🌻Hay fever season: what's worth having in the supplement cupboard
Every year it catches people by surprise. The wind turns, the garden wakes up, and suddenly you are sneezing your way through September and October.
🌻The single most useful thing to know about hay fever is this: starting early works far better than trying to catch up. Two to three weeks before your usual season is the window.
Here is what is worth knowing about.
🌾Quercetin
A plant compound found in onions, apples and capers, and available as a supplement. It helps steady the cells that release histamine, which is why many people take it through the season rather than only on bad days.
🌾Vitamin C
Works alongside quercetin and is used up quickly when the body is dealing with an ongoing allergic response. Regular smaller doses through the day tend to suit people better than one large one.
🌾Nettle
An old remedy with a good reputation for seasonal sniffles. Gentle, easy to take as a tea or a capsule.
🌾Omega 3
Not a quick fix, but it supports the body's general inflammatory balance. Worth being on before the season rather than during it.
🦠A good probiotic
A surprising amount of the immune system sits around the gut, and a settled gut generally means a steadier season.
The unglamorous part
😴Sleep matters more than people expect, because a tired body reacts more.
🍷So does alcohol — wine in particular is high in histamine and gives your body more to clear at exactly the wrong time of year.
And rinsing your face and hair before bed keeps the day's pollen off your pillow.
Antihistamines have their place, and for some people they are the right tool. But if you would rather go into spring with a bit more support than that, come and see us and we will work out what suits you.
Bring your current medication list with you so we can check nothing clashes.
—
Michelle
The Good Health Shop
Surfbay Centre, Shelly Beach
michelle@thegoodhealthshop.co.za | 039 315 5351
www.thegoodhealthshop.co.za