Expert shares tasty foods that help alleviate hay fever - including popular fish
Every year around 21 million Brits get sniffles, sneezes and itchy throats as hay fever hits the nation, with antihistamines selling out in pharmacies everywhere.
When the pollen count is high you might find even the daily dosing of nasal sprays can't keep the sneezing under control, so what do you do if you've already reached your max dose of antihistamines and your eyes are still itchy?
Vitamin expert Sarah Hastings, from vitamin and supplement brand Chewwies, thinks a dietary change could help relieve hay fever symptoms for longer lasting protection from the inside out thanks to helpful vitamins and nutrients in these five foods.
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Root vegetables
Sweet potatoes, carrots and beetroot could help your sneezing (Getty Images/Mint Images RF)A common nutrient source here in the UK is the root vegetable, often seen accompanying a roast dinner and providing healthy carbohydrates for your balanced diet.
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Sarah said: "Root vegetables are packed full of the essential vitamins and minerals that you need to help reduce inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a huge contributor to hay fever symptoms, so incorporating more root vegetables into your diet can be incredibly beneficial."
Sweet potatoes, carrots and beets are the best for hay fever as they are "all high in antioxidants" which fight inflammations and therefore reduce symptoms.
"You can easily add these as a side to main meals alongside your protein of choice. They’re also full of fibre which is a fantastic added bonus for your gut health," added Sarah.
Citrus fruits
Grab a glass of orange juice to help fight hay fever (Getty Images)Oranges, lemons, grapefruit and limes are all known for being full of healthy vitamins and minerals, boosting skin health, gut health and also fighting hay fever symptoms.
"Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are well-known for their high vitamin C content and are great for helping with hay fever relief," explained the expert.
"Vitamin C is an extremely powerful antioxidant that helps to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body.
"By consuming more citrus fruits during hay fever season, you can help to strengthen your immune system and reduce the severity of your symptoms. Try snacking on these throughout the day, instead of sugary or processed snacks."
Ginger
Ginger is a great medicinal seasoning (Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)Often overlooked in British cuisine is ginger, a powerful and delicious addition to meals grown as the root of a flower and used in Indian and Chinese medicine for centuries.
Again ginger is a "powerful anti-inflammatory" and has been used to treat a wide variety of health concerns across the years, including allergies.
Sarah said: "By incorporating more ginger into your diet, you can help to reduce inflammation in the body and alleviate hay fever symptoms. I recommend drinking hot ginger tea as an effective way to get this into your system.
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"You can also add ginger as a seasoning to fish or even to dress a salad!"
Kale
Swap lettuce for curly kale in your salads (Getty Images/Bloomberg Creative Photos)Many of the hay fever aids have been root vegetables but if you like leafy greens, try adding kale into your meals for a hay fever fighting boost.
Sarah explained: "Kale is a fantastic leafy green vegetable full of nutrients that can help reduce hay fever symptoms. It contains carotenoids like beta-carotene and lutein, which have been shown to fight inflammation and hinder the release of histamine in the body."
Stopping histamine is key in fighting hay fever as it is a chemical released during an allergic reaction and responsible for many of the symptoms such as itching, sneezing and a runny nose - think of kale as a natural anti-histamine.
"You can easily create delicious summery kale salads, add kale to your scrambled eggs in the morning, or even throw some in the blender with other greens to create a healthy smoothie."
Salmon
Make a salmon based meal and you could see a difference in your hay fever (Getty Images)Rounding out your hay fever fighting meal is salmon, adding fish to your diet will provide essential omega-3 fatty acids - which are also known to help inflammation.
"Omega-3 fatty acids block the production of inflammatory compounds which is a great help during allergy season," said Sarah.
"By eating more salmon, you can help to reduce inflammation in the body and relieve hay fever symptoms. A delicious protein, you can easily add salmon to a salad, or a noodle or rice dish."
These foods could help you avoid tablets that might make you drowsy while adding lots of all round healthy nutrients to your diet - a win win for allergy sufferers.
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