The Foods You Eat May Be Making Your Seasonal Allergies Worse
According to EMaxHealth, experts predict the 2012 spring allergy season to be one of the worst in recent years. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may be unintentionally doing things that make your allergies worse. According to Dr. Myron Zitt, past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, what you eat could affect your allergies.
Dr. Zitt notes that some people with seasonal pollen allergies have 'oral allergy syndrome,' or 'pollen food allergy syndrome,' in which they also react to certain foods which contain proteins that are similar to allergy-causing pollen. According to experts, one in five people allergic to grass, and 70% of those with birch allergies, have this condition. Those affected may experience allergic reactions when eating certain foods during allergy season.
If you are allergic to alder or birch trees, Dr. Zitt suggests avoiding celery, apples, and cherries during allergy season. People with grass allergies should stay away from peaches, tomatoes, or potatoes. If you have an allergy to weed pollen, particularly ragweed, try not to eat banana, cucumber, sunflower seeds, or melon during the peak allergy season. Many people with these cross-allergies find that raw foods cause symptoms while those that are canned, cooked, or peeled may not.
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