Natural Remedies for Hayfever: A Nutritionist’s Top Tips
Achoo! Ah-chooh! If you suffer from seasonal allergies, these nutritionist-approved natural remedies for hayfever may be exactly what you need.
Back in April, I shared a post on how to prep for allergy season – supporting histamine-releasing cells, strengthening immunity and reducing inflammation. But sometimes, we just can’t get ahead of our hayfever symptoms. If that’s you, here’s a follow-up packed with practical advice. Here’s my nutritionist-approved guide to natural remedies for hayfever to help keep your sniffles, itches and sneezes at bay.
How to Use Natural Remedies for Hayfever
TIP 1: Increase Your Intake of Symptom-Soothing Nutrients
Quercetin
A plant flavonol from the polyphenol family, quercetin is a go-to for hayfever sufferers. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and natural antihistamine properties. Quercetin helps stabilise mast cells, reducing the release of histamine into your system.
- Increase quercetin in your diet, by eating apples, onions, sage and parsley and other quercetin-rich foods like green tea, blueberries, kale and broccoli.
- Quercetin supplements are also a natural remedy foor hayfever. They typically contain 300–500mg per capsule and can be taken 2 to 3 times a day during allergy season.
Vitamin C
This powerful antioxidant is also a natural antihistamine, thanks to its ability to break down histamine molecules in the blood. In one study, a 2g dose of L-ascorbic acid reduced histamine levels by 40%. [1]
To boost vitamin C from food, focus on fresh or frozen vegetables and fruit like:
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Kiwi
- Oranges
- Strawberries and raspberries
Vitamin D
The link between vitamin D and hayfever is still being researched, but we know this fat-soluble vitamin supports the immune system.
If you’re in the UK, you’re likely low on vitamin D unless you supplement. Public Health England recommends everyone take 400 IU daily year-round. You may need more if your levels are particularly low.
Luffa (Loofah)
Luffa-based sprays and tinctures are popular natural remedies for hayfever, especially for nasal and eye symptoms.
Studies show Luffa Nasal Spray offers “distinct improvement” for 6 in 10 hayfever sufferers, and “some improvement” for 3 in 10. Look for multi-use options and use them several times a day to relieve sneezing, runny noses, and itchy eyes.
TIP 2: Focus on Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Eating anti-inflammatory foods can help calm the immune system and reduce your response to allergens. Try these swaps:
- Switch caffeine: Replace coffee and black tea with green, turmeric, nettle or white tea.
- Ditch dairy: Swap cow’s or goat’s milk for plant-based alternatives like oat, almond or coconut milk, yoghurt, and cheese.
- Spice it up: Choose gingery or spicy meals over creamy ones—ginger and chilli are natural decongestants.
- Cut refined sugar: Opt for naturally sweet fruits instead.
- Add colourful whole foods: Include a daily portion of seed oils, avocado, berries, and richly coloured veg like pumpkin, squash, sweet potato and carrots.
TIP 3: Beware of Unexpected Triggers
High Histamine Foods
Certain foods naturally contain or trigger histamine release, which may aggravate hayfever symptoms. If you’re flaring up, try reducing:
- Strawberries
- Citrus fruits
- Chocolate
- Red wine
- Aged cheese
- Sauerkraut
- Tinned or smoked fish
Pollen-Food Cross Reactions (Oral Allergy Syndrome)
Allergic to birch, alder, ragweed or grass pollen? You may react to certain foods due to cross-reactivity.
Common examples of cross reactions between plant pollen and food include:
- Alder pollen: apples, celery, cherries, hazelnuts, strawberries
- Birch pollen: apples, carrots, celery, coriander, peaches, pears, plums
- Grass pollen: melons, tomatoes, oranges, wheat, rye, oats
- Mugwort pollen: peppers, carrots, fennel, parsley, celery
- Ragweed pollen: bananas, cucumber, courgettes, melon, sunflower seeds
If you notice tingling lips or an itchy throat after eating certain raw fruits or veg, you may be experiencing Oral Allergy Syndrome. Cooking the food usually resolves the issue.
The Bottom Line
Supplements might help for energy, even if you eat well.
In an ideal world, your daily meals would meet all your nutritional needs. But the reality is more complex. Our food is grown in nutrient-depleted soils, processed more heavily and often prepared in ways that strip away essential nutrients. Add in the demands of modern life – and your individual needs – and it’s easy to see why so many of us fall short.
That’s why, if you’re regularly dealing with energy dips, it may be worth looking beyond the myth of the “perfectly balanced diet.”
Targeted supplements for improving your energy.
This quick review covered 7 key nutrients that support your body’s natural energy-production engines.
Have you tried any of these supplements – or are you thinking about it?
Leave a comment below and let me know what’s worked for you, or what you’re curious to try!
Ariz Acharki at Unsplash
[2] Wu et al (2015) Low population selenium status is associated with increased prevalence of thyroid disease
A drizzle of olive oil can be a revolutionary act. Healthy doesn’t have to mean hard.
TIP 1. UP YOUR INTAKE OF HAYFEVER SYMPTOM-SOOTHING NUTRIENTS
QUERCETIN
A plant flavonol from the family of polyphenols, quercetin is high on the list for hayfever sufferers. With anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy and anti-oxidant actions in the body, quercetin works in many arenas.
A primary action of flavonoid polyphenols is to diminish inflammatory processes. In fact, quercetin-rich foods like green tea, blueberries, kale and broccoli are renowned for their positive health benefits. You’ll find quercetin in apples, onions, sage, parsley and red wine too.
It’s also a natural anti-histamine. Quercetin stablizes cells, reducing the release of histamine into the system. Supplements provide between 300-500mg per capsule, and are typically taken 2 to 3 times a day.
VITAMIN C
Another natural anti-histamine, vitamin C complements quercetin, and you’ll often find them together in supplements.
You probably know of this water-soluble vitamin as a potent anti-oxidant. But it achieves anti-histamine status due to its ability to destroy histamine’s molecular structure, effectively decreasing the amount of histamine in the blood. In one study, supplementing 2g of L-ascorbic acid lowered histamine levels by 40%.
Eating more fresh or frozen, and fewer processed foods, will dramatically increase your dietary vitamin C. Choose from tomatoes, brocolli, kiwi, oranges, strawberries, raspberries and peppers.
VITAMIN D
In recent years, the potential role of vitamin D in hayfever has been under investigation. While the effect of this fat-soluble vitamin on the cells of the immune system is clear, the link to hayfever is slightly more murky, and more research is needed. But, come on. If you live in the UK where the sun hardly shines, you gain automatic entry into the vitamin-D-deficiency club. Unless you supplement. Public Health England recommends everyone has 400iu daily, all year round. If your need is higher, I suggest you supplement more.
LUFFA – tincture, tablets and nasal spray
You’ll find many natural alternatives to sprays and eyedrops. Most will soothe irritated membranes, and help wash out pollen and dust, others are shown to be effective in both the eyes and nose.
For instance, studies on Luffa Nasal Spray report a ‘distinct improvement’ for 6 out of 10 hayfever sufferers, and ‘some improvement’ for 3 out of 10 sufferers. Not just for sneezing, congested or runny noses, but also for itchy eyes. Nasal sprays like these should be used several times a day.
TIP 2. FOCUS ON FOODS WHICH REDUCE INFLAMMATION
- Swap coffee and caffeinated drinks to green tea, turmeric tea, white tea and nettle tea
- Cut out cow’s and goat’s products and switch to plant mylk, yogurts and cheese
- Ditch creamy dishes for the spicy option – ginger and chilies are great decongestants
- Replace refined sugar with naturally sweeter fruit
- Have a daily portion of seed oils, avocado, berries and deep coloured root veg like pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes and carrots
TIP 3. BEWARE OF UNEXPECTED TRIGGERS
HIGH HISTAMINE FOODS These may trigger symptoms, so it may be worth cutting back on these foods for a couple of days at least. Culprits include strawberries and citrus fruit, chocolate, red wine and cheese, sauerkraut and fish that is smoked or from a can. ‘CROSS-REACTIONS’ It’s possible to react to foods if you have Oral Allergy Syndrome. Allergies to certain pollens can increase the likelihood of OAS. So if you’ve been tested and know what you’re allergic too, then you can keep an eye out for strange reactions to specific foods. Here’s a list from The Healthy House Ltd:- Alder pollen: almonds, apples, celery, cherries, hazel nuts, peaches, pears, parsley, strawberry, raspberry
- Birch pollen: almonds, apples, apricots, avocadoes, bananas, carrots, celery, cherries, chicory, coriander, fennel, fig, hazelnuts, kiwi fruit, nectarines, parsley, parsnip, peaches, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, prunes, soy, strawberries, wheat and potentially walnuts
- Grass pollen: fig, melons, tomatoes, oranges, (and wheat, rye and oats)
- Mugwort pollen: carrots, celery, coriander, fennel, parsley, peppers, sunflower
- Ragweed pollen: artichoke, banana, cantaloupe, chamomile tea, courgette, cucumber, dandelions, echinacea, green pepper, hibiscus, honey (if pollinated from wild flowers), honeydew melon, paprika, sunflower seeds/oil, watermelon
- Possible cross reactions with any of the above: berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc.), citrus (oranges, lemons etc.), grapes, mango, figs, peanut, pineapple, pomegranate, watermelon.