Whether your spring allergy symptoms are mild or severe, knowing fact from fiction can make the difference between misery and relief. Here,  SuperRadiance presents an essential guide to the herbs and nutritional supplements your body needs to ward off seasonal allergies and keep you fighting fit.

Freeze Dried Stinging Nettle: Take 3-6 capsules of freeze-dried stinging nettle daily. This is a safe, natural diuretic and antihistamine that doesn’t make you drowsy, and reduces seasonal allergies effectively. The nettles have to be freeze-dried to do their job. Because they’re in capsules, children will have to be able to swallow them whole. You can purchase these in large natural foods stores or online.

Quercetin: Take 500 mg daily (halve that for children). Quercetin is a plant pigment found in many common fruits, vegetables and some herbs.  This bioflavonoid is a very reliable anti-inflammatory nutritional supplement. It is also a valuable antioxidant and a major priority for the prevention of hay fever.  It helps with gut repair, boosts the immunity in your mucus membranes reducing reactivity to seasonal allergens, and also helps reduce food allergies. There’s conflicting data on whether it’s safe in pregnancy so don’t take it during the first trimester and limit your dose to 250 mg/day thereafter if you’d prefer to use this over a conventional pharmaceutical while pregnant.

Zinc: This antioxidant is of particular importance in food allergies. Take an age-appropriate dose daily.

Buffered Ascorbic Acid: Buffered vitamin C is a form of the nutrient vitamin C, essential to human bodies, that is combined with calcium, magnesium and some form of potassium. Sodium may be added as well. For individuals who have digestive trouble as a result of taking straight vitamin C, the buffered type is said to make digestion easier; it often releases more slowly than vitamin C alone does as well. This supplement can also provide the benefits of the added minerals used for buffering. It is an excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.  Take up to 2000 mg daily. Don’t exceed this as a total daily dose during pregnancy.

Shani Shaker BA (hons), dipION, mBANT, CNHC, is a registered nutritional therapist with a focus on regenerative and functional nutrition. Based in London her services include one-to-one coaching, group classes and Skype sessions. Contact her at [email protected]

Disclaimer: The information provided is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. When considering a herbal remedy, always speak to a reputable natural health retailer for guidance, especially of you are already taking a prescribed medicine. Supplementation should only be temporary. If you’re eating a nutrient-rich diet, extra supplementation should only last for a month or two, just long enough to resolve the deficiency.