurt and my eyes were burning and it made me have extra compassion on those who struggle with seasonal allergies and then have to deal with this heavy dust on top of that experience. On that day when my eyes were itchy and lungs were tight, I knew I needed to soothe my histamine response and help my body, so I brewed some Nettle tea and topped it with some raw honey and felt so much better after I drank it. Nettle is so beneficial for allergies and it is a herb a lot of people know about. So I was inspired to write this post and I wanted to include some helpful alternatives I have seen be tremendously helpful in myself and in clients! Please keep in mind that while these supplements help tremendously, they are not focused on treating the root cause of allergies + asthma.
Before I give you some recommendations, I wanted to briefly touch on allergies. Our God designed immune system is created to be a surveillance system. Part of it's design is to surveil and protect the body. Ideally we want it to remain in surveillance mode. But sometimes an alarm can be set off in the body by the protein found in a particular type of pollen. As a result, because it is intelligence, it will develop antibodies to these “foreign invaders."
When it comes to "antibodies" it is almost as if the body is creating a list of most wanted criminal to watch out for. Exposure to them then causes mast cells to release histamine, triggering swelling of mucus membranes and the flow of mucus. Despite the discomfort, our God designed immune system has our survival in mind and it' really does have our best interests at heart. Mucus for example can flush unwanted substances out of the body and protects delicate tissue.
With that in mind, here are a few helpful supplements:
Stinging Nettle Leaf
Natural Antihistamine
You can drink it as a loose leaf herbal tea like I do or purchase it in pill form.
Butterbur
This is a helpful antihistamine + also helpful with allergy related migraines
Boswellia
This is clinically shown to be effective in reducing asthma symptoms in 70% of those studied (The recommend dose is 300mg, 3x/day but please check with your doctor).
This is also a great alternative to NSAIDs, especially in those with arthritis (and particularly potent in combination with curcumin)
Quercetin:
Quercetin biochemically is a flavonol that is found in apples and onions in particular, as well as other foods. It actually suppresses the release of histamine from mast cells. It is helpful for calming the immune system.
Here are some helpful supplement options with the herbs I mentioned. Some of them are individual herbs and some are combos. I typically recommend purchasing supplements off of Fullscript vs Amazon because Fullscript takes measures to ensure the quality of their supplements.
More on Stinging nettle
Stinging Nettle is an herb I have seen work really well in clients with seasonal allergies.
It has been shown to be a helpful antihistamine because it makes histamine receptors less sensitive (PMID: 19140159).
It pairs well with quercetin for a synergistic effect.
More on Butterbur
Butterbur has actually been formally studied and found to be as effective as Zyrtec.
It's God designed properties make it an anti-spasmodic remedy.
Phytochemicals in butterbur relax swollen nasal membranes and alleviate muscle spasms in the respiratory system.
Short-term use (3-4 mos) is generally regarded as quite safe; long-term use has not been studied.
Butterbur is not suitable for pregnant or breast-feeding women (or for very young children less than six years of age).
More on Quercetin:
Quercetin is natural extract from plant foods like onions, apples, berries, buckwheat, and citrus fruit, quercetin is technically a flavonol.
It is a natural anti-histamine without the side effects of many medications!
It works by calming the immune system to reduce or prevent histamine release.
Quercetin is also being researched for circulation and cardiovascular health too, as it’s been shown to increase blood flow via artery dilation promoting the release of nitric oxide. It should be used cautiously in those those already taking blood thinners (e.g. Coumadin, Plavix, or daily aspirin). Always ask your doc before trying anything you read on the internet, this is not medical advice.
There you have it!
There are many paths to take when it comes to addressing the roots of asthma and allergies. I will share those in an upcoming post!
