What type of a diet is helpful in controlling hay fever?
• A balanced and healthy diet should be consumed – high in fibre and whole foods, with large helpings of green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fruits. • Plenty of fluid intake is recommended, at least six to eight glasses of water daily. Raw vegetable and fruit juices are also beneficial, particularly beet, cucumber, spinach. • Meat, dairy products and foods high in saturated fats usually aggravate a hay fever condition, and should be limited in the diet. It is also best to avoid dairy products, wheat, eggs, citrus fruits, chocolate, peanuts, shellfish, food colours and preservatives, especially sulfites. These are common food allergens that worsen hay fever symptoms. • Avoid coffee, chocolates, alcohol, tobacco, and processed sugar. • Beneficial supplements for treating hay fever include vitamins A, E, and B complex. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine and should be consumed in plenty so as to help stabilize the mucous membrane response to allergens. • Essential fatty acids, containe
