Thanks to the seasonal change, we are once again entering another allergy season. Like many, you may suffer from seasonal sneezing, nasal congestion, sinus headache, weepy eyes, or post-nasal drip. Our immune system can react with alarm to the protein contained in pollen and develop antibodies to these “foreign invaders.” Exposure to them then causes your mast cells to release histamine, triggering swelling of mucus membranes and the flow of mucus. Despite your discomfort, your immune system really does have your best interest at heart! Mucus can flush unwanted substances out of the body and protects delicate tissue. The problem is that your immune system can get overwhelmed, especially if we are chronically stressed and/or not well-rested.
For relief from seasonal allergies, you might reach for an over-the-counter antihistamine and/or decongestant formula. But for many, these medications leave you feeling drugged, sleepy, or foggy-brained. They also can have other potent (but not often publicized) side effects such as dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, or making an enlarged prostate or a yeast infection worse.
Yes, there’s a natural solution that works! Give quercetin a try (pronounced kwehr’-suh-tin). A natural extract from plant foods like onions, apples, berries, buckwheat, and citrus fruit, quercetin is technically a flavanol. These polyphenols help to determine a plant’s color – in this case, a bright yellow. Quercetin is a natural antihistamine without the side effects of many medications! Quercetin calms the immune system to reduce or prevent histamine release. Many with chronic seasonal allergies or asthma have found great relief. Ideally (for best results) you begin using quercetin a month or so before your seasonal allergies typically tend to start flaring up.
In a supplement, quercetin is often combined with bromelain, an extract from pineapples that is a potent anti-inflammatory that also calms the immune system and increases the effectiveness of this anti-histamine. 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. This action creates greater tissue oxygenation, nutrient flow, and waste removal. For this reason, it may also improve symptoms of fatigue and malaise due to poor circulation.
