As the media has reported and many of you are already experiencing firsthand, it’s shaping up to be the most severe allergy season we’ve had in years. With the allergy season already in full swing in some parts of the country and fast approaching in others, it’s a long and bumpy road ahead for the millions of Americans who are allergic to pollens – a long road filled with headaches, runny noses, itchy eyes and scratchy throats.
But luckily, you don’t have to sign up for expensive allergy treatments or lock yourself indoors to make it through this season breathing easy… because this is one common problem with a number of all-natural solutions.
A successful attack on allergy symptoms has three essential requirements: low levels of allergy-producing histamine in your body, strong mucous membranes and tightly controlled inflammatory responses. And that’s why a daily dose of the flavonoid quercetin is one of your best allies in this seasonal fight.
Effective blood levels of this powerful natural compound can inhibit allergen-stimulated histamine bursts from your body’s mast cells and basophils (both of which trigger the chemical cascade that’s responsible for the most common allergy symptoms) – a benefit that’s been supported in preliminary trials of patients with allergic rhinitis.1-5 Quercetin is also a potent anti-inflammatory, able to block both the production and activity of chemical inflammatory mediators, including leukotrienes and prostaglandins.
Supplementing with the enzyme bromelain has similar advantages: Research shows that, when taken on an empty stomach, up to 40 percent of this natural compound will absorb into your bloodstream intact – where it stimulates anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and blocks pro-inflammatory prostaglandins at once.
Combining both bromelain and quercetin with a dose of vitamin C (as in the formula QuerCelain, available from VRP) ensures that you’ll get even more natural protection. Research shows that low plasma levels of this vitamin correspond to higher overall histamine levels – but that daily vitamin C supplementation can lower blood histamine measurements by as much as 38 percent within just one week.
Strong mucous membranes play an equally pivotal role in allergy relief, as they are less susceptible to irritation and better able to block allergenic pathogens. The fermented yeast culture EpiCor can make sure your defenses stay strong, by modulating your body’s immune responses and enhancing your body’s production of secretory IgA (sIgA) – the critical antibody that coats your exposed mucous membranes.
In fact, one trial conducted during the period of highest recorded total pollen counts showed that 500 mg of EpiCor daily significantly decreased the severity of allergic rhinitis symptoms. There was also a significant decrease in nasal congestion and rhinorrhea (runny nose) and a slight improvement in discharge from the eyes. In addition, the group receiving EpiCor reported 12.5 fewer days with nasal congestion compared to the placebo group.10 Published research has also supported this natural compound’s clinically proven role in immune system support – distinguishing EpiCor as a crucial daily supplement, whatever the season.11 And the EpiCor available from VRP is 100 percent pure – no fillers or flow agents.
References:
1. Pearce, F, et al Mucosal mast cells III. Effect of quercetin and other flavonoids on antigen-induced histamine secretion from rat intestinal mast cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 73 (1984): 819-23.
2. Middleton, E. et al Quercetin: an inhibitor of antigen-induced human basophil histamine release. J Immunol. 127 (1981): 546-50.
3. Foreman J. Mast cells and the actions of flavonoids. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1984;73: 769-73.
4. Middleton E, et. al. The effects of plant flavonoids on mammalian cells: implications for inflammation, heart disease and cancer. Pharmacol Rev. 2000;52: 673-751.
5. Otsuka H, Inaba M, Fujikura T, Kunitomo M. Histochemical and functional characteristics of metachromatic cells in the nasal epithelium in allergic rhinitis: studies of nasal scrapings and their dispersed cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1995;96:528-36.
6. Anon. Quercetin. Alt Med Rev. 1998;3:140-3.
7. Taussig S. The mechanism of the physiological action of bromelain. Med Hypoth. 1980; 99-104.
8. Kelly G. Bromelain: A literature review and discussion of its therapeutic applications. Alt Med Rev. 1996;243-57.
9. Johnston C, et al. Antihistamine effect of supplemental ascorbic acid and neutrophil chemotaxis. J Am Coll Nutr. 1992; II:172-76.
10. Moyad MA, Robinson LE, Kittelsrud JM, Reeves SG, Weaver SE, Guzman AI, Bubak ME. Immunogenic yeast-based fermentation product reduces allergic rhinitis-induced nasal congestion: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Adv Ther. 2009;26(8):795-804.
11. Moyad MA, Robinson LE, Zawada ET, Jr, Kittelsrud JM, Chen DG, Reeves SG, Weaver SE. Effects of a Modified Yeast Supplement on Cold/Flu Symptoms. Urologic Nursing. February 2008;28(1): 50-55.
