6 plants to enjoy a spring without allergies

In spring Plants have to fulfill one of their most transcendental biological functions, reproduction. In vascular plants, this process requires the transmission of pollen from the male organs of the flowers –the ends of the stamens, called anthers, where the pollen sacs are located– to the female organs or gynoecium –where the pistil and ovary are located. –.

The transport of these tiny particles is carried out in many cases by insects or other animals, as if they were door-to-door messengers, but in many plants the impulse of the wind is essential.

For this reason, in spring, depending on which natural and urban spaces, the air is filled with these pollen particleswhich for many people are an ordeal difficult to bear.

Only in our country until a 15% of the population suffers to a greater or lesser extent from pollinosisthe allergic reaction caused by inhaling pollen particles, and in young people this figure can double.

Use plants to control inflammation and regulate the immune response

When these allergenic elements enter the airways of an allergic person and affect the mucous membranes, specific antibodies are generated and certain defense molecules that mediate inflammation are released. The best known is the histaminewhich causes the symptoms of allergy.

Between the symptoms most common are the swollen and itchy eyes and his outline, runny nose, explosive sneezes, Sore throatfits of coughing and wheezing in the chest.

The pollution of citiesbut also mites and certain chemical substances or dust are equally responsible for the triggering of allergies.

The Phytotherapy offers a large list of wild plants that exert a antihistamine or antiallergenic actionand that they can be a valid alternative to the synthetic medicines that are used to treat the respiratory allergies.

In this article we have selected six of the most effective plantswhich can be easily purchased at any herbalist, and in some cases harvested in the field.

11 Guidelines to prevent allergic crises

As those who suffer from them know very well year after year when spring arrives, it is very helpful to take certain precautions to prevent its effects from being more pernicious.

Some of the expert recommendations are:

Reduce outdoor activity in the early morning hourswhich is when there is more pollen production.Driving with the car windows closed. Air out the house for as little time as possible. Avoid excursions to the countryside in the months of greatest riskbut do not stop walking to get oxygen.Do not hang clothes on the roofs when there is a lot of pollen suspended to prevent it from adhering to clothing, such as sheets and shirts.Avoid certain gardening taskssuch as mowing lawns, and getting away from whoever does it.Drink water generously. Avoid certain allergenic foods such as dairy products and certain nuts. do without alcohol during those days.Do not take more medication than necessary. Try some alternative therapies such as personalized acupuncture or homeopathy.

Quercetin and onion

The quercetin It is a molecule of the flavonoid type present in many foods and in which onion is particularly rich. Inhibits the action of mast cells and basophils, immune cells that are responsible for releasing histamine and trigger allergic reactions.

Raw onion can have a preventative effect. In herbalists you can find quercetin supplements of different brands, in vegetable capsules, sometimes together with vitamin C and other antioxidants. It is recommended to take two a day, in prolonged treatments.

This article has been prepared with the advice of Josep Maria Teixé, herbalist at El Manantial de Salud.