8 Foods That Help Alleviate Allergy Symptoms

Yes, you can help fight allergies with food.

Once spring finally arrives, many of us are headed outside to enjoy the warmer weather and beautiful floral blooms of the season. And while the flowers and greenery are undoubtedly gorgeous, they can often trigger a cascade of nagging allergy symptoms. Itchy eyes and stuffy ears, nose, and throat combine to leave you feeling absolutely miserable during the height of spring allergy season.

And while you should always pay a visit to your healthcare provider for new or worsening allergy symptoms, there are some at-home remedies that may mitigate some of the worst allergy effects. Among the easiest of these remedies is simply making intentional food choices.
Here, we’ll dive into what nutrients and foods have been found to be supportive of allergy symptom relief so you can start feeling better faster

How Allergy Symptoms Start

“Seasonal allergy symptoms like a scratchy throat, watery eyes, and nasal congestion are caused by the immune system’s response to things in the environment, like grass, ragweed, and pollen,” says Bianca Tamburello, RDN, registered dietitian at FRESH Communications.

When an allergic reaction occurs, a specific trigger causes the body to have an inflammatory response. In turn, certain chemicals are released (like histamines) to try to return the body to homeostasis and expedite healing. However, these chemicals also result in the irritating symptoms we all associate with allergies.