Immunity Boosters for Allergies

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If your sneezes and sniffles come with the seasons, now’s the time to prepare your body for spring and summer time allergies – using natural methods that support your immune system.

Do yourself a favor and set a goal of skipping your use of Zyrtec and other decongestants and antihistamines. These drugs can cause high blood pressure, insomnia, irritability and rebound congestion. Try my allergy fighters and you’ll feel much better.

But first and foremost, I recommend drinking 8-10 glasses of clean water daily. I know it sounds simple, but this step is your No. 1 defense against allergies! Water lowers the concentration of histamines in the cells. Have your first glass of room temperature water as soon as you get up in the morning.

Pollen Preparation Plan

Start taking these products four to six weeks before allergy season begins in your part of the country. Continue taking them right through the peak of pollen season.

1. The Defensive Herbs: Try a regimen of two weeks of the herb Echinacea followed by two weeks of the herb astragalus. Take two dropperfuls of the tincture in water or two capsules, three times daily. For Echinacea, Gaia’s fresh extract tincture, Echinacea Supreme (1 oz., $13.99), is my top choice. Zand also makes a tincture (2oz. for 15.69). Nature’s Way makes Echinacea capsules (60 for $11.29). Take each herb for two weeks on, then two weeks off so your body stays sensitive to them. For astragalus, look for the tincture made by Gaia (1 oz. for $9.99), Zand tincture (2 oz. for $13.39), or Nature’s Way capsules (30 for $9.99).
2. Additional Antioxidant Power: Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant flavonoid (from buckwheat, citrus or eucalyptus) that is effective in preventing allergy symptoms. You can take it alone, made by Jarrow (500 mg) 100 capsules for $30.99. Doctor’s Best makes it combined with bromelain (250 mg quercetin and 125 mg bromelain), 90 capsules for $17.39. If you’re allergic to pineapple, steer clear of bromelain because it comes from pineapple. TwinLab makes a quercetin-vitamin C combination (250 mg quercetin and 700 mg vitamin C), 50 capsules for $15.99. All of these products are good. Take 500 mg to 1,000 mg of quercetin, 30 minutes before eating.
3. Garlic! The more we study and research garlic, the better it looks. Garlic is a potent antioxidant, keeping cells healthy, intact, and running smoothly. If you like the taste, make it a part of your daily diet, cooked or raw. Or take it in capsule form: Kyolic, 100 capsules for $12.49 or Garlicin by Nature’s Way, 90 tablets for $13.49.

I hope you’ll try my natural allergy fighters. With a little help, you can make it through the allergy season without drugging yourself every day.