Could your diet be making your hayfever worse?
For most people, the first signs of spring appearing are a welcome sight after a long winter. But for hayfever and allergy sufferers, the first daffodils and pink blossoms growing on the trees can mean watery, itchy eyes, a runny nose and lots of sneezing are imminent.
Histamines – your body’s natural defence
Our immune systems produce chemicals called histamines, which are part of our body’s defence mechanism, helping us to get rid of things that bother or threaten us, such as allergy triggers. It makes us sneeze or makes our eyes water/itch.
Although it’s our body’s way of trying to help us, some people sometimes suffer from an overreaction to these histamines, leading them to sometimes need antihistamines.
How food plays a part
While pollen is the main trigger for hayfever, many people don’t realise that diet and lifestyle can also play a role. The foods you eat can either support your immune system or increase inflammation in the body, which may affect how severe your symptoms feel.
Lots of different food and drink contain histamines and consuming them on peak pollen days can make your symptoms worse. Most people can tolerate these foods, but approximately 1% of the population may have histamine intolerance, which tends to be more common in middle age.
It means you can’t break down histamine correctly, causing it to build up in your body, and although it can lead to allergy-like symptoms, it’s not considered a food allergy.
Too much histamine triggers an immune response, causing symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose, shortness of breath, swollen lips, tongue or throat, headaches or migraines, which we often put down to being ‘hayfever’.
Foods that are high in histamine
- Alcohol – red wine in particular has high histamine levels
- Fizzy drinks, sweets and cake – sugar is inflammatory, meaning it could potentially worsen symptoms for some people
- Chocolate – cocoa beans are made from fermented cacao seeds, which are high in histamine
- Dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, cream, milk – dairy can cause your body to produce more mucus, which can worsen hayfever symptoms
- Some fruits and vegetables, including banana, pineapple, citrus fruits, strawberries,
tomatoes and spinach are also high in histamine.
Foods that are low in histamine
If you want to avoid high histamine foods, you still need to make sure you’re eating a good variety of fresh foods and ensuring you’re getting the right nutrients. Here’s some foods that are low in histamine:
● Fresh meat and chicken
● Eggs
● Fresh fruits and vegetables not listed above
● Herbal teas
● Honey
● Milk substitutes
● Rice
● Bread.
Your diet is only a small part of the picture. Certain lifestyle habits can also influence your inflammation and allergy symptoms, including:
● Poor sleep – when we don’t get enough quality sleep, our bodies can produce higher levels of inflammatory chemicals, which may worsen allergy symptoms. Lack of sleep can also make symptoms such as headaches, brain fog and fatigue feel more intense
● High stress levels – some people also notice that their hayfever flares up more during stressful periods
● Alcohol consumption – drinking alcohol during peak pollen season may worsen symptoms such as congestion, headaches and flushing
● Dehydration – staying well hydrated is important for maintaining healthy mucous membranes in the nose and sinuses.
It’s also important to not spend large amounts of time outside during peak pollen levels if you can help it. Pollen counts are usually highest during the early morning and evening, especially on warm, dry and windy days. Avoid hanging clothes out to dry on the washing line during this time too.
Is it hayfever or underlying allergies/sensitivities?
If you’ve been assuming you’re suffering from hayfever, but your symptoms don’t improve, it could be linked to underlying allergies or sensitivities.
If your symptoms occur throughout the year, worsen after certain foods, or don’t improve with typical hayfever treatments, it may be worth investigating further. Blood testing can help identify specific allergic responses by measuring how your immune system reacts to different allergens.
As a Nutritional Therapist, I often recommend appropriate testing where needed, as this can provide valuable insight into whether symptoms are related to pollen, food sensitivities, or other triggers.
Understanding the root cause allows for a more personalised approach to managing symptoms through diet and lifestyle changes.
If you would like support exploring whether diet, lifestyle or underlying sensitivities could be contributing to your symptoms, feel free to get in touch to discuss how nutritional therapy and appropriate testing may help.