Natural Allergy Relief by Nurturing the Gut

My Experience with Natural Allergy Relief

I suffered with seasonal allergies from an early age. When I was in 5th grade, I felt absolutely miserable when spring came. I remember lying on the couch in our living room, looking out the window with the trees budding, and wishing I felt better. My mom gave me Claritin D, and my allergy symptoms went away, but then I was too drowsy to play. My symptoms returned as soon as the drug wore off. I went back and forth between Claritin and Claritin D for years. Later, as an adult, I tried many other OTC medications, but they knocked me out for hours. I did not know that natural allergy relief existed, but a life experience was about to teach me.

When my first baby was born, we soon realized she had multiple food allergies. I had to read every ingredient on every food and drug label – including allergy medicine. I was breastfeeding, and allergy medications enter breastmilk. Studies say it is in very small amounts, and it is hypothesized that these amounts are small enough to not pose a risk to the infant. (1) A hypothesis wasn’t good enough for me, especially when I learned that all antihistamines cross the blood-brain barrier. (12) I came off all allergy medication.

Because I breastfed my baby with food allergies, I went on her diet, which included cutting out dairy, gluten, and soy. I also started learning about gut health. I removed harmful things from our diets and added in beneficial foods. We started seeing an integrative pediatrician in St. Louis, and we used the supplements she recommended. I was determined to heal my daughter’s gut and free her of food allergies – and she was healed. An unexpected side effect was that I no longer had seasonal allergies. I even moved 11 hours south to a rural area, exposed to new allergens, and I did not need medicine. I had found allergy relief naturally.

The Gut Connection

How does a healthy gut provide natural allergy relief? It’s thought that Hippocrates once stated, “All disease begins in the gut.” We now know that the small intestine has the largest density of immune cells. These immune cells release histamines when allergens enter the body. Histamines cause symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and congestion. (2)

There is a connection between the gut and the brain called the gut-brain axis. Some call the gut “the second brain.” The beneficial bacteria in the gut affect how the neurons communicate, and this then affects immune responses to inflammation and allergens. (3)

Feeding the Gut

Food should always be our first medicine. You cannot out-supplement a bad diet. If your budget is limited, choose clean eating before spending money on supplements. We started cooking with more turmeric and added bone broth to all our soups, stews, and chili. We used bone broth to cook rice, and we sometimes just drank bone broth straight. Buying bone broth can get expensive, but it’s easy to make your own bone broth.

Most people are familiar with aloe for its healing properties, and that is true for the gut as well. We gave our daughter aloe water to drink. You can find several brands on Amazon and in health stores. Our doctor recommended olive leaf tea for her. Fermented foods such as kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kefir. (Make sure your pickles and sauerkraut are actually fermented and not just put in vinegar.) Increasing leafy greens and sprouted nuts and seeds is beneficial. Adding these foods to your diet to help can heal the gut.

For gut health and natural allergy relief, you can take local honey daily. Honey has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects (10) (11)

Protecting the Gut

Removing inflammatory foods protects the gut and increases the effect of your healthy foods. When we were changing our diets to help our daughter, we removed gluten, dairy, and soy because she tested positive for it. Unfortunately, these foods are a problem for many people because the way the modern world grows and processes them causes them to be highly inflammatory.

Gluten is usually high in glyphosate (Roundup) unless it is organic. Conventional farmers spray Roundup on crops to kill weeds, but farmers also spray glyphosate on crops just before harvest to desiccate, or dry it (4) (13) Try going gluten-free for a month to give your body time to get it out of the system and heal from it; then try reintroducing it. If you have any reactions, stay off gluten and focus on gut health. If you consume gluten, get organic or purchase products imported from countries that have banned or restricted glyphosate. Click here to see a list.

Dairy is highly inflammatory and allergenic. Conventional farmers feed dairy cows grain fed sprayed with pesticides. Then their milk pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria, but pasteurization also kills the good bacteria, alters the whey and casein proteins, lowers the vitamin and mineral content, and destroys enzymes. One of these enzymes is lactase, which helps digest lactose, a sugar found in milk. (5) This is why many people have developed lactose-intolerance. Try cutting dairy out for 3-4 weeks. It takes about that long for dairy to leave the body, so don’t purposely cheat during this trial period. GoDairyFree has an excellent list of dairy ingredients to help you read labels. If you want to keep dairy in your diet, organic milk is less inflammatory and allergenic, and A2/A2 milk is helpful for some people, but raw (unpasteurized) milk is best. Click here to find where you can get raw milk.

Soy is the number one genetically modified organism (GMO) crop. Bayer, which bought out Monsanto, sells Roundup and Roundup Ready Soybeans, which have been genetically modified to withstand Roundup being directly applied. These soybeans are high in pesticides and lower in nutrition. (6) Try avoiding soy for 2-3 weeks.

Lastly, we avoided prescription antibiotics. Studies show that gut diversity is decreased by 25% after just one seven-day course of prescription antibiotics. (7) Other studies have shown that the flora diversity is affected for 2 months to perhaps years after a course of antibiotics. (8) (9)

This was a big change for me, because I was on prescription antibiotics almost every month for ear infections, UTIs, sinus infections, and illness. I relied on them heavily. Of course, we would have used them if absolutely necessary, but we started seeking out medical professionals knowledgeable in using natural antibiotics that did not destroy gut flora. At the time of this writing, I have not had prescription antibiotics in five years. My eight-year-old had one course at age three. My five-year-old has never had prescription antibiotics. It’s absolutely possible to use natural remedies with antibiotic properties, such as garlic, oregano, manuka honey, and colloidal silver. Click here to learn more about natural antibiotics.

Supplements for the Gut

The best way to address seasonal and food allergies is to heal the gut. This is not a quick fix, however. Be patient and give it a few months of eating clean and healthy foods while avoiding harmful foods and drugs. You can add some supplements to your regimen if you’d like. Here are some ideas:

Earthley Gut Health Oil
Gut Health Oil contains pumpkin seeds, which are antiparasitic. It contains coconut oil and calendula to promote healing. Clove buds are included to fight yeast. If your oil gets clumpy, it’s because the coconut oil got cold. Stick your bottle in a warm glass of water, and it will turn liquid again.
Earthley Cod Liver Oil
Cod liver oil is high in vitamins A and D, and it has omega 3s. Earthley uses wild caught Alaskan cod. The livers are cold pressed with no chemical solvents. Available in liquid and capsules. I used the liquid when my kids were little, but we now prefer capsules.
Perfect Supplements Bone Broth Powder
This bone broth powder comes from organic, free-range chickens. Add to a cup of warm water for a high protein drink, or add to any soup or even a smoothie. (Use coupon TakeBackHealth10 for 10% off.)
Perfect Supplements Collagen Powder
Collagen powder can be added to soup, coffee, or other warm drinks. It is high in protein and promotes healing in joints and gut. This collagen comes from grassfed cows and is certified glyphosate-free. (Use coupon TakeBackHealth10 for 10% off.)
Probiotics
There are lots of options for probiotics. I do prefer to get them from food and not supplement them. I would supplement during and after taking prescription antibiotics. Several doctors have told me to look for multi-strain probiotics with about 10 strains, and most of my doctors have recommended Klaire Labs, which has capsules in an adult formula and a women’s formula. Klaire Labs has a chewable for kids and a powder for infants. I mixed Klaire Labs Infant probiotic powder in my daughter’s bottles. There are cheaper options on store shelves, but do take note those usually only contain a couple strains.

Supplements for Acute Allergy Relief

Healing the gut takes time, but perhaps you need relief from seasonal allergies now. Over the years, I’ve fallen back into some unhealthy eating habits, and my gut definitely suffered. I also had exposure to mold, and allergy symptoms returned on occasion. Because of this, I found that there are quick-working remedies for natural allergy relief.

Earthley Sinus Saver
This is a liquid tincture that contains dandelion root and turmeric to support the liver. Nettles help with allergies. Elderberry helps relieve stuffy nose. Black pepper increases nutrient absorption. This is meant to be taken daily. There is an alcohol-based formula and a glycerin-based formula. The glycerin-based has more quercetin content, so I personally get that one.
Earthley Liver Love
This is a liquid tincture that supports the liver with dandelion root and turmeric. For extra liver support, it contains peppermint leaf and milk thistle. It is available in both alcohol-based and glycerin-based formulas. You can take it straight or add it to any cold beverage.
Earthley Lymphatic Cream
Lymphatic Cream contains cleavers to stimulate the lymphatic system and help it drain. Yarrow, calendula, ginger root, and burdock root reduce inflammation and pain while castor oil gently detoxes. Lightly apply over areas with congestion such as the sinuses, behind the ears, down the neck, and the chest. Always use strokes moving towards the heart.
Earthley Breathe Well Salve
Use Breathe Well Salve as you would any chest rub. It is free from petroleum, mineral oil, fragrance, menthol, and camphor. In addition, rather than using peppermint or eucalyptus essential oils, which are unsafe for small children, Breathe Well Salve contains balm mint bush and rosalina essential oils for upper respiratory support and clearing congestion. Lemon and lavender essential oils are included for their antibacterial properties. These are diluted in apricot oil and candelilla wax. Apply to the chest and neck. I sometimes like to put a small amount directly under my nose to breathe in.
D-Hist capsules and D-Hist Jr chewables
D-Hist contains vitamin C, stinging nettles, quercetin, and NAC for powerful relief from seasonal allergy symptoms. I did have a return of allergy symptoms in this past year when my gut health had some problems. I used D-Hist and got quick relief. I did not need to continue after using one bottle. Follow the dosing instructions on the bottle.
I gave D-Hist Jr to my son when he was playing outside and suddenly had his face and eyes getting puffy and swollen. I gave him one dose as we were getting ready to head to town for urgent care. His symptoms were completely relieved by the time we were on the road. D-Hist Jr worked just as well as Benadryl, but without crossing the blood-brain barrier or causing drowsiness or other nervous system side effects.
I do find a better price than Amazon at a local naturopath’s office and at my chiropractor’s office, so you may want to shop around and compare prices.
Standard Process Allerplex
This contains several plants and bovine liver. My daughter has had respiratory allergies after toxic mold exposure, and this has helped her.
Boiron AllergyCalm
AllergyCalm is a homeopathic option. Because it is homeopathic, you can combine it with other remedies. (Note that peppermint can sometimes cancel homeopathy.) Homeopathy has a saying that “a dose is a dose.” You can take 1 pellet or many pellets, but what you take at one time is one dose. Instructions say to take 5 pellets every 15 minutes for an hour. I take 1 pellet every 15 minutes for an hour. This is the most cost-effective allergy remedy I have found, and I usually have relief within an hour.