The Best and Worst Drinks for Allergies

IIf you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may notice that certain drinks can make your symptoms worse or better. And there are some indications that there are potential nutritional links to seasonal allergies, their onset and the prevalence of symptoms, so it’s not all in your clogged head.

“In general, moisturizing drinks that offer anti-inflammatory benefits will benefit your body, reduce allergy symptoms and boost the immune system during the allergy period,” says GN Hultin, a registered nutritionist and author of RDN. Anti-Inflammatory Diet Preparation Meal and Cookbook How to eat to defeat diseases.

The same goes for some foods. “This is because our bodies tend to confuse the proteins found in certain foods, such as pollen,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN, a registered nutritionist and author. The cookbook for all the easy pre-diabetes.

How to know if you have seasonal allergies

“One of the most common symptoms of seasonal allergies is what is called ‘allergic rhinitis’, or basically, sneezing and runny nose or a stuffy nose,” says Hultin. “However, other common symptoms include itching, swelling, watery eyes and, for some, chest tightness and coughing or wheezing.” You may also experience headache and fatigue.

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The best drinks to relieve the symptoms of seasonal allergies

Nettle tea

Nettles are a natural remedy for allergic rhinitis. “There is evidence that nettles can help reduce inflammation and even alleviate allergy symptoms, in particular,” says Hultin.

Nettle tea looks like green tea thanks to its earthy, grassy notes. If it is very mild, add a little manuka honey, which is antimicrobial in nature and can offer further immune boosting benefits.

Kombucha

“Some research shows that probiotics help improve the quality of life during the allergy period, and although there is much more to find out why this happens and how to give better probiotics, fermented beverages such as kombucha offer a natural source of these healthy gut. bacteria, “says Hultin.

Here is a video about kombucha in case you are curious:

Lavender tea

“Used as an herbal remedy for hundreds of years, lavender tea is commonly used as a relaxing agent to relieve and combat stress, as well as improve sleep,” says Hultin. These three benefits are welcome all year round, of course – however, they should definitely be given priority during the allergy period, when congestion can affect the quality of your zzzs.

Green tea

“Green tea is another beverage that has been shown to have antihistamine properties to help relieve the symptoms of seasonal allergies,” says Harris-Pincus. In addition: “Quercetin, an antioxidant found in green tea, helps prevent immune responses in people with pollen, animal hair or dust allergies,” he adds.

Rose tea

“Offering a rich source of vitamin C, the rose also contains immune-boosting properties,” says Hultin. Get this — just one cup of rose tea provides 540 mg of vitamin C, or about seven times the recommended daily allowance for women.

In addition, “research shows that rose, and therefore rose tea, may be a supportive addition to those with seasonal allergies,” says Hultin, as a result of the rose’s high antioxidant content. Antioxidants help fight inflammation in the body and provide protection against damage caused by free radicals and oxidative stress, as well as from illness and disease – which also includes worsening of seasonal allergy symptoms.

Lemon water or lemonade

“Foods high in vitamin C help support the immune system and reduce the symptoms of seasonal allergies, so you may want to generously squeeze lemon juice in hot or cold water or make a healthy, homemade lotion using fresh lemonade.” lemons, as a refreshing way. “to increase your hydration and get extra benefits from vitamin C right away,” says Harris-Pincus.

The worst drinks if you are struggling with allergies

Beer

The beer has been fermented, just like the kombucha, but while the kombucha contains probiotics, the beer unfortunately does not. In fact, “beer can aggravate seasonal allergies due to its high content of histamine, which is produced by bacteria and yeast during the fermentation process,” says Harris-Pincus. “Studies show that beer worsens allergy symptoms, so it is best to avoid it if you have seasonal allergies,” adds Hultin.

Wine

“Wine has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of many allergy symptoms, such as sneezing, congestion or runny nose, itching, redness of the skin, headache and asthma,” says Harris-Pincus. Histamines are guilty again here. “There are really very specific studies that show that red and white wine is a trigger, especially for women,” adds Hultin.

The researchers found that people who drank wine had higher rates of common allergy symptoms, such as nasal congestion and discharge, sneezing and other respiratory problems. “This study links the highest incidence of allergy symptoms and respiratory disorders, especially to the consumption of red and white wine,” adds Hultin.

Bloody Mary

A favorite and basic brunch, Bloody Marys (also known as spicy tomato juice that is spicy with vodka), may taste great when you fall that morning after a long night out, but you may regret it a little later when the your allergy symptoms.

Both alcohol and spicy foods can irritate and aggravate seasonal allergies, so a spicy (or even mild) Bloody Mary is not the best drink of your choice when you want to better manage allergy symptoms.

“When injected with black pepper or hot peppers, it will mimic the symptoms of allergies and lead to increased skin irritation and runny nose,” explains Hultin.

Sweet drinks

Any kind of sweet drink that is heavy in the use of sweetener can worsen the symptoms of allergy. “Although there is not such a clear link between excessive sugar intake and the severity of allergies, it has been shown that high intake of added sugars can cause low-grade, chronic inflammation,” says Hultin.

Anything you can do during the allergy period to soothe the inflammation can relieve the symptoms.

Hilton advises women to reduce their intake of added sugar to no more than 24 grams a day, “while the average man should not consume more than 36 grams a day,” she says.

Take it away

Consuming moisturizing drinks high in antioxidants, such as tea and vitamins, such as lemon water, can help relieve the symptoms of seasonal allergies.

In the meantime, reduce your consumption if alcohol and sugary drinks can prevent your symptoms from getting worse. Well done on that.

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